Yes, Minister character is government's new AI assistant

Government workers volition soon beryllium fixed entree to a acceptable of tools powered by artificial quality (AI), named aft a scheming parliamentary authoritative from the classical sitcom Yes, Minister.

The authorities says the assistants - called Humphrey - volition "speed up the enactment of civilian servants" and prevention wealth by replacing currency that would person been spent connected consultants.

But the determination to sanction the AI aft Sir Humphrey Appleby, a quality described as "devious and controlling", has raised eyebrows.

Tim Flagg, main operating serviceman of commercialized assemblage UKAI, said the sanction risks "undermining" the government's ngo to clasp the tech.

Science and exertion caput Peter Kyle volition denote much integer tools aboriginal connected Tuesday, including 2 apps which volition store authorities documents, including digital driving licenses.

The announcement is portion of the government's overhaul of integer services and comes aft their AI Opportunities Action Plan announced past week.

"Humphrey for maine is simply a sanction which is precise associated with the Machiavellian quality from Yes, Minister," says Mr Flagg from UKAI, which represents the AI sector.

"That instantly makes radical who aren't successful that cardinal Whitehall bureau deliberation that this is thing which is not going to beryllium empowering and not going to beryllium helping them."

Most of the tools successful the Humphrey suite are generative AI models - successful this case, exertion which takes ample amounts of accusation and summarises it successful a much digestible format - to beryllium utilized by the civilian service.

Among them is Consult, which summarises people's responses to nationalist calls for information.

The authorities says this is presently done by costly outer consultants who measure the payer "around £100,000 each time."

Parlex, which the authorities says helps policymakers hunt done erstwhile parliamentary debates connected a definite topic, is described by The Times arsenic "designed to debar catastrophic governmental rows by predicting however MPs volition respond".

Other changes announced see much businesslike information sharing betwixt departments.

"I deliberation the authorities is doing the close thing," says Mr Flagg.

"They bash person immoderate bully developers - I person each assurance they are going to beryllium creating a large product."