AI Tool ‘Consult’: Transforming Government Public Consultation Analysis
Governments receive vast amounts of feedback through public consultations, a process crucial for informing policy but often time-consuming and expensive to analyze. The UK government is exploring innovative solutions, including leveraging Artificial Intelligence, to streamline this process and improve efficiency.
What is Consult?
At the forefront of this initiative is a new AI tool named ‘Consult’. Developed as part of a larger AI toolkit called ‘Humphrey’, Consult is designed specifically to analyze public consultation responses. Its goal is to quickly wade through large volumes of feedback, understand the public’s sentiment, and identify key themes and concerns using generative AI. The aim is to free up civil servants from manual analysis tasks and reduce reliance on external contractors, potentially saving millions of pounds.
A Successful Trial in Scotland
Consult recently underwent its first significant trial with the Scottish Government, tasked with analyzing public opinion on regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures. The tool processed responses from over 2,000 people and successfully extracted main themes and concerns. Crucially, its findings were remarkably similar to those arrived at by human officials after manual review. While the Scottish Government still conducted a full manual review for this initial trial, the results demonstrated Consult’s promising capability.
Efficiency and Fairness: The Potential Benefits
The successful trial highlights the significant potential benefits of deploying Consult more widely. Officials reported that the tool “saved [them] a heck of a lot of time” and allowed them to “get to the analysis and draw out what’s needed next” much faster. The government runs around 500 consultations annually, and if Consult performs as expected, it could save officials a staggering 75,000 days of analysis per year. Beyond efficiency, some civil servants also noted that the tool brought a new level of fairness by reducing potential unconscious bias in interpreting feedback.
Expert Perspectives and Cautions
While the potential is exciting, experts emphasize the need for caution and careful implementation. Stuart Harvey, CEO of Datactics, highlights that “AI is only as good as the data behind it” and stresses the importance of accurate, up-to-date, and well-managed data to ensure fair and reliable outcomes. He also underscores the need for transparency, strong governance, and keeping humans involved in key decisions. Professor Michael Rovatsos from the University of Edinburgh echoes concerns about AI biases and potential manipulation, calling for robust safeguards and ongoing investment. Stuart Munton from AND Digital adds that successful adoption requires investing in equipping public sector teams with the necessary skills and training to work effectively with AI tools.
Looking Ahead
Despite being in the trial phase, the UK government is ambitious about rolling out Consult. Following its promising results, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle announced plans to implement Consult within his own department and across others in Whitehall soon, with a goal to have it working across various departments by the end of 2025. This move is part of a broader strategy to build a leaner, more responsive government and achieve significant productivity savings.
Conclusion
The introduction of tools like Consult represents a significant step towards modernizing government operations and improving how public feedback is processed. By automating the initial, time-consuming analysis, AI can potentially free up civil servants to focus on strategic thinking and policy development, leading to more informed and responsive governance. However, as experts rightly point out, the success and trustworthiness of these AI deployments hinge on robust data practices, clear governance, continued human oversight, and investment in human skills. If implemented thoughtfully, AI tools like Consult have the potential to transform how governments listen to and act upon the voices of their citizens.
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