Jakarta, INTI - UK ministers have received $1m (£728,000) from Meta, the US tech and social media company, to develop AI systems for defence, national security, and transport, prompting concerns over the government’s “alarmingly close relationship with Trump-supporting US tech giants.”
According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the funding from Mark Zuckerberg’s company will be allocated to experts tasked with “develop[ing] cutting-edge AI solutions … to support national security and defence teams.”
The grant will support four British AI specialists, coordinated by the government-backed Alan Turing Institute, who will “play a pivotal role in rewiring our healthcare, police, transport systems and more,” stated Ian Muray, the minister for data and digital government.
The development follows a Guardian investigation which found that Meta executives had 50 meetings with ministers over the past two years for which data was available, representing one of the highest levels of direct access of any technology company.
Policy Implications and Expert Concerns
The government is considering a ban on social media use by under-16s, a move that would significantly impact Meta’s Instagram platform. Meta stated that the funding had been directed to the Alan Turing Institute before any discussion of a ban.
In announcing the $1m agreement, Meta said it was “proud to help bring top British AI talent into government, fast-tracking the transformation of public services.”
DSIT added: “People across the UK could benefit from faster, safer and more reliable public services as leading British AI specialists join the government to modernise critical systems used every day, from public safety to transport maintenance.”
However, the tech justice campaign group Foxglove questioned: “What’s Meta getting for its million dollars?” and noted: “When it comes to big tech, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
“This is yet more evidence of the UK government’s alarmingly close relationship with Trump-supporting US tech giants,” said Donald Campbell, Foxglove’s advocacy director. “It’s deeply worrying that ministers are still naive enough to swallow this kind of lobbying from a handful of Silicon Valley plutocrats, who have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt they do not have the British public’s best interests at heart.”
Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign, said the arrangement “highlights an uncomfortable reality: tech giants spend vast sums to gain access and influence in policymaking.”
She further emphasized: “That makes it even more important that decisions about children and online safety are shaped by independent evidence and the public interest, not by the companies whose products are under scrutiny.”
The government also revealed a new collaboration with San Francisco-based AI company Anthropic, which will develop and pilot a dedicated assistant tool for public services on gov.uk. The initiative will begin with a model designed to provide jobseekers with career advice “and help to lock down a job.” Anthropic stated that the project’s implementation work was “pro bono.”
DSIT noted that the technology is “part of a cutting-edge plan to use AI agents for national government services, with a pilot expected to begin later this year.” In October, Anthropic announced that former prime minister Rishi Sunak had taken an advisory role at the $350bn startup, while former Downing Street chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith serves as a policy and communications adviser to Anthropic.
The agreements come as ministers grapple with policy choices that have direct implications for Meta and Anthropic. In addition to launching a consultation last week on banning social media use for under-16s, the government is also set to introduce changes regarding how creatives’ copyrighted works are protected from being used to train AI models, including those developed by Anthropic.
Beeban Kidron, a cross-bench peer campaigning on child protection and copyright, stated: “This government is walking into dependence on Silicon Valley, is undermining the chance to build a UK AI sector, and above all is busy giving away some of the most precious datasets in the world to Silicon Valley, who could well afford to pay.”
The AI specialists funded by Meta will focus on creating models that analyse images and videos, helping councils prioritise transport infrastructure repairs more efficiently. They will also “develop cutting-edge AI solutions which run offline or within secured networks to support national security and defence teams to make vital decisions while safeguarding sensitive data,” according to the government.
Conclusion
The UK government’s funding from Meta and collaboration with Anthropic highlights the tension between AI innovation, public service development, and technology regulation. While the funding could accelerate AI applications for national security and public services, critics warn of risks of dependence on major tech firms and stress the importance of policy decisions being guided by independent evidence and public interest, particularly regarding children and copyright protection.
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