# UK Officials Said AI Would Add £400 Billion to the Economy. That Figure Mainly Came From Google

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/uk-officials-said-ai-would-add-400-billion-to-the-economy-that-figure-mainly-came-from-google/
- Published: 2026-11-04T13:49:51+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T10:05:41+00:00
- Original publisher: Wired
- Original article: https://www.wired.com/story/uk-officials-said-ai-would-add-400-billion-to-the-economy-that-figure-mainly-came-from-google/
- Topics: AI, Business, Economy, Government, Politics, Research, Science, Technology, UK, World

## Key points

- Government estimate centres on £120 billion by 2030.
- The £400 billion claim came from a Google-commissioned report.
- MPs say public claims about AI benefits need greater transparency.

## Summary

The UK Government has acknowledged that its widely used claim that AI could add £400 billion to the economy by 2030 came from a Google-commissioned report, rather than its own projections. The admission matters because government bodies and ministers cited that figure for nearly two years, while the Government’s central estimate is far lower and officials say it is highly uncertain.

AI minister Kanishka Narayan said the Government estimates AI adoption and data investment could add £55 billion to £140 billion by 2030, with a central estimate of £120 billion. The report behind the £400 billion figure was produced in 2023 by consultancy Public First, now called PF Global; its economics chief attributed the gap partly to slower AI uptake than the report assumed. The Government had the lower estimate by at least November 2025, but agencies continued using the older figure, prompting calls for clearer communication and more realistic claims about AI’s economic benefits.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.