Research suggests that AI implementation could transform the UK public sector.
- AI technology may save UK public workers up to 23 million hours weekly in administrative tasks.
- Public sector employees experience negative impacts on motivation and wellbeing due to administrative burdens.
- AI could significantly improve service delivery within critical public services roles, including healthcare and education.
- Recommendations have been proposed to expand AI utilisation across government departments.
Research commissioned by Microsoft has highlighted the substantial administrative responsibilities that encumber the UK’s public sector workforce, drawing them away from essential service delivery. According to the analysis by Dr Chris Brauer of Goldsmiths University, AI could potentially save over four hours of administrative work per staff member each week. With an estimated 5.93 million public sector employees in the UK as of December 2023, this represents a total saving of 23 million hours weekly.
The implications extend across various specialist roles. For doctors, an estimated saving of four hours per week in administrative duties translates into 149,596 hours collectively across the sector. Meanwhile, nurses could benefit from an additional five hours per week, amounting to a substantial 1.8 million hours saved. Teachers, facing their own set of administrative demands, might expect to gain two hours weekly, totalling 936,742 hours, while police officers could recoup 6.5 hours, or 1.1 million hours in total.
The report outlines numerous detrimental effects caused by excessive administrative workloads. A significant proportion, 45%, of public sector respondents report being overwhelmed by unnecessary administrative tasks, which adversely affect their mental health and overall wellbeing. Additionally, more than half of the respondents feel the volume of administrative work negatively impacts their day-to-day responsibilities and diminishes job satisfaction. These burdens also impair service quality and limit interaction time with the public or patients.
In response to this, Dr Chris Brauer describes the rapid advancements in AI as a pivotal moment for public sector organisations globally. The report provides seven strategic recommendations to enhance AI adoption across UK government departments. These include establishing a National AI Delivery Centre to centralise AI adoption efforts and create ‘AI for All’ guiding principles that benefit all public sector employees while ensuring protection from risks.
Further strategies involve implementing comprehensive upskilling initiatives for public sector workers, treating data as a strategic asset by dismantling existing data silos, and reimagining procurement processes to favour AI technologies. The report also encourages local governments to foster innovative public-private partnership models and calls for the Treasury to adapt its investment strategies, aligning with the outlined AI Transformation Mandate to identify and execute AI opportunities.
With strategic investment and adoption of AI, the UK public sector stands poised to enhance service delivery efficiencies, thereby improving overall public service outcomes.
