British Science Minister Uses ChatGPT For Policy Advice

Uploaded on 2025-03-24 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Artificial Intelligence, GOVERNMENT-National, FREE TO VIEW

Recently, Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announce that his government should be making far more use of AI in an effort to increase efficiency. Now, the Science and Technology Secretary, Labour MP Peter Kyle, has revealed that he uses ChatGPT for advice on why the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by UK business is slow and which podcasts he should appear on.

Kyle has disclosed that he has asked the chatbot for policy advice, and to define scientific terms relevant to his department, including “antimatter”, “quantum” and “digital inclusion”.

In particular, Kyle asked ChatGPT to explain why the UK’s small and medium business (SMB) community has been so slow to adopt AI. ChatGPT returned a 10-point list of problems hindering adoption, including sections on “Limited Awareness and Understanding”, “Regulatory and Ethical Concerns” and “Lack of Government or Institutional Support”.

The chatbot advised Kyle: “While the UK government has launched initiatives to encourage AI adoption, many SMBs are unaware of these programs or find them difficult to navigate. Limited access to funding or incentives to de-risk AI investment can also deter adoption.”

It also said, concerning regulatory and ethical concerns: “Compliance with data protection laws, such as GDPR [a data privacy law], can be a significant hurdle. SMBs may worry about legal and ethical issues associated with using AI.”

Kyle also used the chatbot to find ideas for media appearances, asking: “I’m Secretary of State for science, innovation and technology in the United Kingdom. What would be the best podcasts for me to appear on to reach a wide audience that’s appropriate for my ministerial responsibilities?” ChatGPT suggested popular radio shows inclusing 'The Infinite Monkey Cage' and 'The Naked Scientists', based on the number of listeners

Despite Kyle’s enthusiasm for AI, he has faced criticism for allegedly prioritising the interests of US technology businesses over Britain’s creative industries. Concerns have also been raised over a proposed policy that could allow technology firms to train AI on copyrighted material without permission unless creators opt out. His department defended his use of AI, stating that while he uses the tool, it does not replace expert advice from officials.

There are concerns amongst privacy campaigners that further integration of AI and partnerships between the public and private sectors could lead to data, including information on NHS patients, being used by private companies for commercial purposes.

This also raises the question as to whether foreign states seen as national security risks, including China or Russia, could gain access to this data.

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Image: Ideogram

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