Tech
FT 250 executives call for UK grid upgrades to support AI datacentre expansion plans | Computer Weekly
If the UK’s digital economy is to enjoy a prosperous future, the nation’s electricity grids need to be urgently upgraded to ensure the datacentres underpinning it all have a consistent and reliable supply of high-capacity power.
That’s according to a poll of 101 FTSE 250 executives, commissioned by the Energy Networks Association (ENA), where 90% of participants said they believe that upgrading the grid is “essential to unlocking high-growth industries”, while more than 80% said the UK cannot compete globally without these upgrades.
“This requirement is particularly acute for datacentres, which underpin AI [artificial intelligence] model training, cloud computing and the broader tech ecosystem,” said the ENA, in a statement.
Of those polled, 55% said they are confident the UK can become a global leader in AI, for example, but realising this ambition hinges on the availability of reliable, high-capacity power.
Furthermore, 75% of those questioned said planned grid improvements would enable their business to invest and grow in the UK, with just 19% stating that they think the current grid is sufficient to meet the future energy demands of high-growth industries.
“This polling shows a high level of confidence among UK business leaders in our ability to lead the world in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and digital technology,” said Energy Networks Association CEO Lawrence Slade. “They see the UK’s potential to dominate the industries of tomorrow, and the benefits this would bring for jobs, investment and growth,” he said. “But they are equally clear that this opportunity is not guaranteed. It hinges entirely on a future-ready electricity grid.
“Without it, we risk losing our competitive edge and missing out on the economic, environmental and social gains that are within our grasp. Decisions made this year will be pivotal for securing the private investment network operators need to make this future-ready grid a reality.”
Concerns about the UK grid’s ability to withstand the number of datacentres being planned and built have been circulating for years, but have ramped up more recently in the wake of the government’s rhetoric about wanting to become an AI superpower.
In line with this, there has been a flurry of announcements from datacentre developers about their plans to build hyperscale, high-performance compute and AI server farms across the country, which typically consume more energy than a traditional datacentre.
According to the UK government’s own figures, domestic datacentre capacity could rise to between 3.3GW and 6.3GW by 2030, mainly due to the growing demand for AI workloads, which will place further pressure on the grid.
Teodora Kaneva, head of smart infrastructure and systems at TechUK, said the government has acknowledged the pressure these datacentre developments will put on the grid, and allocated “significant investment” in the nation’s energy infrastructure as a result.
“Now we must focus on how we can deliver at pace to deliver on national ambition, [because] delays in power provision prevent the construction of new digital infrastructure and science parks, driving investment elsewhere,” she said.
“This is not only an issue for the UK tech sector itself, but it also affects the chancellor’s AI and life sciences ambitions. Reliable, affordable and flexible power is essential for the government’s growth mission.
“With an increasingly polarised debate on infrastructure delivery, politicians from all parties must come together to champion this vital national infrastructure,” said Kaneva.
Transition to clean energy sources
Tania Kumar, policy director for net zero at the Confederation of British Industry, said grid upgrades are also needed to enable the UK’s transition from non-renewable to clean energy sources.
“Without a modern, expanded network, we cannot deploy the renewable capacity required, nor can we fully harness the potential of technologies such as offshore wind, solar, hydrogen and small modular reactors,” she said.
“The UK government has taken important steps to support this transformation, and continued leadership will be vital to delivering energy security.
“As electrification spreads across key sectors of the economy, accelerating grid development and streamlining connection processes must be top priorities to unlock growth and attract investment,” said Kumar.
Tech
The Best Babbel Promo Codes and Deals for April 2026
I’ve been trying to become fluent in Spanish for the last decade. After spending most of my adult life surrounded by multilinguals, I often feel like I’m playing an impossible game of catch-up. Like everyone else, I’ve tried to become regimented with practicing on an in-phone app like Duolingo, which attempts to ‘game-ify’ language learning, but mostly ends up with a sad and sick-looking green bird icon guilting me to practice every time I open up my phone.
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Unlock Your Babbel Promo Code and Save Big in April 2026
Not only is Babbel a helpful interactive app to simplify language learning, but it also has holistic services to help introduce the language to every part of your life. These are things like Babbel videos, which do a deep dive into what makes a language so fascinating, Babbel podcasts, which are led by Babbel experts who take an inside look at local culture and break down language secrets, and Babbel magazine, which highlights stories from around the world so you can better understand the history, culture, and people from the language you’re learning (and maybe will inspire you to take a trip to practice that language IRL!).
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As stated, knowing another language is an invaluable life skill, and a skill that is immeasurably valuable to healthcare workers, who may be able to more easily give lifesaving care. Healthcare professionals and nurses get a Babbel discount of 60% off a six-month Babbel subscription. To claim the Babbel discount, users just need to verify their medical credentials via ID.me.
Claim Your 60% Military Discount on 6-Month Subscriptions
This Babbel discount also applies to active duty military, veterans, and their families, who are also eligible for 60% off six-month Babbel subscriptions. This Babbel military coupon is valid for National Guard, reserve members, and immediate family members of service personnel, and all you need to do is verify your status at ID.me.
Snag a 60% Teacher Discount on Your Next 6 Months
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Grab Top Lifetime Subscription Deals and Save in April 2026
Everyone knows that learning a language is a lifetime process, and Babbel wants to make it even easier for you to commit to it. If you pay once, you’ll get access to all available Babbel languages forever with Lifetime deals. You’ll just need to look for the “Lifetime Subscription” Babbel promos that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars over several years. Be sure to check back often, as these rotating deals often pop up during major holiday sales. While the upfront cost is higher, you’ll get access to all 14 available languages with this Babbel promo code lifetime subscription deal.
Tech
Robotaxi Outage in China Leaves Passengers Stranded on Highways
An unknown technical problem caused a number of robotaxis owned by the Chinese tech giant Baidu to freeze on Tuesday in the middle of traffic, trapping some passengers in the vehicles for more than an hour.
In Wuhan, a city in central China where Baidu has deployed hundreds of its Apollo Go self-driving taxis, people on Chinese social media reported witnessing the cars suddenly malfunction and stop operating. Photos and videos shared online show the Baidu cars halted on busy highways, often in the fast lane.
A college student in Wuhan tells WIRED that she was stuck in a Baidu robotaxi with two friends for about 90 minutes on Tuesday. (She asked to be only identified with her last name, He, to protect her privacy.) The student says the car malfunctioned and stopped four or five times during the trip before it eventually parked in front of an intersection in eastern Wuhan. Luckily, it was not a busy road, and the group was not in immediate danger. The screen display in the car asked the passengers to remain in the car with seatbelt on and wait for a company representative to come “in five minutes,” according to a photo He shared with WIRED.
He says it took about 30 minutes to reach a Baidu customer representative on the phone. “They kept saying it would be reported to their superior. But they didn’t explain what caused [the outage] or let us know how long we needed to wait for the staff to come,” He says. But no one ever came, and after another hour of waiting, the three passengers decided to just get out and go home by themselves (the doors weren’t locked).
On Chinese social media, other passengers also complained about being unable to reach Baidu’s customer support. “I tried every way I could think of to call for help using the options the app showed, but the phone line wouldn’t go through, and when I pressed the SOS button it told me it was unavailable. So then what exactly is the SOS for?” wrote one person in a post on RedNote alongside a video showing the button not working. She said she had to force the door to open and get out of the car as traffic halted to a complete stop behind her robotaxi. “Apollo Go, you really owe me an apology,” she wrote.
Baidu didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Local police in Wuhan issued a statement around midnight in China that said the situation was “likely caused by a system malfunction,” but the incident is still under investigation. No one was injured and all passengers have exited the vehicles, the police added. It’s unclear how many of Baidu’s robotaxis may have been impacted.
One dash cam recording posted to RedNote shows a car passing 16 Apollo Go vehicles parked on the road in the span of 90 minutes. On several occasions, the video shows the driver narrowly avoiding hitting the robotaxis by braking or changing lanes at the last minute.
Others were apparently not as fortunate. In another RedNote post, a man claimed he crashed into one of the malfunctioning Baidu vehicles. The man wrote in the caption that he was driving over 40 mph on a highway when the car in front of him suddenly changed lanes to avoid the stopped robotaxi. He couldn’t react fast enough and ended up running into the self-driving car. Photos of the man’s orange SUV being towed away show that the car’s front-right fender was completely torn off, and other parts appeared to have sustained major damage.
Tech
Our Favorite Affordable Air Purifier Is Temporarily Even Cheaper
Tired of the stale, fetid air looming over your apartment like a cloud? Check out the Coway Airmega Mighty, an already wallet-friendly home air purifier that’s even cheaper right now as part of the Amazon Big Spring Sale. It’s currently marked down to just $154, a $76 discount from its typical price, but you’ll want to move quickly if you’re interested, as the deal is only available for a limited time.
Despite its low price tag and squat stature, the Airmega Mighty is capable of cleaning a substantial amount of space. At full bore, it can handle a 361-square-foot space, although you’ll get the best performance, and save your ears, if you’re closer to a 200-square-foot room. If you don’t want it running constantly, there are built-in timers to automatically shut off after 1, 4, or 8 hours, or you can use Eco Mode, which will run until the Might doesn’t sense any dirty air for half an hour.
That’s right, the Airmega Mighty has a built-in air quality sensor, and it reflects the current state of the air quality using a colored light with three levels. It uses those readings to automatically adjust the fan speed and timing settings on the fly, as well as giving you a peak into how bad the air you’re breathing right now is for you. While it lacks integration with smart home setups like Google Home, it makes up for it by handling all of its own business without Wi-Fi or extra apps on your phone.
While the Coway Airmega Mighty is available in three colors, only the black and silver model is currently discounted, so you’ll have to pay full price if it doesn’t match your living room’s color scheme. We’ve put in the work testing every air purifier we could get our hands on, so make sure to check out the full guide if you’re trying to clean up your space. The Coway is discounted as part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, and we’ve got the best deals from products we’ve tested gathered in one place if you want to save some bucks.
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