Earlier this year, Tony Blair and Nick Clegg organized a private dinner where a group of technology entrepreneurs had the opportunity to meet influential ministers, as revealed by official documents.
As a long-time supporter of the tech industry, the former prime minister hosted this dinner at a high-end hotel in London, representing the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) political consultancy.
Together with former deputy prime minister Mr. Clegg, who was a senior executive at Meta at the time, they invited leaders from six tech firms, including Poppy Gustafsson, the government’s investment minister tasked with encouraging businesses to invest in the UK.
Mr. Blair is a passionate advocate for the transformative potential of technology in public services and has actively sought partnerships with industry leaders. His consultancy has produced several policy papers that advocate for placing artificial intelligence at the core of government initiatives.
However, some critics express concerns that Prime Minister Blair, known for his close ties to Keir Starmer’s administration, has been able to influence the agenda without adequate public oversight. There are also questions surrounding the reliance of Blair’s consultancy on significant contributions from Silicon Valley’s billionaire Larry Ellison, an acquaintance of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Mr. Ellison, who briefly claimed the title of the world’s richest person this year, has donated or committed over $300 million to Mr. Blair’s consultancy.
Documents obtained by the Guardian through freedom of information laws reveal that 12 attendees discussed the government’s evolving stand on artificial intelligence at a gathering deemed a “salon dinner.”
The dinner took place at the luxurious Corinthia Hotel in late January and featured Ron Jaffe, managing director of Insight Partners, a US venture capital firm investing in tech companies.
Also present was Alex Kendall, CEO of Wave, focused on self-driving cars, along with Nigel Thune, head of Graphcore, a computer chip manufacturer, and Mark Warner, CEO of Faculty AI, who last year collaborated with TBI to produce a document on leveraging AI to enhance public services.
A representative for Mr. Clegg noted, “During his tenure at Meta, Nick Clegg frequently interacted with government ministers and other tech CEOs, which is standard for his role in policy and global affairs.”
According to a TBI spokesperson, “The event featured discussions with ministers about various issues among tech leaders. No companies were charged to attend.”
Companies that participated asserted they do not contribute to or employ TBI.
This dinner illustrates how Prime Minister Blair’s consultancy is advancing pro-technology policies. The rapidly growing TBI is active in 45 countries and employs over 900 staff members. Its most recent financial statement reported revenues of $145 million in 2022 from advisory services and donations, although many donors and clients remain undisclosed.
The consultancy faces criticism for potentially allowing donor interests to influence its policy positions, a claim it disputes. It has also been criticized for continuing financial ties with Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Blair is anticipated to play a significant role in the reconstruction of Gaza following the war.
Weeks prior to the dinner, the government confidentially provided an outline of an AI action plan to TBI shortly before it was set to be publicly released. On January 9, Ferial Clark, then Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), made this request at the prompting of TBI’s Director of Science Policy, Jacob Mokander.
The following day, an aide to Mr. Clark reached out to Mr. Mokander stating, “It was a pleasure speaking with you. As a follow-up, here’s the top-secret action plan summary. Thank you for expanding the plan through your networks and supportive quotes on Monday.” Mr. Mokander replied, “Thanks for sharing the action plan (confidentiality).” Blair endorsed the action plan on January 13, which aims to bolster the UK’s role in AI development and deployment.
When asked why this document was shared with TBI so early, a DSIT spokesperson stated, “We cannot apologize for our regular engagement with stakeholders. It’s standard to share embargoed information with them ahead of publication.”
A spokesperson for TBI remarked, “It’s typical for governments to consult experts and engage various stakeholders when crafting policy. As indicated in the footnotes, the AI Opportunity Action Plan accurately references our published work.”
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