How OpenAI ChatGPT is Transforming the UK Civil Service
OpenAI has announced an agreement with the UK Ministry of Justice that will provide 2,500 civil servants with access to ChatGPT Enterprise, building on a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year between OpenAI and the UK Government.
The Ministry of Justice agreement follows a pilot programme that demonstrated time-saving benefits across routine tasks including writing support, compliance and legal work, data and research processes and document analysis. Civil servants will use the technology to work more efficiently and deliver public services.
The announcement coincides with the OpenAI Frontiers event in London, where British customers will gather alongside the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy. The Deputy Prime Minister will share details of how the Ministry of Justice is setting a standard for public sector AI adoption.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, says: “The number of people using our products in the UK has increased fourfold in the past year. It’s exciting to see them using AI to save time, increase productivity and get more done. Civil servants are using ChatGPT to improve public services and established firms are reimagining operations.”
The deployment supports the Ministry of Justice's AI Action Plan for Justice. The department will become the first to benefit from UK data residency options that OpenAI is introducing on 24 October.
OpenAI introduces UK data residency for ChatGPT Enterprise customers
OpenAI will offer UK data residency to British customers and developers using its API Platform, ChatGPT Enterprise and ChatGPT Edu. The option allows organisations to store their data in the UK to meet local data protection preferences or requirements.
The data residency announcement follows the memorandum of understanding with the UK Government, which included a focus on expanding the country's sovereign AI capability. OpenAI has already announced Stargate UK, an AI infrastructure partnership with Nvidia and Nscale, to deliver OpenAI’s models on local computing power for specialist use cases where jurisdiction matters.
The UK data residency option operates separately from the Stargate UK infrastructure partnership. British customers and developers can choose to store their data domestically when using OpenAI’s platforms and services.
Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor David Lammy says: “Our partnership with OpenAI places Britain firmly in the driving seat of the global tech revolution – leading the world in innovation and using technology to deliver fairness and opportunity for every corner of the United Kingdom.”
ChatGPT Enterprise already powers Whitehall AI tools including Humphrey
OpenAI technology powers several tools within the UK Government. Humphrey, Whitehall’s AI assistant, uses OpenAI technology to ease the administrative burden on civil servants. Another tool, Consult, supports the policymaking process by sorting public consultation responses automatically. The task typically takes officials weeks but can now be completed in minutes, while leaving decisions to experts.
The UK represents a top-five market globally for OpenAI paid subscribers and API developers. British businesses using OpenAI tools include NatWest, Virgin Atlantic, Synthesia and Oxford University. The number of people using OpenAI products in the UK has increased fourfold in the past year.
The Ministry of Justice agreement forms part of the UK AI Action Plan, which aims to drive AI-led growth and accelerate adoption across the private and public sector. The memorandum of understanding between OpenAI and the UK Government set out goals to help British people, businesses and institutions benefit from AI technology.
OpenAI's infrastructure and data residency announcements address requirements around sovereign AI capabilities and local computing power. The Stargate UK partnership with Nvidia and Nscale will deliver OpenAI’s models on UK-based infrastructure for use cases where data jurisdiction is a consideration.
- 2,500 Ministry of Justice civil servants will receive ChatGPT Enterprise access following pilots that reduced task completion time from half a day to 20 minutes
- 90,000 justice system staff across England and Wales will receive enterprise-grade AI tools by December 2025 under the AI Action Plan for Justice
- AI transcription pilots across probation services in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Wales achieved 50% reductions in note-taking time with 4.5 out of 5 satisfaction ratings
The Ministry of Justice pilot programme tested ChatGPT Enterprise across a range of civil service functions before the wider rollout to 2,500 employees. The pilot assessed the technology's application to writing support, compliance work, legal processes, research and document analysis tasks.
The OpenAI Frontiers event in London brings together British customers to discuss AI opportunities in the UK market. The gathering includes representatives from businesses and institutions that have adopted OpenAI technology for operations and service delivery.
Sam Altman says: “We’re proud to continue supporting the UK and the Government's AI plan.”
