UK minister and OpenAI explored $2.7 billion deal for free ChatGPT Plus access nationwide

The efficacy of ChatGPT as a tool for education and development is a hotly debated topic. While some may argue that LLMs are incredibly useful for disseminating knowledge and improving skills, others might prefer to steer clear, citing the technology's inherent privacy and reliability shortfalls.

According to a recent report by The Guardian, a UK minister had contemplated signing a deal with OpenAI, which would have resulted in completely free ChatGPT Plus membership for the entire population of the United Kingdom, which, according to recent data, is somewhere around 69.2 million. Since a single ChatGPT Plus membership costs around $20, one may expect the value of this deal to be a hair under $1.5 billion, although sources seem to indicate that the number is actually a whopping $2.7 billion.

To be specific, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, who is himself quite a fervent proponent of AI tools such as ChatGPT, discussed the aforementioned deal with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. Unfortunately, the deal did not go through, and the exact reason why remains anyone's guess. It does seem likely that the sheer cost involved put off the ministers involved, although sources close to Peter Kyle did reveal to The Guardian that the minister "never took this deal seriously".

Of course, fears surrounding the ethics of LLMs and other AI tools remain at large. The UK government certainly seems quite enthusiastic about the future of AI aiding governmental bodies, having signed an MoU with OpenAI that gives the AI behemoth access to government data for training purposes and future use in the country's public sector. Whether or not such agreements lead to a better functioning government remains to be seen.