The business owner behind Chatgpt and the British technology secretary discussed an agreement of several billion pounds to give the whole country access to the AI tool, the Guardian learned.
Sam Altman, co-founder of Openai, spoke to Peter Kyle of a potential agreement to give British residents access to his advanced product.
According to two sources with direct knowledge of the meeting, the idea was launched as part of a broader discussion in San Francisco on the collaboration opportunities between Openai and the United Kingdom.
Relatives of the discussion say that Kyle has never really taken the idea seriously, especially because it could have cost up to 2 billion pounds sterling. But the talks show the enthusiasm with which the secretary of technology adopted the artificial intelligence sector, despite the concerns about the accuracy of certain responses and implications of the chatbot for privacy and copyright.
OPENAI offers free versions and chatgpt subscription. The paid version, Chatgpt Plus, costs $ 20 per month and offers users faster response times and priority access to new features.
Kyle dined with Altman in March and April, according to transparency data published by the British government. In July, Kyle signed an agreement with OPENAI to use AI in the public services of the United Kingdom. The non -binding agreement could give OPENAI access to government data and lead its software used in education, defense, security and the judicial system.
Kyle was an AI vocal champion within the government and has also adopted its use in its own role. In March, it appeared that he had asked for advice on Chatgpt on a range of work -related questions, especially why British companies do not adopt AI and on which podcasts it should appear.
The minister told Politicshome in January: “Chatgpt is fantastically good, and where there are things that you really have trouble understanding in depth, the Chatppt can be a very good tutor for that.”
The United Kingdom is one of the five main openai markets for subscriptions paid by Chatgpt. Openai spokesperson said: “Millions of British are already using Chatgpt free. In July, we signed a memorandum of understanding [a memorandum of understanding] With the government to explore how we can better support AI growth in the United Kingdom for the United Kingdom.
“In accordance with the government’s vision to use this technology to unlock economic opportunities for everyday people, our common goal is to democratize access to AI. The more people who can use it, the more its advantages will spread. ”
The company has been in talks with several governments in recent months and has concluded an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to “allow Chatgpt nationally” and use technology in the public sectors, including transport, health care and education.
The British government has wanted to attract investments in the United States, having concluded agreements with the rivals of Openai Google and Anthropic earlier this year.
Kyle said that if a new UN Security Council should be set up in a decade, technological weight – especially in AI – would be a major factor to determine the most powerful countries. He said to the rest of the political podcast in the spring: “I want us to be at the forefront of [AI] Because these countries will be able to shape its way of going on, how it is used and deployed. »»
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Like the other generative tools of AI, the Chatppt can produce text, images, videos and music after having received prompts by users. He does so by drawing on books, photos, images and songs existing. This has raised questions about the question of whether it is equivalent to copyright violation, and technology has also been faced with criticism to give false information and bad advice.
The ministers were criticized by artists such as Elton John and Tom Stoppard on the planned changes in the Act of Copyright which would allow the companies of the AI to train their models using work protected by copyright without authorization unless the owner is withdrawn.
The changes, on which the government examines and consults, have led to claims of creatives that the Labor government has become too close to Big Tech.
Ukai, a commercial organization representing the artificial intelligence industry of the United Kingdom, argued several times that the government’s approach is focused on large technologies to the detriment of small actors.
A government spokesman said: “We do not recognize these statements. We work with OPENAI and other leading AI companies to explore investments in British infrastructure, improve public services and rigorously test the security of new technologies before being made public. ”
The Department of Sciences and Technology said it had advanced any proposal to give British residents access to Chatgpt plus or have discussed it with other departments.
