Cooling down in the Docks
Inside a UK data centre first.
Happy Wednesday and congrats to all who survived London at 35C.
I've been writing about data centres for three years but have never been inside one until yesterday. I spent the morning at the opening of Digital Realty's Innovation Lab in the Docklands. It's the first of its kind in Europe and is being cooled by water from Millwall Dock next door which is then pumped back into the Thames. The US company says it plans to at least double its UK footprint on demand for AI inference.
Happening Today 📆
Here's what I think: Tony Blair has penned an essay arguing Britain risks becoming an "island of irrelevance" without radical change. He argues the state should be reorganised around technology and that Britain can't go back into the EU until the bloc shifts its tech policy.
Spook-y: GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler will say today there is a narrowing window for the UK and its allies to stay ahead on AI with the "the ground beneath our feet" shifting.
We're on a break: The government has until today to respond to the Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into online misinfo but a decision on publishing will be made after the latest Parliament break.
Forward planning: I've updated our planning calendar here.
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