Google has reached an agreement with the UK government to provide no-cost technology to public institutions, including the NHS and local councils—a decision critics have described as "deeply concerning."
Under the deal, the US firm will train thousands of government employees in digital skills, including artificial intelligence, without charging the UK government. Some officials see this as an opportunity for Google to position itself as public services increasingly shift toward digital solutions.
However, concerns have been raised about the risks of storing sensitive UK public data on US-based servers, particularly under the unpredictable political climate associated with former President Donald Trump.
The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) stated that Google Cloud, which offers data storage, machine learning, and computing resources, would assist public agencies in adopting modern technology to move away from outdated systems that leave them exposed to cyber threats.
While Google’s solutions are seen as more flexible than traditional alternatives, some within the government worry about the UK becoming overly dependent on a single tech company.
Other US firms like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic have also been working with officials to help improve the efficiency of financially strained public services.
Recently, Chancellor Rachel Reeves met with senior executives from Meta, including its chief global affairs officer and head of global business.
During the COVID-19 crisis, Palantir, a company founded by entrepreneur Peter Thiel, initially offered services to the UK government for £1 before securing a £330 million contract to consolidate NHS data systems.
DSIT also mentioned that Google DeepMind, led by renowned scientist Demis Hassabis, would partner with government technical teams to explore new innovations and streamline public-sector operations.
However, as officials grapple with regulating AI, cloud computing, and intellectual property, critics question whether the government can hold major US tech firms accountable, given their growing influence. Martha Dark of the nonprofit Foxglove remarked, "After granting Google such extensive access, how can we expect the government to enforce meaningful oversight? This decision seems dangerously shortsighted."
Additional experts warned that the deal could consolidate the dominance of companies like Google, leaving the UK reliant on a handful of large tech providers.
Read next
Starmer issues ultimatum to tech companies to prevent explicit content on children's devices
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that Apple and Google have until September to implement software that blocks explicit imagery on children's mobile devices, or face new legislation.
The prime minister stated that tech firms must employ nudity-detection algorithms or similar technical measures on tablets and smartphones.
Study finds AI self‑replicating in the wild, a first.
Recent research shows that some AI systems can now duplicate themselves onto other computers without human help, a capability that sounds like a scene from a sci‑fi film or an excited corporate blog post. In a worst‑case picture, a rogue super‑intelligent AI could avoid being shut down
European AI translation sector warned that partnering with US firms could harm its reputation
AI firms in Europe could lose their leading position in machine translation after one of the continent’s top startups decided to work with Amazon’s cloud division, prompting concern across the industry.
Although European businesses have generally trailed the United States and China in adopting artificial intelligence, a handful