UK-US tech alliance deepens with record investments and AI focus during Trump’s second state visit

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1. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tim-cook-sam-altman-more-191447873.html?.tsrc=rss - Please view link - unable to able to access data
2. https://www.reuters.com/business/taking-over-world-trump-says-he-hopes-ai-bosses-know-what-theyre-doing-2025-09-18/ - During his state visit to Britain, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), joking that it was 'taking over the world' and expressing hope that tech leaders, like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, knew what they were doing. Trump made the remarks during an event co-hosted with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which brought together major tech and business leaders. Despite admitting limited understanding of AI, Trump and Starmer signed a significant 'Tech Prosperity Deal' aimed at fostering collaboration between the U.S. and U.K. in AI development—particularly in healthcare—as well as in quantum computing and civil nuclear projects. As part of the partnership, Nvidia committed to deploying 120,000 graphics processing units across the U.K., marking its largest European rollout. The event was lightened by Trump’s humor, including a moment when he joked about blaming the Treasury Secretary if the deal turned out poorly.
3. https://apnews.com/article/bc9088873ab7fc481c7163d60fe4da98 - During his second state visit to the United Kingdom, President Donald Trump expressed deep gratitude for the ceremonial welcome and hospitality provided by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while largely sidestepping contentious issues. The visit showcased mutual admiration, with both Trump and Starmer emphasizing the enduring 'special relationship' between the U.S. and U.K. A major highlight was the signing of a historic science and technology agreement, promising significant investments and job creation, particularly in AI and quantum computing. Despite the optimistic tone, little progress was made on critical matters such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, U.S. tariffs on British steel, and disagreements over recognizing a Palestinian state. Trump avoided commenting on the Jeffrey Epstein controversy that resurfaced during the visit. The trip was momentarily disrupted by a minor issue with his helicopter, but overall, it underscored efforts to strengthen bilateral economic ties amid geopolitical divergence.
4. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/us-investment-validates-starmers-risky-uk-invite-trump-2025-09-18/ - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to extend a second state visit to U.S. President Donald Trump has been vindicated by a record-breaking £150 billion ($203 billion) in U.S. corporate investments into the UK, particularly in tech, finance, and energy. Notably, Blackstone pledged £100 billion, and Microsoft committed £22 billion. The move, seen as risky due to Trump’s unpredictable nature, aimed to secure Britain’s role as a key ally in the global AI race against China. While public opinion was divided, the diplomatic gamble paid off with economic gains and no major diplomatic fallout. However, critics warn that Britain's growing reliance on U.S. tech infrastructure could weaken its political leverage and hinder EU trade relations. Despite Starmer's strategic rapport with Trump and some trade concessions, like reduced tariffs on cars and aircraft parts, the UK didn't secure lower steel tariffs or progress on contentious issues like Palestine or Russia. Nonetheless, the visit ended on a positive note with Trump reaffirming U.S.-UK unity.
5. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-us-agree-42-billion-tech-pact-to-mark-trumps-visit-2025-09-16/ - The United Kingdom and the United States have signed a landmark 'Tech Prosperity Deal' during U.S. President Donald Trump's second state visit to Britain. Valued at £31 billion ($42 billion), the agreement aims to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and civil nuclear energy. Major U.S. tech firms, led by Microsoft, pledged significant investments in the UK, with Microsoft alone announcing a £22 billion investment in cloud and AI infrastructure, including an AI supercomputer in Loughton. Nvidia plans to deploy 120,000 GPUs across the UK, marking its largest European rollout, while Google will invest £5 billion in a new data center and continued AI research via DeepMind. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the deal’s significance for driving economic growth and positioning the UK as a global tech leader. Under pressure to rejuvenate the UK economy, Starmer is adopting a light-regulation strategy favored by the U.S., diverging from the more controlled EU framework. The pact underscores a deepening of UK-U.S. trade relations, with additional commitments from companies like CoreWeave, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle, aiming to bolster the UK's position in the global tech landscape.
6. https://www.itpro.com/infrastructure/uk-to-host-largest-european-gpu-cluster-under-gbp11-billion-nvidia-investment-plans - Nvidia has announced a major £11 billion investment that will position the UK as Europe’s largest GPU hub by the end of 2026. The plan includes deploying 120,000 Blackwell GPUs, enhancing the country’s sovereign compute capacity and supporting its AI infrastructure. The investment comes primarily from Nvidia partners Nscale and CoreWeave, with UK-based Nscale alone pledging 60,000 GPUs locally and 300,000 globally. This GPU deployment will support enterprise, research, and consumer needs, and represents a substantial leap from Nscale’s previously announced 10,000 GPUs. The project will bolster the UK’s AI ecosystem alongside the government’s AI growth zones initiative. New AI infrastructure will be developed in North East England, with Stargate UK—partially backed by OpenAI—located at Cobalt Park. The announcement also follows Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's previous criticism of the UK’s limited infrastructure despite vast AI potential. In addition, Nvidia will support the launch of a combined quantum and AI supervision center in New York, and Google committed £5 billion to expand UK infrastructure. These moves coincide with a U.S. state visit, framing a broader tech partnership momentum between the UK and global tech giants.
7. https://apnews.com/article/c02883df588c4783778f0dbb5894de1d - During an unprecedented second U.K. state visit, President Donald Trump was honored with royal pageantry, including a banquet at Windsor Castle hosted by King Charles III. The trip emphasized bolstering U.S.-U.K. ties amid trade tensions, featuring high-level interactions with British royals and tech leaders such as Tim Cook and Sam Altman. Trump, praising the grandeur and emphasizing U.S.-British relations, participated in ceremonial events and paid tribute at Queen Elizabeth II's tomb. Meanwhile, domestic controversy unfolded as fired CDC Director Susan Monarez testified before the Senate, alleging Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressured her to endorse vaccine recommendations without scientific review. Her testimony, supported by other former CDC officials, raised concerns about vaccine policy and scientific integrity, especially as a newly restructured advisory panel prepared controversial votes on vaccine guidelines. Additionally, protests occurred in London opposing Trump’s policies, and media scrutiny intensified regarding misinformation and executive overreach. In parallel, the Fed cut interest rates, and Trump’s administration faced legal, political, and foreign policy challenges ranging from surveillance and disinformation to immigration enforcement. Also, tensions surrounding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk further exacerbated the political divide, prompting congressional inquiries into online radicalization and misinformation.