Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, discussed a deal with Peter Kyle, the UK secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, reportedly discussed a deal with OpenAI to give people living in the UK access to the premium version of ChatGPT.
People with direct knowledge of the meeting, which as between OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman and the tech secretary, told The Guardian that the potential agreement was proposed as part of a broader discussion about opportunities for OpenAI in the UK.
According to the newspaper, the deal could have cost around £2 billion.
The sources added that that Kyle did not take the deal seriously due to the estimated costs.
In July, OpenAI signed a new partnership with the UK government to expand AI security research and explore investment in the region’s AI infrastructure, including data centres.
The partnership examines the potential use of AI in areas such as justice, defence and security, and education, with OpenAI sharing technical information with the UK Institute for AI Security to deepen the government’s understanding of AI capabilities and security risks.
OpenAI also confirmed plans to increase the size of its London office, expanding its research lab and engineering teams as part of the new agreement.
Earlier this month, the UK government announced the appointment of Jade Leung as the Prime Minister’s new adviser on artificial intelligence.
Leung is chief technology officer at the AI Security Institute, a research organisation within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. She previously worked at OpenAI from 2021 to 2023, where she held governance and policy roles.
At the start of the year, Sir Keir Starmer launched the government’s AI Opportunity action plan, with the aim of making the UK a world leader in AI.
The plan includes £14 billion of investment supported by leading tech companies that will help create 13,250 jobs across the UK, the government said.
The prime minister also announced the development of AI growth zones, with the aim of accelerating the construction of AI infrastructure and providing it with the energy needed to power it, starting with Culham and Oxfordshire.
