Use AI as much as you can, civil servants told in Whitehall efficiency drive

Civil servants have been told to use AI wherever possible as part of a Whitehall efficiency drive to lower costs to the taxpayer. Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told the BBC on Sunday that “no time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker and to the same high quality”. It comes as the Government plans to streamline the civil service, cutting the overall headcount and increasing the number of employees in a digital or data role. Mr McFadden said photocopiers and paper forms would be scrapped in an attempt to reduce “ government bureaucracy ” imposed on the public. AI has already been rolled out in some areas of the civil service and the Government is consulting on ways to deploy AI-powered tools in schools and the NHS. They include AI cancer scans , which could detect tumours more quickly and easily, and AI teaching assistants to help children learn. By 2029, ministers hope one in 10 civil servants will work in digital or data – double the current proportion. “It just cannot be right that in some parts of the state we’re still dealing with photocopiers or paper forms, when there are quicker, cheaper and better fixes,” Mr McFadden said. “This is going to change fast. We are pressing ahead with digitising government to save taxpayers time and money – and freeing up public servants to focus on delivery.” ‘Bang for our buck’ McFadden said the Government would not be “ideological” about civil service cuts , but that technology must be used to bring down the overall head count. “We believe in good public provision, that’s why we fought the election, saying we wanted to have more teachers in schools, more neighbourhood police officers, why we wanted to get waiting lists down,” he said. “We will be radical about this, but it’s about getting bang for our buck in terms of the outcomes for the public. It isn’t an ideological approach to stripping back the state.” He declined to give a figure for the number of civil servants who will be sacked under his reforms, telling the broadcaster: “I think the old tactic of picking a headcount number for reduction hasn’t worked.” He went on to say he believes the civil service “would and can become smaller” and said he would like to see more “working outside London”. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the plans were “weak and anaemic” compared with the plans suggested by Rishi Sunak at the last election. He said that the Conservative Party had begun cutting the Whitehall head count by 12 per cent but had been unable to complete the process after they lost the election in July.