A lavish party in central London this September laid bare the shifting power dynamics between Silicon Valley's tech titans and the British political establishment. The host was Jensen Huang, the billionaire CEO of the AI chipmaker Nvidia, and the guest of honour was none other than Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The Nvidia Show: A Display of Soft Power
Following meetings at Chequers, Huang took to the stage in front of a crowd of venture capitalists and declared the dawn of "a new industrial revolution." He announced billions in AI investments and, with the flair of a showman, bestowed gifts upon select attendees. The climax of the evening, however, was his surprise introduction of the Prime Minister.
Starmer, appearing slightly overwhelmed, praised Huang's "absolutely phenomenal" vision and thanked him for his "confidence" in the UK. The event also featured cameos from Liz Kendall, the Science Secretary, and Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, underscoring the remarkable access enjoyed by this US tech giant.
The Revolving Door Spins Faster
This spectacle was not an isolated incident but part of a concerted charm offensive. This week, the $500bn ChatGPT creator OpenAI landed a major coup by hiring former Chancellor George Osborne. Osborne enthusiastically stated he was joining "the most exciting and promising company in the world."
He is merely the latest in a growing line of high-profile figures crossing from Westminster to Silicon Valley. In October, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took advisory roles with AI firm Anthropic and Microsoft. His chief of staff, Liam Booth-Smith, also joined Anthropic this summer.
They follow the path of former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who spent seven years leading global affairs at Meta, reportedly earning tens of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, Tony Blair is exerting significant influence on tech policy through his institute, which is partly funded by Oracle founder Larry Ellison's foundation.
Influence, Access, and the Risk to Regulation
The Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee is now actively monitoring this "revolving door." Alex Sobel MP, a member of parliament's joint committee on human rights, expressed deep concern: "Tech companies may be using their huge buying power to water down much needed regulation by hiring those who have served at the highest level."
The appeal for tech firms is clear. Britain offers looser AI regulations than the EU, world-class universities, and a respected AI safety institute. For former politicians, these roles leverage their government experience and contacts, as AI companies increasingly target state-level clients.
Osborne's reported mission is to help OpenAI embed its technology within public systems worldwide. The competition is fierce; data firm Palantir, which hosted Starmer in Washington and signed a deal with the Ministry of Defence, is already pushing its systems into the NHS and local councils.
The door also swings the other way. The UK government recently appointed Google DeepMind's vice-president of research as an "AI ambassador," and former civil servants have set up consultancies winning substantial public contracts.
This deepening symbiosis between Whitehall and Silicon Valley raises critical questions about where the line between innovation, investment, and undue influence truly lies, as the race to dominate the next technological era intensifies.
