US software giant Salesforce to spend £3.2bn to beef up artificial intelligence technology in UK
Committed to AI investment: Salesforce chairman Marc Benioff
Salesforce is to plough £3.2billion into UK tech as it doubles down on artificial intelligence (AI).
The US software firm said the investment will be spread over the next five years, adding to its £2billion commitment in 2018. The company, which specialises in managing customer relationships for its clients, said the growing demand was at the root of this venture.
‘Salesforce is experiencing rapid growth in the UK as companies invest in their digital transformations and leverage the incredible innovation cycle around AI,’ it said.
AI is software used by computers to mimic human-like behaviour, including learning, planning and creativity.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the latest investment was a ‘ringing endorsement of our economy’.
During a visit to the US this month, Sunak set out plans to host a global summit on AI safety this year as he looks to make the UK a leader in the emerging technology.
The announcement came as the ChatGPT developer named London as its first office outside the US.
San Francisco-based OpenAI chose it because of its ‘vibrant technology ecosystem’ and ‘exceptional talent’.
‘We see this as an opportunity to attract world-class talent and drive innovation,’ said chief executive Sam Altman.
‘We’re excited about what the future holds and to see the contributions our London office will make towards building and deploying safe AI.’
Both will be seen as a vote of confidence in a UK tech scene reeling after Microsoft’s president criticised regulators’ decision to block its takeover of Activision Blizzard.
