The UK government is set to recommend the creation of special ‘computing zones’ for easier building of data centres, as well a simplified visa process for foreign workers with AI skills.

In a commissioned report sent last month to the government and due to be published in November, key recommendations are made for the UK’s tech sector, with emphasis on making Britain a top destination for AI experts.

Reported by the Financial Times the “AI Opportunities Action Plan” was written by Matt Clifford, an entrepreneur who was appointed as an advisor by the new Science, Innovation, and Technology secretary Peter Kyle.

A main tenant in the proposal is the creating of computing zones, which would make it easier to build data centres and any of their related infrastructure.

Data centres have already become a priority of the government, as secretary Kyle designated them as critical national infrastructure just this September in a bid to give the tech sector greater support from government and more sovereign data storage capabilities.

According to reports, this designation means that data centres will face less building restrictions, giving developers the power to overturn objections to building proposals.

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One of the major hurdles to data centre development has been power resources – the proposal aims to make it easier to build the necessary power connections to source the data centres, and ease their concentration pressures.

Further, the report echoes calls from industry to streamline the lengthy bureaucracy and lesson the cost burden of the visa process, in an attempt to not lose on top tech and AI talent from abroad.

The previous government controversially changed the UK skilled visa immigration rules, increasing the wage threshold by over £10k and raising associated costs.

The new Labour government has so far kept these new reforms in an attempt to curb net immigration, so it remains to be seen if the government will make it easier for any immigrants, no matter how skilled, to work in the UK.