Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes the Animal and Plant Health Agency has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

In the last 12 months, APHA have participated in a cross-government trial of Microsoft Co-pilot. The trial involved a small number of APHA staff using Microsoft Co Pilot to test functionality and identify opportunities for improving how services are delivered. Participants were from the project delivery profession and used the co-pilot software to summarise meeting actions, transcribe key points, and to develop presentations. The insights from these trials are being collated across Defra and are informing future years’ business planning conversations.