Backlash before the buildout
Progressive voters sour on data centres.
Welcome back and happy Tuesday,
Back in March, I looked at how data centres are losing the political battle. Today, I’m looking at the why, including some exclusive voter polling which shows environmental concerns are causing Labour target voters to sour on AI infrastructure.
The irony here is opposition to data centres is growing before the buildout has really started. We’ve got anxiety levels comparable to the US, without any of the benefits of actually hosting data centres.
News In Brief 🩳
Today: The White House hosts tech companies to review a draft of its framework for voluntary testing AI models before release, the Information first reported. The framework has not been published but follows an executive order on June 2nd.
Lab launch: The government's first AI Growth Lab will focus on legal services, according to a notice published yesterday. It will help "innovators and adopters with coordinated access to regulators". Applications are open until September 27th and a launch webinar is being held on August 10th.
Regulator review: Ofcom's new chair has launched a review of the regulator to ensure it can enforce the Online Safety Act. Ian Cheshire, who took over in June, told the FT the review would be completed in autumn and Ofcom would likely need more money.
Magic Seven: ARIA is restructuring how it organises its research funding, moving from "opportunity spaces" defined by programme directors, to seven pre-defined ones.
Doing great: AI minister Kanishka Narayan says he feels "more empowered at the centre of government" following the carving up of DSIT, but urged people to look at the "quality and agency" of individuals working on AI in government rather than the structure, he told the ETN show.
Congrats: London-based chip startup OLIX is now valued at $3.3 billion after raising $312m led by New York VC firm Fundomo. The government's Sovereign AI Unit was among the investors. The company is developing more energy efficient chips for inference and plans to begin manufacturing next year.
In today's edition:
🏗️ Opposition to data centres is growing, particularly among progressive voters due to environmental concerns.
