The UK government is continuing to align with the private sector with its latest plans to bring leading AI experts into public service delivery, following the recent recruitment of senior business leaders to reform frontline services.
Backed by a $1 million investment from Meta and delivered through the Alan Turing Institute, a new cohort of AI fellows will spend the next year working inside government to develop open-source tools aimed at modernising critical public systems. Use cases will include transport infrastructure, public safety and national security.
The announcement follows recent moves to embed private sector leadership in service reform, including the creation of CustomerFirst within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The unit, led by former Monzo executive Tristan Thomas with Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson as co-chair, is focused on eliminating long wait times, repetitive form-filling and outdated processes across public services.
Rewiring Whitehall with tech partnerships
In transport, fellows will develop AI models that analyse images and video to help councils prioritise repairs and maintenance more effectively. In national security and defence, specialists will design AI systems capable of operating offline or within secure networks, enabling sensitive decision-making while protecting classified data.
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Alongside the fellowship programme, the government has announced a new partnership with Anthropic to develop and pilot AI assistants for public services. The first use case will focus on job seekers, with an optional AI tool providing tailored career advice and support to help people find employment. A pilot is expected to begin later this year as part of a wider plan to introduce AI agents across national government services.
Together, the initiatives form part of a broader strategy to “rewire Whitehall” through technology, building on the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the digital transformation roadmap launched in January 2025. The approach reflects a growing willingness by government to work closely with private sector technology firms and research institutions to deliver faster, safer and more efficient services.
Fast tracking public services transformation
Minister for Data and Modern Digital Government Ian Murray said the new AI fellows would play a “pivotal role in re-wiring” systems across healthcare, policing and transport, ensuring the public benefits from emerging technologies. Meta described the programme as a way to “fast track the transformation of public services” by placing AI expertise at the heart of government, while Anthropic framed its partnership as a model for deploying frontier AI safely for public benefit.
The fellowship cohort includes leading UK researchers and practitioners such as Dr Armin Mustafa (University of Surrey), Angus Williams (Alan Turing Institute), Dr Shan Luo (King’s College London) and Dr Frank Soboczenski (University of York), bringing expertise in computer vision, machine learning, robotics and trustworthy AI into government operations.
