A vision for “ChatGPT for all” was briefly considered by the UK government, involving a potential £2 billion agreement with OpenAI to provide nationwide access to its premium AI service. The idea was discussed by Technology Secretary Peter Kyle and OpenAI boss Sam Altman, revealing the grand scale of the UK’s AI ambitions.
This concept would have made advanced AI tools, which offer faster responses and priority access to new features, available to millions of Britons. The discussion reflects a shared goal between OpenAI and the UK government to “democratise access to AI,” a principle the company is also pursuing through a similar nationwide deal with the United Arab Emirates.
Although the sheer cost of the initiative made it a non-starter for the UK government, the fact that it was on the table at all speaks volumes. It shows a willingness to contemplate radical, technology-driven public policy, even as practical and financial hurdles remain immense. The UK is already one of OpenAI’s top five markets for paid subscriptions, indicating a strong existing user base.
The government has since clarified that the proposal was not formally taken forward. The focus remains on a separate memorandum of understanding with OpenAI, which explores using AI to enhance public services and testing the security of new AI models before they are released.
