OpenAI has signed a new agreement with the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ), granting 2,500 civil servants access to ChatGPT. This initiative is part of the government’s strategy to incorporate AI into public services, enhancing efficiency and modernisation. Announced at the OpenAI Frontiers Conference in London, the agreement supports the UK’s broader ‘AI Action Plan’, aiming to develop sovereign AI capabilities across the economy.
The MoJ will be the first government department to utilise OpenAI’s UK data residency option, enabling the storage of sensitive information from ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, and API users on British servers. This feature, launching on 24 October, is tailored to meet local compliance and data protection standards, addressing key concerns for government and regulated industries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor David Lammy remarked that the partnership positions Britain as a leader in the global tech revolution, using innovation to deliver fairness and opportunity nationwide. The government estimates that the rollout will save approximately 240,000 staff days annually by automating routine tasks, allowing civil servants to focus on frontline responsibilities.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman noted a fourfold increase in the use of its tools in the UK over the past year. He emphasised the role of ChatGPT in improving public services and transforming operations within established firms, affirming OpenAI’s commitment to supporting the UK’s AI initiatives.
The partnership builds on previous MoJ pilots that demonstrated time savings in document analysis, compliance, and policy research. This move aligns with the government’s efforts to expand AI use across departments, including initiatives like “Humphrey”, an AI assistant reducing administrative workloads in Whitehall, and “Consult”, which aids in processing public consultation responses.
These measures are part of the government’s broader ‘plan for change’, aimed at reducing bureaucracy, enhancing efficiency, and fostering the growth of the UK’s AI sector. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projects that AI could contribute between £70bn and £140bn to the UK economy by 2030.
Tech Secretary Liz Kendall described the deal as a significant step in developing the infrastructure needed to support AI in Britain, transforming public services and driving economic growth. The government also plans to establish AI growth zones across the UK to attract private investment and upskill over seven million workers by the end of the decade.
For OpenAI, the agreement marks a significant expansion of its presence in the UK. The company recently announced ‘Stargate UK’, a partnership with Nvidia and British data firm Nscale to develop domestic AI infrastructure capable of hosting OpenAI’s advanced models on UK soil. The first phase will deploy up to 8,000 Nvidia GPUs early next year, eventually scaling to 31,000. This initiative, centred in the North East’s new ‘AI growth zone’, is part of a broader effort to establish Britain as a hub for trusted, sovereign AI development.
Industry analysts suggest that the MoJ’s adoption of ChatGPT Enterprise and the new local data residency option could set a precedent for other departments and regulated industries, such as finance and healthcare, to adopt similar systems. While the MoJ has not disclosed full commercial terms, public procurement records indicate a total contract award of £6.75m, covering two years from October 2025.
As the UK navigates the balance between innovation and accountability, the government’s adoption of AI reflects a wider trend among advanced economies to leverage AI for productivity gains while maintaining national control over data and decision-making.
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