Britain, US agree tech deal during Trump's visit

LONDON -- Britain and the United States agreed on a multi-billion-dollar tech deal during US President Donald Trump's state visit to boost fast-growing fields such as AI, quantum computing and nuclear, the British government said Tuesday.

The Tech Prosperity Deal aims to accelerate AI research for new drugs, faster treatments, and better cancer care, while also supporting civil nuclear projects, said the official statement.

As part of the deal, Microsoft will invest 30 billion US dollars in AI infrastructure in Britain, while Google will open a data center in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, as part of a two-year multi-billion-dollar investment in Britain.

However, critics have warned against Britain's growing dependence on the United States and American technology with potential consequences.

US news outlet Politico quoted Gaia Marcus of the Ada Lovelace independent research institute as warning that "We mustn't just focus on today's figures if the cost is technological lock-in tomorrow, limiting our ability to seek alternatives in the future."

Chi Onwurah, chair of the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, cautioned, "true technology sovereignty cannot mean being dependent on one investor or country."

Trump arrived in London on Tuesday evening for his second state visit to Britain. Nearly 100 protesters gathered along the streets outside Windsor Castle that night, chanting slogans against the visit and waving placards reading "Stop Hate, Stop Trump" and "Hate Never Made Any Nation Great."

Organized by the Stop Trump Coalition group, tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on the London streets on Wednesday to protest against the US President.