Key Points
- OpenAI will now offer its UK customers the option to store their data locally in the UK.
- The move is part of a partnership with the British government to boost the use of AI in public services.
- The goal is to enhance data privacy, security, and resilience to cyber threats.
- The UK’s Ministry of Justice is already using an AI tool to transcribe conversations for probation officers.
OpenAI will now allow its UK customers, including government agencies and businesses, to store their data locally within the country. The move, set to be announced on Thursday, is a major step in the British government’s push to adopt artificial intelligence and is designed to address privacy and security concerns.
The new “data residency” option is a direct result of a partnership between OpenAI and the UK’s Ministry of Justice. By keeping data within the UK, the government hopes to enhance security, protect against cyber threats, and make it easier for public services to use AI tools.
The government is already putting the technology to work. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy will announce that over 1,000 probation officers are being equipped with “Justice Transcribe,” an AI tool that records and transcribes their conversations with offenders. This is expected to save countless hours of administrative work, freeing up officers to focus on their core duties.
“By adopting AI, we’re cutting the burdensome admin and ensuring frontline staff can spend more of their time doing the things only humans can do,” Lammy said.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that the number of people using the company’s products in the UK has quadrupled in the past year. The new data residency option will be available for customers of its API Platform, ChatGPT Enterprise, and ChatGPT Edu.
