AI adoption could be a major boon for the UK and save taxpayers billions, according to prime minister Keir Starmer.
Speaking at a campus in Hull, Starmer spoke about how technology will help push through much-needed digital reform in government and potentially unlock £45 billion in savings.
The prime minister said the technology represents a “golden opportunity” for the government, enabling it to bolster efficiency across a wide range of services.
“You will already be thinking about how you use it in your work, and that's an opportunity we're determined to seize,” Starmer said.
“We're going to get the best of the best on AI working across government - I'm going to send teams into every government department with a clear mission from me to make the state more innovative and more efficient,” he added.
Starmer pointed to several example of where AI could help improve productivity and efficiency, including the automation of record-keeping in probation work.
He noted that the same is true for planning applications, in which huge amounts of information need to be gathered, a task that can be completed more quickly through AI.
The PM also talked up the importance of training and apprenticeships, remarking on the importance of apprenticeship schemes and how they will bring people into the government who are skilled in AI and tech.
“We're bringing people in to do this, to transform the way that we do our business,” Starmer said.
UK public sector on brink of change
Starmer's comments are the latest in a series of commitments from the Labour government to harness the technology and drive public sector efficiency.
Earlier this month, the UK’s Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announced a reform to public sector funding that will aim to make the deployment of AI projects quicker and easier.
Before that, the UK announced sweeping changes to the state of its ‘AI Opportunity Action Plan,’ a piece of legislation designed to support and bolster AI use across the country.
RELATED WHITEPAPER
The action involved the creation of ‘AI growth zones’ in which planning permission for AI infrastructure will be fast-tracked, as well as a focus on how AI can drive efficiency in the public sector in administration.
Research from Google Cloud in November last year estimated that AI and automation may be able to save the UK government £38 billion in staff time and costs by 2030.
MORE FROM ITPRO
- ‘Archaic’ legacy tech is crippling public sector productivity
- Clunky tech means public sector staff work 30 million hours extra each year
- Restrictive software licensing means UK public sector bodies are overpaying millions each year
-
Red Hat eyes tighter data controls with sovereign support for EU customersNews The company's new offering will see support delivered entirely by EU citizens in the region
-
Is enterprise agentic AI adoption matching the hype?In-depth Despite reassurance and encouragement from vendors, many companies are putting their agentic AI plans on hold
-
Microsoft and Nvidia are teaming up again to support UK startupsNews Agentic Launchpad will offer participants AI expertise, training and networking, and marketing support
-
AI resume screening, recruiter chatbots, and ‘ghost jobs’ are causing havoc for struggling entry-level workersNews A new report shows employers are cutting back on entry-level hiring, but expect things to improve eventually
-
Microsoft’s huge AI spending still has investors sweating despite solid cloud growthNews Capital spending at Microsoft continues to surge, despite previous claims it would cool down
-
Analysts warn AI layoffs could spark a new wave of offshoring – enterprises are rehiring after workforce cuts, but either outsourcing or at lower rates of payNews Analysts expect a wave of rehiring next year in the wake of AI layoffs. That may sound like good news for workers, but it'll probably involve offshoring or outsourcing.
-
UK firms are pouring money into AI, but they won’t see a return on investment unless they address these key issuesNews An SAP report projects increased AI investment, but cautions that too many organizations are taking a fragmented approach
-
Employee ‘task crafting' could be the key to getting the most out of AINews Tweaking roles to make the most of AI makes you more engaged at work
-
Salesforce could become the king of enterprise AI – but only if customers believe in its potentialAnalysis At Dreamforce 2025, Salesforce painted a believable picture for enterprise AI, but shareholders will only be reassured by greater business buy-in
-
OpenAI has a bold plan to pay for its $1 trillion spending spree: Ads, personal assistants, and cheaper subscriptionsNews OpenAI has lined up more than $1 trillion in spending – and now it's trying to figure out how to pay for it all.
