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OPENAI'S £20B UK STARGATE PLAN CALLED PR STUNT

AI DESK1 MIN READ
SUN, JUL 5, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 5 SOURCES ▸ TIMELINE

A source has dismissed OpenAI and partner Nscale's highly publicized plans for a £20 billion AI data center in the UK as a publicity exercise, claiming neither company has visited the proposed Cobalt site or filed planning applications.

The alleged facility was touted by UK ministers as part of a £30 billion AI investment package announced in 2025. However, according to reporting from The Guardian, the companies have taken no concrete steps toward development. Neither OpenAI nor Nscale has visited the Cobalt location or submitted the required planning forms, the source claimed. This suggests the announcement may have been promotional rather than backed by imminent construction plans. The revelation raises questions about the substantiality of the UK's flagship AI infrastructure commitments. Ministers had positioned the Stargate project as critical to the nation's tech ambitions, but the lack of formal planning activity indicates the £20 billion figure may have been largely hypothetical. The claims undermine confidence in the announced timeline and OpenAI's commitment to the UK project.

■ SOURCES

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■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

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