Computer Says Maybe The Vaporstate: Buy Blair, Sell AI
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Jan 30, 2026 Beatriz Ramalda Silva, investigative reporter focused on tech and AI accountability. Daniel Howden, investigative journalist who leads systems-level inquiries. They dig into Larry Ellison funding the Tony Blair Institute and how that shifted it toward selling Oracle-backed AI and digital ID projects. They trace projects in Rwanda, Kenya and NHS data ambitions, and unpack the political and commercial reach of tech-for-government programs.
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Blair's AI Narrative Outpaced Evidence
- Tony Blair's Tony Blair Institute (TBI) pushed AI narratives using flimsy evidence like asking ChatGPT about civil service tasks.
- That rhetorical power masked weak methods and accelerated an AI-centric policy agenda.
Persistent Reporting Breaks Organizational Secrecy
- Journalists should persistently build trust with insiders despite NDAs to expose systems-level risks.
- Use coordinated, regional reporting and repeated outreach to break through organizational secrecy.
Funding Shifted TBI Toward Tech Sales
- After Larry Ellison's funding arrived, TBI shifted from bespoke development work to selling Oracle technology.
- Internal staff described the organization becoming closely enmeshed with Oracle sales operations.
