The bold idea of providing national access to a premium AI tool was weighed and ultimately discarded by the UK government due to its prohibitive cost. A potential £2 billion agreement with OpenAI for a country-wide ChatGPT Plus subscription was discussed but never seriously pursued.
This deliberation process, involving Technology Secretary Peter Kyle and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, offers a fascinating insight into government decision-making on emerging technologies. It shows that policymakers are willing to think on a grand scale, contemplating transformative projects that could reshape society.
However, the journey of this idea also reveals the rigorous filters that such proposals must pass through. The financial implications were the primary reason for its dismissal, demonstrating that even the most exciting technological visions must be grounded in economic reality. The government’s science and technology department confirmed the proposal was not taken forward.
While the concept was discarded, the very fact that it was considered is noteworthy. It signals a recognition at the highest levels of government that access to AI could become a critical component of national infrastructure and citizen empowerment in the years to come.