The UK government is looking to develop new Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems internally, according to Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart. This approach contrasts with previous outsourcing to tech firms to develop AI solutions, which resulted in high-profile IT procurement mishaps, such as the Post Office Horizon system. Burghart claimed that many “high-end” AI professionals were willing to take pay cuts in exchange for the opportunity to work for the government. A team of 30 experts is being recruited to help improve productivity and cut waste across government departments.
Burghart stated that he was hopeful of acquiring more funds from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, in the upcoming Spring Budget, to develop AI systems that could reduce fraud and error. The cabinet office is working on an “AI red box” which is a system designed to read and summarise important documents by highlighting connections between papers, particularly ones from previous years. The digital briefcase is being tested by several ministers and will be offered to all colleagues once the fine-tuning process is complete.
The minister praised the use of AI in reducing the need to employ thousands of individuals to detect fraud, indicating a possible future reduction in the number of civil service employees. “We may not need to employ thousands of people to do fraud detection in the future,” he said. “I hope that that’s something that we can make infinitely easier and cheaper for the British public. As we master this technology, you can certainly envisage a future in which you have a smaller civil service than you have today.
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