UK government forms AI public services team with Meta and Anthropic backing

The UK government today announced a new artificial intelligence cohort backed by Meta and Anthropic as part of a broader effort to modernize public services across transport infrastructure, national security, and employment support.

Delivered through the Alan Turing Institute and supported by a $1 million investment from Meta, the program places leading British AI researchers in government for a year-long fellowship.

The cohort will develop open source tools to improve public service operations, including computer vision models that analyze images and video to help councils prioritize transport maintenance and infrastructure repairs.

Some systems will be designed to run offline or within secure networks, enabling defense and national security teams to use advanced AI models while protecting sensitive data. Officials said this approach is critical for deploying AI in high-risk environments where connectivity and data exposure are constrained.

The UK also launched a partnership with Anthropic to build and pilot an AI assistant for public services. The optional assistant will initially focus on jobseekers, offering personalized career guidance and support during the hiring process, with a pilot expected later this year.

The fellowship cohort includes specialists from universities and research institutions across the UK, with expertise spanning computer vision, reinforcement learning, robotics, and safety-critical AI systems.

The announcement follows the recent creation of CustomerFirst, a new team within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology focused on reducing long wait times, repetitive paperwork, and outdated processes.

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