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Today in Focus

UK’s big, risky AI bet

Today in Focus

The Guardian

News, Daily News

4.65.9K Ratings

🗓️ 30 March 2026

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Reporter Aisha Down explores the UK’s ‘phantom investments’ in AI, and the risk the government has taken in betting so heavily on the technology if it all goes bust. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is The Guardian.

0:08.2

Today, the Prime Minister wants to pump AI into the veins of the economy.

0:14.5

What does that really look like?

0:28.2

Okay, so phone, keys, wallet, supercomputer, here we come.

0:30.2

Good luck.

0:34.3

Okay, we are off to Debden.

0:40.4

I'm off to this small Essex suburb because my colleague Isha Downe has given instructions

0:42.9

for finding the future of the UK's economy,

0:46.3

a supercomputer.

0:47.8

So the supercomputer is north of an industrial park

0:51.3

set next to a disused football field

0:53.8

and a restaurant, surrounded

0:56.4

by sort of a thick hedge.

0:58.4

It's meant to be one of the biggest in the world, and it's meant to be ready by the end of

1:02.4

the year.

1:03.4

This is a central line train to Epping.

1:08.5

One bus, a train, and a tube ride later,

1:15.8

I've arrived at where this multi-billion-pound economic miracle is supposed to be.

1:23.3

I head to the high street to ask locals if they know where the supercomputer is,

1:26.2

or what it is.

1:28.1

Have you heard anything about it?

1:29.4

No, I'm sorry.

...

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