The UK government has signed a memorandum of understanding with artificial intelligence company Anthropic to explore using its chatbot Claude to improve public services and access to government information.

The collaboration aims to advance the responsible deployment of frontier AI capabilities in the public sector while fostering cooperation between government and leading AI innovators. The agreement was signed by technology secretary Peter Kyle and Anthropic's chief executive officer Dario Amodei on February 13.

"AI has the potential to transform how governments serve their citizens," said Amodei. "We look forward to exploring how Anthropic's AI assistant Claude could help UK government agencies enhance public services, with the goal of discovering new ways to make vital information and services more efficient and accessible to UK residents."

The partnership forms part of the government's broader strategy to establish the UK as an AI "superpower" and follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge to boost public service productivity through AI innovation.

Claude is already demonstrating its value in public sector applications globally. The European Parliament uses the AI assistant to make archives more accessible, reducing document search and analysis time by 80 per cent. In the UK, Swindon Borough Council has launched 'Simply Readable', a Claude-powered tool that transforms complex documents into accessible formats for people with learning disabilities.

The memorandum outlines several areas for potential collaboration, including advancing scientific progress through AI, securing supply chains for advanced AI infrastructure, and supporting the UK's startup community and universities. The partnership will also leverage Anthropic's Economic Index to provide insights into AI's effects on labour markets and help the UK adapt its workforce strategies.

"Today's partnership with Anthropic delivers our commitment to make the UK the best place to build frontier AI, so the benefits of this transformative technology are felt by people and businesses across the country," said Kyle.

The agreement also involves working with the newly renamed AI Security Institute to understand and mitigate AI system security risks, as part of the UK government's wider initiative to secure partnerships with leading AI companies to improve public services and boost economic growth.

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