Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the use of artificial intelligence to improve and streamline public services.

AI is at the heart of the government’s plan to transform how we deliver public services. As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Blueprint for a Modern Digital Government, both published January 2025, the UK government has a vision to support the UK’s leading position in the global AI sector through a safe, effective, efficient and ethical adoption of AI in the UK’s public sector.

DSIT has conducted some analysis of the early impact of AI in the public sector. A cross-government pilot of 20,000 civil servants found tools like Microsoft Copilot save an average of 26 minutes per person per day while a trial of AI coding assistants found that public sector engineers reported 56 minutes saved per day.

A number of trials across departments demonstrate the breadth of efficiency gains AI can deliver. Early trials of Incubator for AI’s Consult have showed a significant reduction in processing time for government consultations, while their Extract tool cuts the time needed to convert old planning documents into digital data from 1–2 hours to 40 seconds. Other efficiency gains include NHS Ambient Voice, which enables doctors to spend almost 25% more time directly interacting with patients.