Jade Leung, a former leader at the firm behind ChatGPT, has been named as Keir Starmer’s leading voice on artificial intelligence, replacing the architect of government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan

The AI Security Institute’s chief technology officer Jade Leung has been appointed as the prime minister’s new artificial intelligence adviser.

Leung replaces Matt Clifford, who was commissioned to create the AI Opportunities Action Plan published by government in January, but left the advisory role six months later for personal reasons.

She will report directly to the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and science, innovation, and technology secretary Peter Kyle, splitting her time between No.10 and the AI Security Institute – which sits with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

In a press release announcing the appointment, DSIT said: “As part of the role, she will work to position the UK as the leading nation to help unlock the benefits and prepare for the impacts of transformative AI, working closely with the prime minister to harness the technology as it delivers the strong foundations and economic growth which are central to the government’s Plan for Change.”

Leung was previously governance lead at OpenAI, the AI company behind ChatGPT. She left the firm in 2023 to become CTO at the then-newly formed AI Security Institute.

The AI Security Institute’s website says that its “mission is to equip governments with a scientific understanding of the risks posed by advanced AI”. It undertakes research projects, including work on “mitigations” of potential risks.