# George Osborne says datacentre nimbys are holding Britain back

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-22T11:46:01Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/george-osborne-says-datacentre-nimbys-are-holding-britain-back

## Summary

George Osborne, the former UK chancellor who now leads OpenAI’s AI for countries unit, told attendees at the Big Brue festival in Somerset that opposition to AI datacentres is slowing Britain’s AI infrastructure. He warned that if the UK does not permit new datacentres, the country could lose sovereign control over where AI models are hosted, with work shifting to US states such as Ohio, Georgia and Michigan.

Osborne noted protests in London, Devon, Scotland and other locations, where critics describe datacentres as landscape blights that consume water, energy and land that could be used for housing. The government has classified AI datacentres as critical national infrastructure to accelerate approvals, while the Green Party has called for a moratorium. Verity Harding of the University of Cambridge’s Bennett Institute said the backlash reflects broader distrust of the tech sector rather than specific facility concerns. Meanwhile, CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic are scheduled to meet world leaders at the UN General Assembly to discuss regulation of advanced AI.

## Key points

- George Osborne, OpenAI's head of AI for countries, said datacentre NIMBYs are blocking UK AI infrastructure.
- UK government has classified AI datacentres as critical national infrastructure, while the Green Party urges a moratorium.
- OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs will meet world leaders at the UN General Assembly to discuss AI regulation.

## Why it matters

If the UK delays AI datacentre construction, it could lose control over where AI models run, affecting national tech sovereignty and the country's ability to attract AI investment.

## Sources

1. [George Osborne says datacentre nimbys holding back Britain](https://theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/22/george-osborne-ai-datacentre-nimbys-holding-back-britain) (The Guardian AI, 2026-09-22)

Part of the developing story: [Global Race for AI Data Center Land](https://digestai.news/thread/openai-eyes-canadian-data-centres-for-energy-and-land-access) (2 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "George Osborne says datacentre nimbys are holding Britain back", 22 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/george-osborne-says-datacentre-nimbys-are-holding-britain-back

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