Government and Meta partner to develop AI tools for transport

The government has announced a partnership with Meta and leading research institutions to develop sovereign artificial intelligence tools aimed at improving public services, transport infrastructure, national security and defence systems.

image: Shutterstock

Sovereign in this context means the government will retain control, ownership and decision-making authority over how the AI systems are developed, trained, deployed and governed; rather than relying on, or being dependent upon external corporations or foreign governments.

The initiative, which will be delivered through a new AI team supported by funding and expertise from Meta, will focus on building open source models and applications that public authorities can operate and adapt in house without relying on proprietary commercial systems.

The programme brings together researchers from the Alan Turing Institute and a range of UK universities and will run over the next year to design and create AI tools that support public sector priorities and infrastructure challenges.

The work will cover areas such as computer vision, machine learning and robotics to deliver practical, safety critical technologies that can be used in transport planning and maintenance, public safety, defence decision making and other government functions.

Meta is the owner of social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Its involvement includes providing access to and support for its open source AI models, including its large language model Llama, as well as funding to help recruit and embed specialists within government departments.

Under the agreement, the UK government will retain ownership of the AI tools developed, enabling secure and adaptable use of the technology while safeguarding sensitive data and strengthening the country’s sovereign capabilities in critical sectors.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has framed the initiative as part of the broader drive to harness artificial intelligence for economic and productivity gains, modernise government operations, and ensure that cutting edge technology serves public needs.

Transport is specifically highlighted as a priority area, with the tools under development intended to help local authorities prioritise infrastructure repair and maintenance more effectively.

The initiative follows earlier efforts to attract top AI talent into public service, including the launch of a £1 million Open Source AI Fellowship funded by Meta and hosted through the Alan Turing Institute, which invited experts to join government teams to create AI tools for public sector challenges.