The UK’s engagement with OpenAI reveals a two-pronged AI strategy: aggressively attracting corporate investment while simultaneously exploring ways to boost public use of the technology. The talks about a £2 billion deal were the most ambitious expression of the latter goal.
On one hand, the government is successfully courting investment from AI giants. Deals with Google and Anthropic, alongside the ongoing partnership with OpenAI, are designed to make the UK a premier destination for AI research, development, and infrastructure. This is the “supply-side” of the strategy.
On the other hand, the idea of a national ChatGPT Plus subscription was a bold “demand-side” initiative. It aimed to create a nation of sophisticated AI users, which in turn would create a vibrant market for AI services and drive innovation from the ground up.
The fact that the investment-attraction strategy is succeeding while the universal-access plan was shelved suggests a current prioritisation. The government appears to be focusing on building the industrial base first, perhaps believing that widespread public adoption will follow naturally, without the need for a massive £2 billion public subsidy.