What GCHQ does
GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) is the UK’s intelligence and security agency responsible for signals intelligence and cyber and security work. Its stated mission is to help keep the UK safe, resilient and prosperous, using technical expertise, analysis, and disruption against threats in both the real world and online. GCHQ operates under UK intelligence/security legislation and is accountable through UK oversight structures. It also hosts and runs the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the UK’s technical authority on cyber security, and supports national cyber-defence and resilience efforts through programmes that engage government, industry, and academia.
In the AI-related domain, GCHQ publicly describes work that focuses on how AI capabilities should be considered for national security and cyber defence, including research partnerships and policy/ethics approaches to emerging technology risks. Strategically, GCHQ positions its role as combining intelligence assessment, technical capability, and partner collaboration to “see around corners” against rapidly changing threats, including hybrid threats and rapidly evolving technology.