From press release … to scrap metal site: the Essex ‘supercomputer’ that’s still a scaffolding yard

Nscale's AI project still in use as depot ahead of pledged completion date - with planning permission filed after Guardian's inquiries

• Revealed: UK's multibillion AI drive is built on phantom investments'

The press releases announcing a gleaming supercomputer on the outskirts of north London depict a glass and concrete building, rising from a tree-lined street. Accompanied by images of glowing blue robot faces, it looks like the centre of a technological revolution.

By the end of this year, that artist's impression is supposed to be a reality.