The UK government is trialling a new approach to handling the vast number of responses received during public consultations, employing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool for the first time in the country. This innovative tool was recently put to the test, sifting through public comments on botox and lip fillers submitted as part of a Scottish government consultation.
Officials deployed the AI tool, dubbed “Consult” and part of a planned set of government AI tools collectively known as “Humphrey,” to analyse 2,000 submissions. The results were remarkably similar to those produced by human experts performing the same task. This success suggests that Consult could significantly reduce the time civil servants spend on these labour-intensive tasks, potentially saving taxpayers an estimated £20 million.
Public consultations can often generate tens of thousands of responses. Consult demonstrated its ability to identify key themes within the submissions and efficiently count and catalogue answers. While the AI performed the initial analysis, human experts remained involved throughout, checking the tool’s work at each stage to ensure accuracy.
Following the successful trial, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle indicated that Humphrey tools, including Consult, would be rolled out across government “very soon.” The government anticipates that wider adoption of AI technology across the public sector could lead to savings of up to £45 billion.
Addressing common concerns about AI, officials stated that because Consult’s task was relatively focused, issues like “hallucination” (the AI inventing information) were not expected to be a major problem. Furthermore, experts working with Consult found that it actually helped to reduce overall bias by removing the opportunity for individual human analysts to project their own preconceived ideas onto the data.
The tool has also been tested to handle language containing spelling mistakes and other errors, though it currently only works in English, requiring translation for responses in other languages spoken in the UK like Welsh. The government stressed that despite the use of AI, there would always be “humans in the loop” overseeing the process. More evaluation is planned before a final decision on wider rollout.
This trial marks a significant step towards leveraging AI to enhance efficiency and reduce costs in government processes, paving the way for further innovation in public administration.
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