Ministry of Justice partners with OpenAI to boost AI usage

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The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has entered into a partnership with OpenAI to accelerate AI adoption and improve efficiency. The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy at OpenAI’s Frontiers conference, where he revealed that MoJ employees, as well as employees across the wider public sector, will have access to a range of AI tools.

As part of the rollout, 2,500 MoJ employees will now have access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise to support their day-to-day work. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 probation officers are set to start using Justice Transcribe, an AI tool that automatically records and writes up conversations with offenders. The system is currently being trialled in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Wales, ahead of a wider rollout. So far, data shows that there’s been a 75% reduction in notetaking time. The technology is eventually expected to save up to 240,000 working days annually.

Lammy said: “New AI tools are already allowing our brilliant probation officers to spend far less time filling out paperwork and far more time face to face with offenders, making them less likely to reoffend.”

AI tools are also being deployed across other areas of the public sector, including within the NHS, where frontline staff are using AI-driven transcription technology to speed up patient discharge processes. This not only frees up hospital beds more efficiently but also contributes to reducing waiting times. There are also plans to train 7.5 million people by 2030 to use AI in their everyday jobs.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said: “The number of people using our products in the UK has increased fourfold in the past year. It’s exciting to see them using AI to save time, increase productivity, and get more done. Civil servants are using ChatGPT to improve public services and established firms are reimagining operations. We’re proud to continue supporting the UK and the Government’s AI plan.”

Alongside these developments, the government is taking steps to improve how AI tools handle data. Lammy announced that British businesses will now be able to store data locally in new data centres, helping to improve privacy and accountability. Part of the government’s Plan for Change, this initiative is expected to encourage more business investment by giving companies greater confidence in how their data is handled. With recent cyber threats highlighting the vulnerabilities in global data infrastructure, strengthening data security has become more critical for businesses.

Technology secretary Liz Kendall commented: “We’re making sure we have the infrastructure we need to power AI here in Britain so we can transform our public services, drive growth and unlock new opportunities for every community in the country. This partnership with OpenAI is a step further in delivering that.”

The government is also rolling out other AI initiatives. This week, it launched the AI Growth Lab – a space where regulators and businesses can test how current rules affect responsible AI development. It has also set up AI Growth Zones across the UK to attract private investment, boost local economies and create new jobs.