Wargame -- Participant Update

BREAKING

Inspectors find Meridian's benefits system flagged the poorest claimants as fraud risks

In their first two weeks, the inspectors found that Meridian's benefits system has flagged 340,000 claimants in the poorest tenth of postcodes as higher frau...

Current Round

Round 02

HM Government

Decisions

The Government asked Washington to let the AI Safety Commission publish its inspection findings in full and brief MPs in private.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 2: Publish what inspectors find
The Government proposed that Britain, the EU, Canada, Japan and Australia share computing capacity and a common inspection standard.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 2: Build a middle-power alliance
The Government ruled that no new AI model can be used in public services until the Commission has inspected it under an American licence.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 2: Inspect new models before they are used
The Government offered to host an international AI inspection agency in London, costing about £600 million a year shared among its members.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 2: Host an international inspection agency

Non-Actions

The Government did not act on the inspectors' findings: no compensation for the 340,000 claimants whose payments were delayed, and no action against Meridian.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 2: No action on the inspectors' findings
For a second round, the Government named no one to pay for the gap in Transition Income left when the levy became a voluntary fund.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 2: No answer on paying for Transition Income

Reform UK

Decisions

Reform UK promised that a Reform government would scrap inspection and close the AI Safety Commission.
As your table chose it
Reform UK, round 2: Promise to scrap inspection
Reform UK launched a national campaign to repeal the Online Safety Act, starting with rallies in ten towns this month.
As your table chose it
Reform UK, round 2: Campaign to repeal the Online Safety Act
Reform UK promised to replace Transition Income with a job or training place for every displaced worker, through a £6,000 hiring credit costing about £12 billion a year.
As your table chose it
Reform UK, round 2: Replace Transition Income with a jobs guarantee
Reform UK promised British-owned AI models and computing centres for public services within five years, at a cost of £15 billion.
As your table chose it
Reform UK, round 2: British-owned AI within five years

Washington

Decisions

Washington made a private move this round, which is not shown to the room.
Washington limited Meridian's licence to the models named in it: each new model needs a new licence and a new inspection.
As your table chose it
Washington, round 2: Limit the licence to the models named
Washington made a second private move this round, also kept from the room.
The White House said it will veto any bill in Congress that ends Britain's licence.
As your table chose it
Washington, round 2: Defend the licence against Congress

Beijing

Decisions

Beijing offered any government full inspection of Lantern's models and code on its own soil, with no clearance rules and no limits on publishing. Lantern will not share its training data.
As your table chose it
Beijing, round 2: Offer every government full inspection of Lantern
Lantern offered British businesses its services at a third of American prices, with their data kept in Britain.
As your table chose it
Beijing, round 2: Lantern at a third of American prices
Beijing offered a £3 billion battery plant in the North East with 4,000 jobs, asking nothing in return on AI.
As your table chose it
Beijing, round 2: Invest in Britain with no AI conditions
Beijing made a private move this round, which is not shown to the room.

Meridian

Decisions

Meridian accepted the inspectors' findings on its benefits system and said it will fix the fault within 60 days.
As your table chose it
Meridian, round 2: Accept the findings; fix within 60 days
Meridian made a private move this round, which is not shown to the room.
Meridian said it will bring its new generation of models into the NHS phone triage service and benefits triage from September.
As your table chose it
Meridian, round 2: Bring new models into public services
Meridian made a second private move this round, also kept from the room.

British Business Council

Decisions

The British Business Council opposed extending inspection to AI used by business, and said it should stay with the state.
As your table chose it
British Business Council, round 2: Keep inspection to the state
The British Business Council called on the Government to contract a European provider for part of public service work alongside Meridian.
As your table chose it
British Business Council, round 2: Call for a European second supplier
The British Business Council made a private move this round, which is not shown to the room.
The British Business Council backed an international AI inspection agency based in London.
As your table chose it
British Business Council, round 2: Back the international agency

Workers' Federation

Decisions

The Workers' Federation made a private move this round, which is not shown to the room.
The Workers' Federation demanded seats for unions and claimants on the board overseeing inspection, and compensation for anyone harmed by faults found.
As your table chose it
Workers' Federation, round 2: Seats on the inspection board and compensation
The Workers' Federation began campaigning for a law letting recognised unions agree or block AI that replaces jobs in large workplaces.
As your table chose it
Workers' Federation, round 2: Union consent before AI replaces jobs
The Workers' Federation launched a campaign for a 32-hour, four-day week with no loss of pay, phased in as AI raises output.
As your table chose it
Workers' Federation, round 2: Campaign for a 32-hour week

Questions for the Room

01 Two rounds on, who pays the Transition Income gap the voluntary fund leaves?

02 Inspectors found 340,000 claimants paid late. Who compensates them?

03 Washington has not replied. Does Britain publish the inspection evidence anyway?

04 Each new AI model needs its own inspection. Do public services wait for it?

05 Parliament wants a plan by 23 July. Whose systems will public services run on?

Round 01

HM Government

Decisions

At midnight the Government accepted Washington's licence: British officials with US clearance inspect Meridian in Britain, and the levy becomes a transition fund.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 1: Last orders: accept the licence, keep inspection, levy becomes a transition fund
The Government offered Washington inspection in Britain by British officials holding US security clearance, and talks on how the levy is designed.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 1: Offer: inspection in Britain by cleared British officials; levy design open
The Cabinet Office began approving plans to keep every council and NHS trust that relies on Meridian running without it.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 1: Continuity plans for every council and NHS trust, starting this week
The Government ruled out Chinese AI in British public services, whatever happens at the deadline.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 1: Chinese AI ruled out of public services; GCHQ to confirm
The Government asked the EU to host some of Meridian's public service work as a fallback.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 1: Asked the EU to host some public service work

Non-Actions

The Government did not answer the unions' offer and gave no guarantee on Transition Income, so the unions' cover never came into play.
As your table chose it
HM Government, round 1: No guarantee given

Reform UK

Decisions

Reform UK made no further public move on the Conservatives this round.
Reform UK said it would vote for any suspension of inspection and the levy, and urged Britain to meet Washington's demands.
As your table chose it
Reform UK, round 1: Back Washington's demands; vote for any suspension
Reform UK tabled a motion of no confidence in the Government. The Government survived it.
As your table chose it
Reform UK, round 1: Motion of no confidence tabled
Reform UK set out its plan: settle with Washington now, keep Meridian running, and pay for Transition Income from spending cuts it did not name.
As your table chose it
Reform UK, round 1: Own plan: settle now, fund Transition Income from cuts

Washington

Decisions

Washington offered to license inspection in Britain by British officials with US clearance, if the levy became a voluntary fund.
As your table chose it
Washington, round 1: Licence for inspection in Britain in return for a voluntary fund
Washington made no further public move on the Blyth violence this round.
Washington granted Meridian the licence, and its tariffs and its bar on American AI did not take effect.
As your table chose it
Washington, round 1: Last orders: licence granted; tariffs and AI bar dropped
Washington brought its 25% tariffs forward to 5 April and warned British firms that switching to Chinese AI risks American sanctions.
As your table chose it
Washington, round 1: Tariffs from 5 April; sanctions warning on Chinese AI
Washington made no further public offer to London this round.
At the summit, Washington agreed to lift its sanctions on Lantern and other Chinese AI firms, in return for Chinese AI staying out of allies' critical systems.
As your table chose it
Washington, round 1: Summit deal signed with Beijing

Beijing

Decisions

Beijing offered Lantern systems to run a third of Meridian's public service work within ten weeks, with full British inspection of the models and code.
As your table chose it
Beijing, round 1: Lantern offer: a third of the work in ten weeks, full inspection
Beijing made no further public move on trade with Britain this round.
Beijing made Lantern's offer depend on Britain lifting the 2031 ban and staying out of American sanctions on Chinese technology firms.
As your table chose it
Beijing, round 1: Lantern offer made conditional
Lantern offered British businesses its services at about a third of American prices, with their data kept in Britain.
As your table chose it
Beijing, round 1: Lantern for British firms at a third of American prices
At the summit, Beijing agreed to keep Chinese AI out of the critical systems of America's allies, in return for American sanctions on Lantern being lifted.
As your table chose it
Beijing, round 1: Summit deal signed with Washington

Meridian

Decisions

Meridian asked Washington for a licence to let British officials with US clearance inspect its models in Britain, and said it would comply once granted.
As your table chose it
Meridian, round 1: Apply for a US licence and comply
Meridian pledged £2 billion for its Blyth campus and 1,500 British engineering jobs over three years.
As your table chose it
Meridian, round 1: £2 billion and 1,500 jobs at Blyth
Meridian signed the access agreement and opened its models to British inspectors at the secure facility.
As your table chose it
Meridian, round 1: Last orders: sign the access agreement
Meridian offered independent audits and full test results in place of inspection until a licence came through.
As your table chose it
Meridian, round 1: Audits and test results until a licence
Meridian made no further public move towards its customers this round.

British Business Council

Decisions

The British Business Council urged the Government to compromise on inspection and redesign the levy before the deadline.
As your table chose it
British Business Council, round 1: Press the Government to settle
The British Business Council made no further public move towards Washington this round.
Council members committed £2 billion to a joint British and European computing consortium that public services can use if asked.
As your table chose it
British Business Council, round 1: £2 billion computing consortium
Council members said they would pay into a voluntary transition fund if it replaced the levy in a deal with Washington.
As your table chose it
British Business Council, round 1: Ready to pay into a voluntary fund

Workers' Federation

Decisions

The Workers' Federation offered to staff emergency services if Meridian left, in return for a two-year guarantee of Transition Income.
As your table chose it
Workers' Federation, round 1: Emergency cover for a two-year guarantee
The Workers' Federation called on its 5.9 million members and their families to cancel Meridian's consumer services and protest every Saturday.
As your table chose it
Workers' Federation, round 1: National boycott of Meridian and Saturday protests
The Workers' Federation made no further public move in Parliament this round.
The Workers' Federation made no further public move on Meridian this round.

Joint (Washington + Beijing)

Decisions

Summit deal: Beijing will keep Chinese AI out of the critical systems of America's allies.
Washington will lift its sanctions on Lantern and other Chinese AI firms. Signed for each team.
(Public, summit deal form)

Questions for the Room

01 The levy is now a voluntary fund. Who pays the Transition Income gap it leaves?

02 Does the Government take the unions' staffing offer and guarantee Transition Income?

03 Reform says cuts will pay for Transition Income. Which cuts, and who loses?

04 With Lantern's offer gone, can Britain still walk away from Meridian?

05 Supplies are late and the NHS is rationing medicines. Who gets scarce supplies first?