A number of prominent tech leaders attended a state banquet hosted by former President Donald Trump in the UK. The attendees included Tim Cook, CEO of Apple; Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft; Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia; Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce; and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
Other notable tech industry figures in attendance were Ruth Porat, president of Alphabet and Google, and David Sacks, a venture capitalist and White House AI and crypto czar. The gathering brought together influential figures from the tech world and politics, highlighting the intersection of technology and government. The state banquet provided a unique opportunity for these leaders to connect and discuss issues of mutual interest.
The total investment commitment from American tech firms stands at approximately £31 billion ($42 billion), aimed at strengthening AI infrastructure across the UK. This deal is expected to create over 7,600 high-quality jobs across multiple sectors. The partnership reflects shifting economic priorities on both sides of the Atlantic, as governments seek closer alignment with the tech sector in areas ranging from digital health ecosystems to AI-powered public services.
The growing relationship between the US government and tech leaders is notable, with companies like Apple, Google, and OpenAI pledging to work with the government on various initiatives. However, President Trump has also taken a sharper focus on tech, criticizing Apple's outsourcing practices and signing an "anti-woke" AI order. The partnership between the US and UK in AI and other emerging technologies could have significant implications for the future of tech development and cooperation between the two nations.
