Artificial intelligence (AI) could save UK public workers 23 million hours of admin per week, according to new research.
A study by Microsoft and Dr Chris Brauer, Goldsmiths from the University of London found that AI could save more than four hours per week on administrative tasks per staff member across all public sectors.
With an estimated 5.93 million public sector employees in the UK, as of December 2023, this equates to an overall saving of 23 million hours, every week, it said.
More than half of UK public sector workers say admin burden is negatively impacting their effectiveness and motivation. A report from the Alan Turing Institute in March suggested AI could help automate around 84 percent of repetitive transactions across 200 government services.
However, a survey by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that while 70 percent of government bodies were piloting and planning AI use cases, the technology is not yet widely used across government.
Government departments are required to create AI adoption plans by June 2024, but the NAO said that as of autumn 2023, just over a third (37 percent) of the 87 government bodies have deployed AI, with typically one or two use cases in each.
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Admin burden impacting staff performance and morale
The new research is based on surveys of more than 1,000 public sector workers. It reveals that managing information and data is the admin task that takes the biggest proportion of time across the public sector, with each worker spending, on average, more than eight hours doing so every week.
The sheer amount of administrative work is significantly impacting staff performance and morale, it noted.
- 45 percent of public sector respondents say they are ‘drowning in unnecessary administrative tasks’ and that this high administrative workload is negatively affecting their mental health and wellbeing.
- 55 percent say the amount of admin work is having a negative impact on their ability to get on with their day job, and 54 percent feel this is reducing their job satisfaction and motivation.
- Half of respondents also say high admin workloads are compromising the quality of service they provide (48 percent) and limits the time they can spend with the public or patients (49 percent).
As such, 57 percent of all public sector staff say they would prefer to spend less time on administrative tasks, with more than half (52 percent) feeling like they are always playing catch up, due to the amount of admin.
“Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) mark an inflection point for public sector organisations across the world,” said Dr Brauer. “Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) have the transformative potential to reshape government operations and redefine the future of public service delivery. Governments cannot afford to remain frozen as AI transforms the world around us.”
Key recommendations for the next Government
The report also offers seven key recommendations for the next Government, which would broaden and strengthen the adoption of AI throughout the public sector:
- Establish a National AI Delivery Centre: Create a centralised unit within Whitehall focused on driving AI adoption across government departments. This centre would pool expertise and resources from government, academia, and industry to develop scalable AI solutions.
- Declare ‘AI for All’ Principles: Introduce a set of guiding principles to ensure all public sector employees benefit from AI while being protected from potential risks. This declaration would emphasise the need for AI literacy and continuous learning.
- Implement a Comprehensive Upskilling Strategy: Develop a holistic approach to upskilling the public sector workforce. This strategy would target public sector leaders, employees, and the general public, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
- Unlock the Power of Public Sector Data: Break down data silos and treat data as a strategic asset. This involves modernising data infrastructure and promoting data sharing across government entities to enable seamless AI integration.
- Reimagine Procurement Processes: Update procurement mechanisms to prioritize AI technologies. An AI-First policy would ensure the acquisition of cutting-edge technologies that drive transformative change while adhering to ethical standards.
- Accelerate Local Government AI Adoption: Support local authorities in scaling successful public-private partnership models. This involves creating networks of ‘change agents’ who can drive AI adoption and share best practices.
- Maximise Economic Opportunities: Update the Treasury’s approach to strategically invest in AI technologies across the public sector. This includes introducing an AI Transformation Mandate for all departments to identify and implement AI opportunities.
