Generative AI
AI systems that create new content (text, images, code, music) based on training data. Raises issues of copyright ownership (s.9(3) CDPA 1988), liability for defamatory or infringing output, and data protection compliance.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
UK government guidance to civil servants describes generative AI as a broad label used to describe any type of artificial intelligence that can be used to create new text, images, video, audio, or code, noting that Large Language Models (LLMs) such as those underlying ChatGPT are part of this category and produce text outputs, while other systems such as DALL-E generate images from text and other tools generate computer code.
The Cabinet Office, Government Digital Service, and Central Digital and Data Office guidance sets out ground rules for civil servants using these tools, centred on two core risks: information security and output reliability. Users should never put sensitive information or personal data into generative AI tools, and should never input information that is classified, sensitive, or reveals the intent of government that may not already be in the public domain, having regard to the principles of GDPR.
On reliability, the guidance is explicit that output from generative AI is susceptible to bias and misinformation, and needs to be checked and cited appropriately before being relied upon or used in government work — treating generative AI as a tool that can assist with tasks such as summarising articles or drafting code, but not as a source whose output can be trusted without verification.
Example
A civil servant using an LLM-based chatbot to draft a summary of a policy document must not paste in classified or sensitive material, and must check the tool's output for factual accuracy and bias before using it.
Related terms
Official sources
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