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AI Investment in Lanarkshire
In this episode of AI Right!, we take a temperature check on where AI stands in Scotland and globally in early 2026.
We explore the major £8bn AI investment in Lanarkshire, what it means for Scotland’s technology ecosystem, and why sovereign AI is becoming a strategic priority for countries seeking resilience in an increasingly unstable global landscape.
From AI infrastructure and data centres to environmental impact and net zero commitments, we unpack the real-world implications of scaling large language models (LLMs) at speed.
We also dive into the rise of personal AI assistants and local AI agents — including the security risks highlighted by recent developments around agent-based systems. When AI tools have access to email, calendars, internal documents and CRM systems, they sit inside your security perimeter. What does that mean for business governance and responsible AI development?
Finally, we discuss enterprise LLM adoption, evaluation challenges such as “LLM as judge,” and why “move fast and break things” may not be a viable strategy when AI underpins critical infrastructure.
Key Topics:
AI investment in Lanarkshire and Scotland’s AI hub
Sovereign AI and infrastructure concentration risk
Environmental impact of AI and sustainable data centres
Personal AI assistants and local AI agents
AI security vulnerabilities and data leakage risks
Enterprise LLM deployment and governance
Responsible AI in business and regulated environments
AI
Artificial Intelligence
AI investment
Lanarkshire AI
Scotland AI
AI Scotland
Sovereign AI
UK sovereign AI
AI infrastructure
AI hub Lanarkshire
Data centres Scotland
AI data centres
CoreWeave Scotland
DataVita
AI sustainability
Environmental impact of AI
Net zero AI
Sustainable AI
AI energy consumption
AI space race
LLM
Large Language Models
Enterprise AI
AI in business
AI governance
AI security
AI vulnerabilities
AI agents
AI personal assistants
Local AI agents
Maltbot
OpenClaw
AI data leakage
Cybersecurity AI
Responsible AI
AI regulation
AI risk
AI adoption 2026
Future of AI
Technology podcast
AI podcast Scotland
AI Right podcasthttps://linktr.ee/airightpodcast
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