AI 1,000 times faster than civil servant, UK tests

An artificial intelligence tool called Consult has passed tests led by the Scottish government and will be rolled out to public offices across the UK, the Herald reported on Wednesday. The technology is 1,000 times faster than civil servants and will save £20m a year.

In a pilot test, Consult was used to analyse responses from members of the public to a Scottish government public consultation on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as lip augmentation and laser hair removal.

The UK government said the results obtained using AI technology were "almost identical" to those collected by human experts, paving the way for wider deployment of the tool.

The tool is to be used to analyse opinions during public consultations, of which around 500 are held nationwide each year. It has been estimated that its introduction will save civil servants 75,000 days of work when they would have done their duties manually. The savings will amount to around £20 million per year. It added that using Consult also eliminates the risk of civil servants making biased decisions.

Consult is part of a suite of AI tools called Humphrey that the UK government is currently using to speed up the work of civil servants, reduce the time spent on administrative tasks and cut administration costs.

The British daily "Guardian" reported that although Consult is still in the testing phase, it could be implemented in UK public offices by the end of 2025. (PAP)

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