{"id":209181,"date":"2024-03-01T03:24:37","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T03:24:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/01\/uk-government-set-to-trial-red-box-tool-to-cut-civil-service-jobs\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:21:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:21:25","slug":"uk-government-set-to-trial-red-box-tool-to-cut-civil-service-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/01\/uk-government-set-to-trial-red-box-tool-to-cut-civil-service-jobs\/","title":{"rendered":"UK government set to trial “red box” tool to cut civil service jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The UK Government<\/a> has started championing the use of AI<\/a> to replace the roles usually held by civil servants. According to the Financial Times<\/a>, Oliver Dowden, the UK Deputy Prime Minister, is preparing to roll out a \u2018red box\u2019 tool in order to automate some of the tasks that are usually done by civil servants.<\/span><\/p>\n

Introducing the \u2018red box\u2019<\/h2>\n

According to the outlet, the \u2018red box\u2019 tool absorbs and summarizes information from sources like the parliamentary record. It\u2019s also reported that a second, similar tool is being tested to complete work like individualized responses to parliamentary inquiries. <\/span><\/p>\n

These types of tasks, Dowden adds, would usually take up to three months with 25 civil servants \u2014 and while we don\u2019t know how long it takes with these AI tools by comparison, it\u2019s probably safe to assume that it speeds things up considerably. But don\u2019t worry, everyone hasn\u2019t lost their mind just yet \u2014 reportedly, this tool will be used in conjunction with human sourcing rather than replacing it entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt really is the only way, I think, if we want to get on a sustainable path to headcount reduction,\u201d Dowden is quoted by the Telegraph<\/a> as saying. \u201cRemember how much the size of the Civil Service has grown as a result of the pandemic and EU exit preparedness. We need to really embrace this stuff to drive the numbers down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He added that according to a recent report from the IPPR think tank; the Government is estimated to save up to \u00a324 billion using AI.<\/p>\n

But while the Government is plowing \u00a3110 million into this initiative, not everyone is so confident.<\/p>\n

John O\u2019Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers\u2019 Alliance, told the Telegraph: \u201cMinisters shouldn\u2019t be waiting for technological innovations to deal with the bloated bureaucracy; they should roll up their sleeves and deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Featured Image: Photo by George Dolgikh; Pexels<\/a>
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