The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has said artificial intelligence (AI) can help reduce the workforce in government departments by almost 40%. The suggestion was given in a policy paper this week by the think tank.

The report suggests that £10 billion a year could be saved by adopting AI across the public sector. The institute said the target could be met by the time the current government ends its tenure. The paper also suggests that savings could reach £34 billion by the end of the next parliament. AI will also help in reducing the backlogs by automating and streamlining processes across different sectors.

DWP could be the most potential department to leverage AI, says Tony Blair

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change said that the UK’s public sector can save 20% of the workforce’s working hours on average. However, the report identified the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) as a potential candidate for 40% time-saving.

The reasons stated for more time savings are the department’s dependence on physical paperwork and forms, along with errors and fraud, as they put a dent of £9 billion in public welfare annually. The AI systems working at the back end can help in pointing out benefits fraud. It is important to remember that the financial sector is already using the technology for the same purpose.

Mr Blair said in an interview on BBC’s Today show, that

“Government’s all about the process. You can automate a lot of these processes.”

The ex-prime minister continued, in the case of DWP, that the institute had taken a deep look with the help of a UK-based AI company, and together, they came to a conclusion of 40% time saving and automating tasks. He said this would also help the department serve people better.

Some analysts consider 40% time-saving a broader claim

The institute also noted that AI assistants can also help in matching people claiming benefits with suitable jobs. AI systems can also be utilized to train and advise potential candidates.

Bill Conner, CEO of Jitterbit, said the 40% figure is acceptable, according to a Yahoo news report. Conner is also a former adviser of the security service GCHQ. The Government Communication Headquarters is a British intelligence and security organization responsible for providing signals intelligence and information assurance to the UK government.

Connor said that AI is a powerful tool for integrating systems and automating processes. He added that large organizations usually have around 1000 apps, but only 28% of them are integrated. He noted that AI can have unexpected effects as it can increase work rather than saving time if implemented in a wrong way.

Dr Clare Walsh has a different opinion. She said, broader claims such as the one made by Mr. Blair should be viewed with skepticism. Dr Walsh said that reducing 40% of the public sector work load with AI in theory is similar to numbers quoted in a famous Oxford study published 10 years ago. She asserted that according to the Oxford study most of today’s works would have been executed by machines but that did not happen.

Dr Walsh also highlighted that submitting government information to computers across the border is a risky affair. She said, government will have no rights over the data once submitted to the AI system abroad, where it could be accessed by millions of customers including criminals.

The think tank also suggested appointing chief productivity officers in all government departments. The report also suggests ministers create a mission control center to direct the AI adoption policy.

Cryptopolitan reporting by Aamir Sheikh