UK government met 137 businesses over AI datacentres – but no environmental groups
An investigation by Spotlight on Corruption found that UK government officials held 137 meetings with businesses while developing AI datacentre policy, with no meetings recorded with environmental groups. The probe also identified 38 ministers, senior civil servants, and advisers who moved into AI industry roles during the same period.
Why this matters: The people who built the UK's AI infrastructure policy talked to 137 businesses and zero environmental groups. That is not a minor oversight. Datacentres consume enormous amounts of energy and water. Those costs land on communities and ecosystems, not boardrooms. On top of that, dozens of the officials who shaped this policy then took jobs in the industry they were regulating. That is the revolving door working exactly as critics describe it. The public does not get a seat at that table.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · General readers · AI governance · Policy
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