- UK government strengthens OpenAI partnership as part of its AI action plan
- The move brings data sovereignty to UK users for customer content
- Department of Justice officials will also have access to ChatGPT for Business
The UK government has announced an agreement with OpenAI to expand the UK’s sovereign AI capability, providing greater data security and safety for users.
From October 24, 2025, UK customers and developers will have the option to store their data on UK servers, helping to comply with data protection laws including GDPR, a much stricter set of requirements than its US counterparts.
This will be a welcome announcement for many UK businesses, many of whom are unaware of where their data is stored. The lack of data sovereignty is a growing source of concern, with many worried about the potential consequences of storing their data in the United States.
Stored in the region
The new ChatGPT workspace, featuring data residency, is configured to store customer content in the chosen region at rest. This includes Files, Image Generation, Conversations, Code Interpreter and Data Analysis, Canvas, ChatGPT Memory, and Custom GPTs.
This still leaves some information that may be stored outside of the selected area, including but not limited to: workspace metadata, third-party services, connectors and MCPs, and transient or processing steps (necessary for service functionality).
Part of the government’s AI action plan, this latest deal also brings ChatGPT to Department of Justice civil servants, providing 2,500 employees with ChatGPT Enterprise.
“The number of people using our products in the UK has quadrupled over the past year,” noted Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
“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 businesses are reinventing their operations. We are proud to continue supporting the UK and Government’s AI plan.”
The government has already outlined sweeping plans to inject AI into the UK public sector, which, combined with £14 billion of private sector investment, aims to propel the country to the top of the global AI market for both consumers and businesses.
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