Artificial Intelligence Opportunities Action Plan

Viscount Stansgate Excerpts

Thursday 16th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

Noble Lords will hear much more about the national data library over the coming months, but it is important to recognise that data is valuable only if it is collected well, curated properly and is interoperable and accessible. We need to ensure that it is properly protected, both for individual privacy, which is the point the noble Lord raises, and to make sure that we get the appropriate valuation of the data and that that value flows back into the UK and into public services. These will all be key features of the national data library.

[Viscount Stansgate (Lab)]

My Lords, I welcome the Statement, but I draw my noble friend’s attention to the element which refers to the “immense” energy used by this new technology. Is the AI energy council already in the process of estimating the quantity of energy required, and am I right in thinking that the data centres will be placed around the country in locations that enable them to have access to sufficient energy for them to work?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

My noble friend is quite right. The energy issue is crucial for any plan for AI, and that is why the energy council is being set up. It is precisely why Culham is the first place identified; it has a significant energy supply already. We anticipate that the centres will be based around the country in places where there is renewable energy or where other sources of energy can be accessed easily in order to provide the power the centres require. It is also important that the council looks at the overall environmental impact, which will be part of this.

On energy consumption, it is known what is required for a single data centre and, as we need multiple data centres, the type and amount we will require is known. It is crucial that this is done on top of everything else that the energy is required for. This is a big and difficult problem, but we can already see an answer to it with the first identification of a site for the AI growth zone.