Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to 32378, on what date OpenAI informed the Government that one of its models had accessed publicly available UK government statistics.

We do not give a running commentary on operational matters or disclose information that could assist an attacker. Those considerations apply whether or not AI is involved.

I refer my Rt. Hon. colleague to the statement provided by the Minister for Artificial Intelligence on 27 September 2026 on this matter, in which he stated that OpenAI informed the Government that one of their AI models accessed publicly available UK government statistics. Our cyber defences were not breached and no personal data was accessed. While the system and all the data accessed in this instance were already freely available to the public, we take any indication of unsanctioned AI activity seriously.

The government is establishing a new National Agentic Security Unit, backed with £40 million pounds of investment. It will develop new capabilities to detect, investigate and respond to cases involving agentic AI, to allow us to protect the public and businesses.