The UK government has confirmed that the public has a right to access information generated by artificial intelligence (AI) used by public bodies, as new rules state such content is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This includes communications like those produced by ChatGPT or other chatbots used by government officials. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) clarified that records of AI-generated responses and the prompts used to create them are considered recorded information held by the authority, reinforcing transparency in how AI is deployed in governance.

UK government: The UK government encompasses central departments, executive agencies, and public bodies tasked with national policymaking, service delivery, and administration. It must comply with the Freedom of Information Act, requiring disclosure of held information to promote transparency. Recent ICO guidance explicitly states that content produced by government staff using AI for work, including the prompts entered, is subject to FOIA requests.
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) serves as the UK’s independent regulator overseeing data protection under the UK GDPR and freedom of information rights via the FOIA. It issues practical guidance to public authorities and enforces compliance to balance openness with lawful processing. In early May 2026, it published updated guidance confirming that AI-generated information and prompts used by public authority staff qualify as disclosable records under FOIA.

`json
{
“AI Disclosure Rules”: “AI-generated content and prompts from public authority staff usage are treated as recorded information held by the authority and subject to FOIA.”
}
`