London, January 27, 2026 – The Europe Today: The British government has announced the creation of a new team of artificial intelligence specialists tasked with developing AI tools to upgrade key public services, including transport, public safety and national defence.
In a government statement, officials said the expert team has been recruited with funding provided by Meta and will spend the next year developing open-source AI systems tailored for use across public sector institutions. The initiative forms part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s broader strategy to position the United Kingdom as a global leader in artificial intelligence while improving productivity and efficiency in government operations, according to media reports.
The project aims to develop tools to support the maintenance of roads and transport networks, enhance public safety systems and strengthen decision-making processes in national security. A central objective is to ensure that public authorities can operate the technologies independently, without reliance on closed-source commercial platforms.
The newly established team includes leading AI and data experts, including a data scientist from the Alan Turing Institute and university researchers specializing in computer vision, applied machine learning for public services, robotics-based imaging and safety-critical AI system design. Officials said the breadth of expertise will help ensure the tools developed are both advanced and reliable for high-stakes public sector use.
Meta, which announced its funding for the programme last year, said the team will utilize open-source AI models, including its Llama large language model capable of processing text, images, audio and video. AI tools developed under the programme will be owned by the UK government, allowing departments to retain sensitive data in-house and customize systems to meet operational requirements.
The initiative reflects a growing global trend of governments partnering with major technology companies to accelerate AI adoption while maintaining control over data and digital infrastructure. For the UK, the programme is intended to strengthen domestic AI capabilities while delivering more efficient, resilient and responsive public services.
Work on the project is set to begin immediately, with the government expressing hope that the initiative will establish a new benchmark for the safe and effective integration of artificial intelligence into state institutions, while safeguarding security and public trust.
