OpenAI has already entered a similar arrangement with the UK government. Together, they want to use artificial intelligence to improve public services productivity and quality from coast to coast. The UK government welcomed this strategic partnership. This is an important step toward making cutting-edge technology a permanent part of government’s most important job.
The Joint Declaration creates an “information sharing program.” This programme will help improve communications between OpenAI and various arms of government. This effort aims to reduce the lack of knowledge around what AI can actually do as well as security threats posed by AI’s new usage. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, made clear the transformative potential of AI during the announcement. In his own words, “AI is one of the key frontier technologies of nation building that will change the old economies and bring new economies & growth.”
Britain’s Conservative government has been partnering with OpenAI, the research lab behind the language model you’re reading now, to turbocharge its flailing economy. They’re looking for almost no growth, with a consensus of 0.1% to 0.2% for the April to June period. We’re pleased that Technology Secretary Peter Kyle acknowledged the potentially transformative role that AI can play in this work. He claimed, “AI will be key in accelerating that change and igniting economic growth.”
That Bureau-initiated partnership illustrates the importance of establishing guardrails that ensure public interests are served. Plus, it highlights the need to protect democratic values as AI technologies rapidly develop. The detailed memorandum of understanding establishes specific, measurable goals. Its purpose is to improve our understanding of AI’s potential, security threats, and identifying ways to reduce those threats.
OpenAI, the nonprofit organization responsible for the incredibly popular AI model ChatGPT, isn’t the only one doing this. Just earlier this year, the UK government signed similar pacts with OpenAI’s competitors, Google and Anthropic. This decision illustrates part of a bigger strategy to bring US investment into AI technologies.
The UK government hopes to be at the forefront of innovation and economic growth through artificial intelligence. Their partnership with OpenAI is a huge piece of this much larger vision. A government representative pointed to the wider ripple effects of this kind of move. It would put world-changing generative AI technology within reach of UK developers, igniting breakthroughs that accelerate growth.