AI could save the public sector billions — if it is willing to open up

• Generative AI could save the public sector billions in the next 5 years
• More routine tasks could be automated to free up time for creatives
• More than half of public sector jobs will be changed in some way in coming years

New research has revealed the UK public sector could save billions in expenditure by fully embracing generative AI technology.

The ‘AI & The Public Sector’ commissioned by Google Cloud has highlighted the ways the public sector could save around £38bn over the next 5 years by adopting more GenAI adoption.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the report predicts that ‘automating routine tasks’ will be the future of AI tools in the workplace, and that over a third of daily tasks in the public sector could be performed by generative AI.

A new way forward

The report rightly points out many public sector organizations are under huge pressure, with 61% of public administration workers overworked, and 70% of respondents agreeing that employee morale has decreased.

To combat this, generative AI solutions should be embraced by public organizations, the report suggests. Currently, only 12% of public administrators say they have significantly deployed AI tools.

By letting generative AI automate administrative work, the public sector could unlock an extra 3.7 million GP appointments, the equivalent of 160,000 police officers, and a 16% increase in student to teacher ratio – a cumulative value of £358bn by 2034. This would free up 8.3% of the budget for re-investment into our public services, the report says.

“Now the digital centre of government, my department is testing how we can put AI to work in the public sector, whether that’s speeding up finding information on GOV.UK or empowering teachers by reducing administrative burdens, allowing them to dedicate more time to what they do best,” said UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.

Job augmentation

Over half of public sector jobs (56%) are likely to be ‘augmented’ in some way by AI adoption, the report claims, optimistically predicting workers will be allowed more time for creative focus.

Even with full AI…