AI tools aim to roam mountains of government feedback and understand what the public is trying to say.
UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:
The digital assistant, appropriately named “Consult,” has just done his first major test with the Scottish government.
The Scottish government has cast consultations on the deep edge and asked to understand public opinion about regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as lip fillers and laser hair removal. The consultation returned with almost identical findings to what human officials had stitched together.
Now, the plan is to deploy this technology to various government sectors. The current way of doing things is expensive and slow. Millions of pounds often go to external contractors just to analyze what the public is thinking.
Consultation is part of a bigger push to build a more lean and responsive UK government without having to beat the bank or take ages to do it.
So how did it carry in Scotland? Please share answers from over 2,000 people. Using Generated AI, it involves selecting your main theme and bubbling from feedback across six key questions.
Of course, no consultation was left entirely on its own device. Scottish government experts double-checked and tweaked these initial themes. The AI then returned to work and divided the individual responses into these categories. It has become a more valuable time for authorities to consider what people are saying and what it means for policy.
This was the first live out of consultation, and the Scottish government experienced all the reactions by hand. Understanding exactly what someone means in a written comment and determining which “theme” it suits can be a bit subjective. Even humans don’t always agree.
When the government compared the handiwork of consultation with human analysis, AI was mostly correct. If there was a difference, they were very minor and didn’t change the whole picture of what mattered most to people.
Consultation is part of a larger AI toolkit called “Humphrey.” This is a suite of digital helpers designed to free civil servants from managers and reduce the bills of those contractors. It’s all part of an epic vision of using technology to reduce public services, aiming to find £45 billion for productivity savings. The goal is a more agile government that is better at providing a “plan of change” that we keep listening to.
“After showing such promising results, Humphrey will help reduce the costs of governance and provide a simple collection and comprehensive review of what experts and the public are telling us about the scope of important issues,” Kyle added.
“The Scottish government has taken a bold first step, and will soon use consultations in their own departments within Humphrey, and other departments in Whitehall.
In Scotland, Public Health Minister Jenni Mint said: “Using this tool has been extremely beneficial for the Scottish government to understand more quickly what people want to hear and the scope of the respondents’ opinions.
“I am confident that using this tool, the Scottish government could more quickly focus on policy questions, jump into the details of the evidence presented, and have heard strong views expressed by the respondents.”
Of course, like many AI deployments in government, it is still in the early stages and consultations are formally still in the court stage. The cards are being tested with more numbers to ensure that they are working as needed before any major decisions on a full deployment are made.
But the possibilities here are enormous. The government holds around 500 consultations each year. If the consultation lives up to that promise, the authorities can save an astounding 75,000 days of analysis each year.
And what did you think of the first civil servants who worked in consulting? They reportedly were “pleasantly surprised,” finding the initial analysis of AI as a “useful starting point.” Others rave about it being “saving a lot of time” and made it faster “reaching the analysis and pulling out what you need next.”
Interestingly, they also felt that consultation brought a new level of fairness to the table. As one formula stated, its use “deprives bias and deprives more consistency.” It prevents individual analysts from unconsciously colouring their discoveries.
Some consultations have received hundreds of thousands of responses. Given how well these early tests have consulted, it will not take long for these large consultations to be used.
It is worth noting that humans are not being kicked out of the loop. Consultations are built to maintain professionals to maintain stages at every stage. Officials always review the themes AI proposes and how it sorts the responses. They have an interactive dashboard to play together, so they filter and search for specific insights. It’s about AI doing heavy lifting, so humans can think smartly.
Experts caution about the use of AI in government
This government move towards AI is not happening in a vacuum, so experts are watching closely.
Stuart Harvey, CEO of Dataactics, commented: “Using AI to speed up public consultations is a great example of how technology can improve efficiency and save money. But AI is just as good as the data behind it.
“People need to trust decisions made in AI. This means ensuring that the process is clear, well governed and ethical. If the data is messy or untreated, it can lead to biased or unreliable outcomes.
“As governments expand their use of AI in public services, it is important to invest in strong data practices. This includes building clear and consistent data systems, ensuring data access is available for reviews, and maintaining people involved in important decisions, particularly when it comes to communications from the public.”
This sentiment is reflected by scholars. For example, Professor Michael Lobatos of the University of Edinburgh not only acknowledges the benefits, but also wisely warns of the risk of AI bias and the possibility that these tools will be manipulated. He calls for strict protection measures and ongoing investment to ensure that the AI tools used by the government remain reliable and fair.
Stuart Munton added at Group Operations and Digital’s Chief: “Using AI to speed up government public consultations is a welcome step towards smarter and more efficient public services. But as AI adoption grows, we need to ensure that not only technology but people are at the heart of this transformation.”
“Tools like these reach their full potential only when they invest in equipping public sector teams with the right skills and training. Working with diverse talents with AI will not only improve the performance of these tools, but also ensure that innovation is inclusive of real needs.”
If done correctly with these expert warnings in mind, AI tools like consultations could improve the way governments listen, learn and create policies based on public opinion. The British government is not hanging. The plan is to consult with various departments by the end of 2025.
(Photo by Scott Rodgerson)
Reference: US Slam Brakes of AI Diffusion Rules, Harden Chip Export Curb
Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out the AI & Big Data Expo in Amsterdam, California and London. The comprehensive event will be held in collaboration with other major events, including the Intelligent Automation Conference, Blockx, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.
Check out other upcoming Enterprise Technology events and webinars with TechForge here.
