The UK Government has signed a deal with the creator of ChatGPT to use AI to make taxpayer-funded services ‘more efficient and effective’.
Under new plans to embed artificial intelligence more deeply in public services, the agreement with OpenAI will open up new opportunities to modernise justice, defence and security, and education technology in line with UK standards and guidelines.
Ministers say the strategic partnership will facilitate AI security research collaborations, investment in UK AI infrastructure like data centres, and find new ways for taxpayer-funded services like security and education to make best use of the latest tech.
Signed today by technology secretary Peter Kyle and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ sets out intent to build on the UK’s strengths in science, innovation and talent to “maintain a world-leading UK AI ecosystem rooted in democratic values”.
Kyle said: “AI will be fundamental in driving the change we need to see across the country – whether that’s in fixing the NHS, breaking down barriers to opportunity or driving economic growth. That’s why we need to make sure Britain is front and centre when it comes to developing and deploying AI, so we can make sure it works for us.
“This can’t be achieved without companies like OpenAI, who are driving this revolution forward internationally. This partnership will see more of their work taking place in the UK, creating high-paid tech jobs, driving investment in infrastructure, and crucially giving our country agency over how this world-changing technology moves forward.”
OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, added: AI is a core technology for nation building that will transform economies and deliver growth. Britain has a strong legacy of scientific leadership and its government was one of the first to recognise the potential of AI through its AI Opportunities Action Plan. Now, it’s time to deliver on the plan’s goals by turning ambition to action and delivering prosperity for all.”
Under the partnership, OpenAI will also explore potential routes to deliver the infrastructure priorities laid out in the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, recognising the importance of UK sovereign capability in achieving the economic benefits of AI. The move could mean that world-changing AI tech is developed in the UK, driving discoveries that will deliver growth.
Under the proposals, a series of AI Growth Zones would be created around the UK, including in post-industrial towns and coastal areas of Scotland, where there are significant energy resources to supply power-hungry AI data centres. There is currently a bid sitting with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to create a green data centre at the former steel plant at Ravenscraig, which could form part of an AI Growth Zone for Scotland.
The AI lab could also work with government to identify how advanced AI models could help to improve the public services that millions of people use every day, and driving economic growth across the country.
OpenAI’s large language model, ChatGPT, already underpins multiple tools in ‘Humphrey’, Whitehall’s AI assistant that aims to speed up the civil service by taking away admin burdens.
For example, GPT 4 is used in ‘Consult’, the bespoke tool that speeds up the policy making process by automatically sorting public responses to consultations – doing a task that takes officials weeks in minutes, while leaving important decisions to experts. The Scottish Government has become the first administration in the UK to use the artificial intelligence tool to analyse public responses to consultations – with “promising results”.
