George Osborne, a former UK chancellor and currently the head of AI for countries at OpenAI, has argued that opposition to datacentres is hindering the UK's progress in the technology sector. Speaking at the Big Brue festival in Somerset, he highlighted the challenges of building datacentres in Britain, comparing them to the difficulties he faced as a politician in getting support for major infrastructure projects like roads and airports. Osborne warned that if the UK fails to allow domestic datacentre construction, it risks losing control over technological development to the United States, where such facilities are increasingly being built in states like Ohio, Georgia, and Michigan. Protests against datacentres have taken place across the UK, from central London to rural areas like Devon and near Holyrood in Scotland. Protesters have raised concerns about the visual impact of these large structures, the limited job opportunities they provide, and the use of land and investment that could be directed toward building affordable housing. Environmental worries also play a role, as datacentres require substantial amounts of water and energy to operate. In response, the UK government has labeled AI datacentres as critical national infrastructure to speed up their development, though the Green Party in England has called for a temporary halt to new projects. Osborne dismissed the opposition as "nimbyism," or "not in my backyard" sentiment, while noting that similar resistance is growing in the United States. Verity Harding, head of the AI and geopolitics project at the University of Cambridge's Bennett Institute for Public Policy, argued that the opposition to datacentres reflects deeper concerns about the lack of control and oversight in the tech industry. She pointed out that the sector often sends mixed messages, with executives warning about AI's dangers one week and promoting its business applications the next. Leaders from OpenAI and Anthropic, two of the world's leading AI companies, are scheduled to meet with world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York City. Global discussions are ongoing about how to regulate AI, particularly advanced systems with the potential to surpass human intelligence. Osborne expressed optimism that the involvement of corporate leaders in global institutions like the UN Security Council shows a commitment to regulating new technologies through international collaboration.