Krux
February 21, 2026
OpenAI and Microsoft Join UK's £27M AI Safety Push
Published: February 21, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Updated: February 21, 2026 at 3:43 AM
100-word summary
OpenAI and Microsoft have officially joined the UK's AI Security Institute's international coalition to keep AI development safe and under human control. The Alignment Project, a UK-led initiative, now boasts over £27 million in funding supporting roughly 60 research projects across eight countries. OpenAI is chipping in £5.6 million, joining partners like Anthropic, AWS, and Canada's CIFAR. Think of it as a global insurance policy: researchers get grants, computing power, and mentorship to ensure future AI systems don't go rogue. With a second funding round opening this summer, the coalition aims to build public trust and enable safer AI deployment in critical services worldwide.
What happened
OpenAI and Microsoft have officially joined the UK's AI Security Institute's international coalition to keep AI development safe and under human control. The Alignment Project, a UK-led initiative, now boasts over £27 million in funding supporting roughly 60 research projects across eight countries. OpenAI is chipping in £5.6 million, joining partners like Anthropic, AWS, and Canada's CIFAR. Think of it as a global insurance policy: researchers get grants, computing power, and mentorship to ensure future AI systems don't go rogue.
Why it matters
With a second funding round opening this summer, the coalition aims to build public trust and enable safer AI deployment in critical services worldwide.