UK government officials have embraced AI technology at the highest levels of power, with thousands of civil servants using a proprietary chatbot called Redbox to generate draft briefings and analyze government documents. This previously undisclosed adoption of AI within the heart of government raises significant questions about transparency, accuracy, and the potential for biased outputs to influence policy decisions without public awareness or oversight.
The big picture: New Scientist has uncovered that at least 3,000 Cabinet Office staff who directly support Prime Minister Keir Starmer are actively using an in-house AI tool, with officials refusing to disclose how the technology is being implemented or what safeguards exist.
- Civil servants have conducted at least 30,000 interactions with the Redbox AI system, which can generate draft briefings and analyze government documents in seconds.
- Despite freedom of information requests to 20 government departments, officials have declined to release records of AI interactions, claiming such requests are “vexatious” and would require excessive resources to fulfill.
Why this matters: The integration of AI into core government functions represents a significant shift in how policy is developed, with limited public transparency about how machine-generated content might influence decision-making.
- One civil servant reportedly used the AI to synthesize 50 documents “in a matter of seconds” rather than spending a full day on the task.
- Large language models have well-documented issues with bias and accuracy, raising concerns about the quality of information potentially reaching senior officials.
Key details: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which oversees Redbox, has declined to answer specific questions about whether the prime minister or cabinet ministers are receiving AI-prepared advice.
- A second department, Business and Trade, acknowledged holding “over 13,000 prompts and responses” from staff interactions with Redbox.
- Officials have referred inquiries to DSIT rather than providing specific information about implementation practices or safeguards.
What they’re saying: Government representatives defend the AI implementation as a productivity enhancement that allows civil servants to focus on more important tasks.
- “No one should be spending time on something AI can do better and more quickly,” a DSIT spokesperson told New Scientist, adding that Redbox helps “harness the power of AI in a safe, secure, and practical way.”
- The spokesperson claimed the tool makes it “easier for officials to summarize documents, draft agendas and more,” ultimately speeding up work and freeing officials to focus on “shaping policy and improving services.”
Between the lines: The government’s refusal to disclose records of AI interactions suggests potential concerns about revealing how extensively machine-generated content may be influencing policy development.
- New Scientist’s investigation followed its earlier success in securing the “world-first release of ChatGPT logs under freedom of information legislation.”
- The classification of these information requests as “vexatious” raises questions about whether the government is using procedural barriers to avoid transparency.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...