OpenAI and UK sign deal to use AI in public services
3 hours ago Share Save Mitchell Labiak & Imran Rahman-Jones Business & technology reporters Share Save
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OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, has signed a deal to use artificial intelligence (AI) to increase productivity in the UK's public services, the government has announced. The agreement signed by the firm and the science department could give OpenAI access to government data and see its software used in education, defence, security, and the justice system. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said that "AI will be fundamental in driving change" in the UK and "driving economic growth". The Labour government's eager adoption of AI has previously been criticised by campaigners, such as musicians who oppose its unlicensed use of their music.
The agreement says the UK and OpenAI may develop an "information sharing programme" and will "develop safeguards that protect the public and uphold democratic values". It also says they will explore investment in AI infrastructure, which usually involves building or expanding data centres - large banks of computer servers which power AI. And OpenAI will expand its London office, which it says currently employs more than 100 people. The commitment is a statement of intent, rather than a legally-binding deal, which sets out the goals of a partnership between the UK government and OpenAI. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said the plan would "deliver prosperity for all". "AI is a core technology for nation building that will transform economies and deliver growth," he added. Sam Altman and Peter Kyle dined together in March and April of this year, according to transparency data released by the government. The collaboration could potentially free up "highly skilled public servants to focus on the difficult one-in-a-million situations that AI might struggle to address," said Dr Gordon Fletcher, associate dean for research and innovation at the University of Salford. But he said the challenge was whether it could "really be done transparently and ethically, with minimal data drawn from the public".
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