Today’s 2-Minute UK AI Brief
30 October 2025
TL;DR — The UK government is set to enhance its cloud outage response strategy following a recent disruption affecting numerous departments.
Why it matters
- Approximately 60% of UK government services depend on cloud providers like Amazon and Microsoft.
- The recent AWS failure highlighted vulnerabilities in the UK's reliance on cloud infrastructure.
- A robust outage plan could improve the resilience of public services and maintain operational continuity.
Explainer
The UK government is responding to a significant cloud service disruption that impacted various departments, primarily due to an outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS). This incident raised concerns about the heavy reliance of UK government services on cloud computing, with around 60% of services depending on major providers such as AWS, Google, and Microsoft. In light of these vulnerabilities, the government plans to draft a comprehensive blueprint for managing future outages. This initiative aims to ensure that essential public services can continue to function smoothly during technological failures. By developing a structured response plan, the government hopes to mitigate the risks associated with cloud dependency and enhance the resilience of its digital infrastructure. This move is crucial as the UK increasingly integrates advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, into its public services.
Sources: gov.uk theguardian.com go.theregister.com ukri.org