AI revolution at risk from creaking IT systems

PLANS to slash public spending by replacing civil servants with artificial intelligence (AI) are at risk because of creaking government IT systems, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.

The public spending watchdog said “ageing IT infrastructure” would need to be addressed to realise the benefits of AI, adding that a lack of experts could also hold the Government back.

Ministers have outlined plans to save billions of pounds for the taxpayer by accelerating the roll-out of AI in areas such as the NHS and policing.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last week unveiled £3.4bn of investment to boost productivity in the NHS, which will include significant funding for AI.

Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, said the technology is the only way to significantly cut the number of people employed in the civil service.

However, the NAO found that AI adoption in the public sector was at an early stage and in many cases, departments lacked plans for introducing it.

Of the 89 Government bodies surveyed by the watchdog, just over a third – 37pc – said they were using AI.

Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: “To deliver these improved outcomes, government needs to make sure its overall programme for AI adoption tackles long-standing issues, including data quality and ageing IT, as well as builds in effective governance of the risks.

“Without prompt action to address barriers to making effective use of AI within public services, government will not secure the benefits it has identified.”

AI systems require access to large amounts of data, and may be incompatible with slow and out-of-date public IT systems that are based on obsolete versions of computer software.

The NAO said that failures to invest meant a “legacy IT infrastructure debt” had built up over time, leaving the Government with systems that were “risky, inefficient and costly to run”.

The NAO said the biggest challenge was recruiting and retaining staff with salaries for AI experts soaring, often making it difficult for the public sector to compete.

A government spokesman said: “As the deputy prime minister set out in his speech on AI for public good, artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionise public services and boost productivity. We have invested over £3.5bn in the technology in the last 10 years and are more than doubling the ‘Incubator for AI’ team, recruiting the best of British talent to drive AI integration.”