OpenAI and Nvidia Corp. are set to announce a major commitment to invest billions of dollars in UK data center infrastructure during their upcoming visit to the country, Bloomberg reported. The pledges are expected to coincide with President Donald Trump’s visit next week, during which American companies across various sectors are poised to unveil tens of billions of dollars in investments.
According to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity, OpenAI and Nvidia plan to collaborate with London-based data center operator Nscale Global Holdings Ltd. as part of a broader push to expand AI infrastructure in Europe. OpenAI is reportedly prepared to invest billions of dollars in the initiative to support its growing operations and counter tightening regulations across European markets.
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang will be part of a delegation of U.S. executives visiting the UK alongside Trump. While Nvidia declined to comment, and representatives for OpenAI, the White House, and Nscale did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Bloomberg’s sources indicated that the investments will further bolster the UK’s ambition to become a hub for artificial intelligence development.
The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has actively sought to attract such investments, citing concerns over economic stagnation and fears of losing technological leadership to the U.S. and China. Earlier this year, Starmer launched a strategy to “turbocharge AI” with investments in data centers and semiconductor manufacturing, while proposing “AI growth zones” where infrastructure projects would benefit from streamlined planning processes and prioritized access to energy grids.
Bloomberg also reported that OpenAI’s expansion in Europe forms part of a broader strategy. In May, the company announced its “OpenAI for Countries” initiative to extend its Stargate data center project overseas. In July, OpenAI became the anchor customer for a new Nscale data center in Norway, financed by Norwegian investor Aker ASA.
Nscale, which launched in May 2024, had previously committed $2.5 billion over three years to the UK’s data center industry, including a site in Loughton, Essex, that could accommodate up to 45,000 of Nvidia’s GB200 AI chips. Bloomberg noted that Nscale was exploring a $2.7 billion fundraising round to support its AI infrastructure plans, backed by a pending partnership with ByteDance Ltd.
While OpenAI’s planned investments in the UK and Europe are significant, Bloomberg’s reporting underscores that they remain modest compared to its initiatives in other regions. For example, the company has pledged 5 gigawatts of capacity in the UAE and nearly 4.5 gigawatts in the U.S., with partners such as SoftBank Group Corp. and Oracle Corp. backing projects that could eventually exceed $500 billion in total investments.
The announcements from OpenAI and Nvidia, as reported by Bloomberg, are likely to intensify the debate over global AI competition and the role of foreign investment in shaping national technology strategies.
