In a move that the UK Government says will “speed up the work of civil servants”, government workers are set to be given access to a suite of tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI), recently named Humphrey. The UK’s proposals are all part of the government’s ongoing drive to overhaul digital services. Two of the digital tools which could provide the upgrade include apps that will now store several government documents, including digital driving licenses.
Critics have argued against the choice of name, however, remarking that the selection of “Humphrey” after Yes, Minister’s scheming parliamentary trouper, Sir Humphrey Appleby, is an ill-conceived decision. Tim Flagg, chief operating officer of trade body UKAI, believes that the choice of name risks damaging the government’s credibility in its bid to make Britain an AI powerhouse. He warns that many will view the ‘Humphrey’ suite to be more about control than empowerment.
The decision to launch Humphrey is part of the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. The plan involves the use of generative AI models, with Consult and Parlex included as part of the suite. The UK Government states that Consult can summarise the responses of members of the public in reply to public calls for information. The government claims that this is currently being done through the support of expensive external consultants who “bill the taxpayer £100,000 or more, every time.” Parlex is designed to help policymakers search through parliamentary debate records around certain topics, and to predict potential political pitfalls as a result.
The UK Government claims that Humphrey and the AI suite will save taxpayers money. Peter Kyle, Science and technology secretary, believes the suite will empower civil servants and create a more efficient process. Tim Flagg adds that although there may be uncertainty and concern around the naming of the AI suite, he remains confident that the UK Government will continue to create impactful products developed by high-quality software engineers
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