'Yes, Minister’ sitcom character Sir Humphrey repurposed for AI age in UK

London, Jan 21 (PTI) The British government on Tuesday unveiled a new plan to better leverage technology, including a character from the classic sitcom ‘Yes, Minister’ being repurposed for the artificial intelligence (AI) era to streamline public services.

A new bundle of AI tools has been nicknamed "Humphrey" in a nod to Sir Humphrey Appleby, the quintessential British bureaucrat in the 1980s political satire depicted on screen by actor Nigel Hawthorne. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the tools will be available to civil servants in an effort to modernise tech, deliver better public services and speed up work while cutting back on consultant spending.

“Sluggish technology has hampered our public services for too long, and it’s costing us all a fortune in time and money; not to mention the headaches and stresses we’re left with after being put on hold or forced to take a trip to fill out a form,” said Science Secretary Peter Kyle.

“We will use technology to bear down hard on the nonsensical approach the public sector takes to sharing information and working together to help the people it serves. We will also end delays businesses face when they are applying for licenses or permits, when they just want to get on with the task in hand – growth. This is just the start,” he said.

According to DSIT, a tool called ‘Consult’ within the Humphrey AI bundle will analyse thousands of responses any government consultation might receive in hours, before presenting policymakers and experts with interactive dashboards to explore what the public are saying directly. Currently, this process is outsourced to consultants and analysts who can take months to consolidate responses, before billing the taxpayer around GBP 100,000 every time, DSIT said.

A set of other Humphrey tools already in use or in trial phase include: -- Parlex: a tool to help policymakers search through and analyse decades of debate from both Houses of Parliament, so they can shape their thinking and better manage parliamentary bills.

-- Minute: a “secure” AI transcription service for meetings, producing customisable summaries in the formats that public servants need.

-- Redbox: a generative AI tool designed specifically to help civil servants with day-to-day tasks, like summarising policy and preparing briefings.

-- Lex: a tool which helps officials research the law by providing analysis and summarisation of relevant laws for specific, complex issues.

Under the department's tech-friendly plans, a new DSIT team will cut across Whitehall government departments to join up public services and overhaul how it delivers digital services.

“Outdated technology is holding us back. Sluggish manual processes mean people don’t get the help they need quickly enough. That’s why we want to use the latest AI technologies to bring Jobcentres into the 21st century, giving our brilliant staff the tools they need to offer more personalised services to jobseekers,” said Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall.

“We’ve already set out plans to transform the NHS App so patients can choose providers and book appointments, and we’re harnessing artificial intelligence to deliver faster and smarter care across the country,” added Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting.

It follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement last week that he wants to “make Britain the world leader” by unleashing the potential of AI across all sectors of government. PTI AK SCY SCY