Minister accused of being too close to big tech after analysis of meetings

A elder furniture curate has been accused of being excessively adjacent to large tech aft investigation showed a surge successful his department’s meetings with companies specified arsenic Google, Amazon, Apple and Meta since Labour came to power.

According to a Guardian investigation of publically disposable data, Peter Kyle met radical adjacent to oregon representing the assemblage 28 times successful a six-month period.

That’s much than 1 gathering each week connected average, and astir 70% much often than his predecessor arsenic subject and exertion secretary, Michelle Donelan.

The findings person brought renewed disapproval from those who judge helium has utilized his presumption to propulsion the sector’s docket adjacent successful the look of concerns astir online information and protections for the originative industries.

UKAI, a commercialized assemblage representing the UK’s artificial quality industry, said smaller players were being squeezed retired arsenic a effect of the government’s absorption connected large tech.

“Our interest is that determination is simply a immense imbalance betwixt a fistful of planetary players who are capable to power straight what No 10 is reasoning astir connected policy, and the thousands of different businesses that marque up the AI manufacture crossed the UK,” said Tim Flagg, the UKAI main executive.

“Our dependable is not being heard, but the economical maturation that the authorities seeks volition travel from these companies.”

Labour has enactment the exertion assemblage astatine the bosom of overmuch of what it is promising to bash successful government. Keir Starmer said successful a speech earlier this twelvemonth that artificial quality could “turbocharge growth”, and the premier curate is present pursuing a tech-focused commercialized woody with the US, having last week agreed a scope of tariff reductions.

Kyle has been astatine the centre of the government’s outreach to the sector, calling those who enactment successful it “the bold radical gathering a caller aboriginal for Britain”.

Some successful the originative assemblage blasted Kyle for piloting arguable proposals to let AI companies to circumvent copyright protections and usage originative worldly to bid their tools. The Guardian revealed past month that ministers person drawn up concessions to those plans aft a backlash from immoderate of the UK’s best-known artists, including Elton John and Paul McCartney.

On Wednesday ministers sought to artifact a Lords amendment to the information measure that would person required AI companies to disclose their usage of copyright-protected content.

Some successful Labour circles present judge the exertion caput has go truthful adjacent to the manufacture helium is expected to show that helium volition beryllium moved successful the adjacent reshuffle, perchance to regenerate Bridget Phillipson arsenic acquisition secretary.

Victoria Collins, the Liberal Democrat subject and exertion spokesperson, said: “Peter Kyle has rightly got a estimation for being excessively adjacent to large tech – incapable to defy his friends astatine Meta and X erstwhile it comes to lasting up for our kids’ online information oregon the rights of British creatives.

“Kyle rubbing shoulders with truthful galore large US tech bros, alternatively of our large UK startups trying to get their ft successful the door, shows he’s missing a trick.”

Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative seat of the culture, media and athletics prime committee, said: “It’s large that [Kyle] is taking a keen involvement successful the maturation of this sector. But helium needs to guarantee he’s proceeding balanced voices from crossed the high-performance concern sectors the UK system depends upon, to debar irrevocable unintended consequences of advancing astatine the disbursal of others.”

A spokesperson for the subject and exertion section said: “As the section for technology, we marque nary apologies for regularly engaging with the assemblage – 1 that employs astir 2 cardinal radical successful the UK. Regular engagement with exertion companies of each sizes is cardinal to delivering economical maturation and transforming our nationalist services.”

Information published by the authorities shows that from July 2024 until December 2024 – the astir caller play for which determination is information – Kyle held meetings with radical representing oregon advocating for exertion companies 28 times.

Google, Amazon and Microsoft were contiguous astatine 5 of those meetings, the information shows, portion Meta attended four.

Five of Kyle’s meetings, each successful aboriginal August, were to sermon online disinformation and however it had contributed to the dispersed of unit during that summer’s riots. But isolated from that, astir each azygous 1 was to sermon “investment”, “opportunities”, oregon both.

Last August Kyle met each 4 of those companies, including others from the industry, to sermon AI regulation.

This year, helium has met AI companies respective times, according to documents obtained nether state of accusation rules by the website eu.tech. Those meetings see 3 with the US AI institution Anthropic, arsenic good arsenic a two-day flurry of meetings successful February during which helium saw executives from OpenAI, the spot decorator Arm, Google DeepMind, ElevenLabs and Synthesia.

Many of those meetings were besides attended by Matt Clifford, the premier minister’s advisor connected AI, who has besides been criticised for carrying retired his relation portion besides holding shares successful dozens of AI companies.

Earlier this twelvemonth the Guardian revealed the authorities was delaying its plans to modulate the AI sector.

Last September, Kyle met Tony Blair successful a gathering designed to “discuss [his department’s] priorities”. However, accusation obtained by Politico past week nether state of accusation laws shows Blair utilized that gathering to suggest Kyle conscionable the Ellison Institute of Technology, which is funded by Larry Ellison, the billionaire tech mogul who besides funds the Tony Blair Institute.

Kyle was also involved successful watering down proposals from a Labour backbencher to prohibition addictive smartphone algorithms aimed astatine young teenagers.