OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, has signed a deal to use artificial intelligence to increase productivity in the UK’s public services, the government has announced.

The agreement signed by the firm and the science department could give OpenAI access to government data and see its software used in education, defence, security, and the justice system.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said that “AI will be fundamental in driving change” in the UK and “driving economic growth”.

The Labour government’s eager adoption of AI has previously been criticised by campaigners, such as musicians’ who oppose its unlicensed use of their music.

The text of the memorandum of understanding says the UK and OpenAI will “improve understanding of capabilities and security risks, and to mitigate those risks”.

It also says that the UK and OpenAI may develop an “information sharing programme”, adding that they will “develop safeguards that protect the public and uphold democratic values”.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said the plan would “deliver prosperity for all”.

“AI is a core technology for nation building that will transform economies and deliver growth,” he added.

The deal comes as the UK government looks for ways to improve the UK’s stagnant economy, which is forecast to have grown at 0.1% to 0.2% for the April to June period.

The UK government has also made clear it is open to US AI investment, having struck similar deals with OpenAI’s rivals Google and Anthropic earlier this year.

It said its OpenAI deal “could mean that world-changing AI tech is developed in the UK, driving discoveries that will deliver growth”.

Generative AI software like OpenAI’s ChatGPT can produce text, images, videos, and music from prompts by users.

The technology does this based on data from books, photos, film footage, and songs, raising questions about potential copyright infringement or whether data has been used with permission.

The technology has also come under fire for giving false information or bad advice based on prompts.