Recently, the UK Guardian reported a notable proposal: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, discussed with UK Technology Minister Peter Kyle the idea of providing free ChatGPT Plus subscriptions to British citizens. The potential cost of this proposal could reach 2 billion pounds (approximately 19.32 billion Chinese yuan), but it ultimately failed to materialize.
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According to insiders, this idea was proposed during a meeting in San Francisco, aiming to seek broader cooperation opportunities between OpenAI and the UK. Peter Kyle had dinner with Altman in March and April this year, and signed a memorandum of understanding in July to explore the use of artificial intelligence in UK public services. This memorandum of understanding is not legally binding, and may allow OpenAI to access some government data and apply its software in areas such as education, defense, security, and justice.
Peter Kyle has consistently promoted the application of artificial intelligence within the government. In March this year, he directly asked ChatGPT about government work-related questions, including why British businesses are adopting artificial intelligence slowly and which podcasts he should attend. An OpenAI spokesperson said that millions of British users use ChatGPT for free every day, and emphasized that their collaboration with the UK government aims to promote the popularization of artificial intelligence, ensuring more people can benefit from it.
In addition to the cooperation with the UK, OpenAI has recently contacted governments of several countries. Notably, OpenAI has reached an agreement with the UAE to enable ChatGPT nationwide and promote the application of this technology in public sectors such as transportation, healthcare, and education. However, the development of generative artificial intelligence has also sparked some controversies, especially regarding copyright issues. Some artists have criticized the government's plan to revise copyright laws, arguing that allowing AI companies to use copyrighted works without authorization would harm the rights of creators.
In response, the UK Artificial Intelligence Industry Association stated that the government's policies are overly biased toward large tech companies, neglecting the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises. In response, a UK government spokesperson said that they are working with OpenAI and other leading artificial intelligence companies to explore investment opportunities in the UK, and to rigorously test the safety of new technologies before their public release.
Key Points:
🔍 Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, once proposed providing free ChatGPT Plus to all British people, with a potential cost of up to 2 billion pounds.
🤝 This proposal was part of OpenAI's efforts to explore broader cooperation with the UK government, involving the application of AI in areas such as education and defense.
⚖️ The development of generative artificial intelligence has sparked copyright disputes, with artists expressing concerns over the government's plans to revise copyright laws.
