The UK civil service is expanding its use of artificial intelligence, with government departments such as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC potentially containing more AI agents than human officials. This move is reportedly driven by a ministerial belief that AI can help reduce civil service jobs.
Civil service unions have expressed concerns that the government is moving too quickly. Research by the Fabian Society indicates that only 29% of those surveyed had been consulted about AI tools in their workplace.
Before its abolition, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) reportedly had plans for AI to eventually replace almost every departing civil servant in that department. The DWP is also experimenting with AI to identify supposedly high-risk Universal Credit claims, though it insists humans retain final decision-making power and AI does not determine entitlement.
Despite reassurances from AI minister Kanishka Narayan, the Public Accounts Committee has stated that inadequate transparency and weak standards on AI are jeopardising public trust in the civil service.