Spotlight on Corruption filed forty freedom-of-information requests to eighteen UK government departments covering the period from July 2024 to June 2026. The data it obtained show that ministers, permanent secretaries and director-generals met a total of 137 businesses, some on multiple occasions, to shape the nation’s datacentre policy. By contrast, senior officials recorded meetings with only two community groups and none with environmental organisations.
The investigation also uncovered a substantial revolving-door effect, with thirty-eight senior officials leaving public service for positions in AI firms between July 2024 and September 2026. Nine of those departures came from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which has been central to Britain’s AI strategy. Among the exits were a former minister for AI and intellectual property, a former prime-ministerial AI adviser, a former director of AI opportunities, a deputy director of AI international policy and a head of AI engineering.
AI growth zones were presented as a flagship initiative to “turbocharge the economy” by constructing large-scale datacentres across five regions, a phrase the prime minister used to describe “mainlining AI into the veins” of the country. The plan envisaged partnerships with U.S. technology firms and the creation of thousands of jobs. However, previous Guardian investigations have questioned the underlying assumptions, noting unaudited financial figures and overly optimistic job-creation forecasts.
Critics argue that the policy lacks a realistic energy strategy, with different departments offering conflicting estimates of the electricity required and the associated environmental impact. Community opposition has emerged in locations such as Auchtertool in rural Scotland and Brick Lane in east London. MP Chi Onwurah warned that the growing backlash, mirrored by stronger resistance in the United States, signals a need for broader community input. Spotlight on Corruption said the government “failed to take the environmental and social impacts [of datacentres] seriously”.
A government spokesperson responded that datacentres should generate British jobs, strengthen supply chains and deliver community benefits while prioritising clean power and responsible water use. The spokesperson added that officials are meeting companies to ensure those outcomes and welcome input from industry, local authorities, environmental groups and communities. The report notes that the few civil-society meetings occurred only days before the policy launch, limiting meaningful influence, and that Canada, Germany and Australia consulted far more widely and imposed stricter environmental criteria.