A new UK government-built AI tool called Consult has delivered an impressive example of how artificial intelligence can save time, money, and effort — all while improving public services.
When the Independent Water Commission (IWC) sought public feedback on the future of the water sector, more than 50,000 people responded. Traditionally, sorting through that many responses would take teams of analysts months of careful reading and categorization. But with Consult, it took just two hours.
The results? The AI matched human-level accuracy while potentially saving around 75,000 days of manual work every year across government — the equivalent of £20 million in staff costs.
How it worked
The AI analysed and grouped all 50,000+ responses into key themes at lightning speed, costing just £240. Human experts then spent 22 hours checking the results — far less time than the hundreds or even thousands of hours usually needed.
That freed up policy teams to focus on what really matters: understanding the issues and shaping better recommendations, rather than wading through individual comments.
To make sure the technology was trustworthy, its results were compared against two groups of expert analysts. Consult agreed with one or both of the human teams 83% of the time — notably higher than the 55% agreement rate between the two human teams themselves.
Real-world success
This isn’t Consult’s first success. Earlier in the year, it was used to help analyse responses to the Scottish government’s consultation on non-surgical cosmetics, and later to the Digital Inclusion Action Plan. In both cases, it delivered accurate, high-quality insights much faster than traditional manual methods.
Consult is part of a wider government AI programme known as ‘Humphrey’, which includes several digital tools designed to make the civil service more efficient. Together, they could save tens of thousands of working days each year — helping officials focus on improving public services rather than getting bogged down in admin.
Smarter government for the future
Digital Government Minister Ian Murray said the success of Consult shows how AI can make the state more effective and efficient:
“This shows the huge potential for technology and AI to deliver better and more efficient public services for the public and provide better value for the taxpayer.
By taking on the basic admin, Consult is giving staff time to focus on what matters – taking action to fix public services. In the process, it could save the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds”.
Another AI tool from the same programme, Redbox, helped more than 5,000 officials summarise long reports, draft briefing notes, and manage information more efficiently. Although development on Redbox has now ended, the technology has been open-sourced — and its creators are helping develop new systems, including GOV.UK Chat, a generative AI assistant soon to be tested in the GOV.UK App.
The bigger picture
With new technologies like Microsoft Copilot and other “AI Exemplars” being tested across government, officials hope these tools will help speed up planning applications, improve probation services, and make it easier to deliver change where it’s needed most.
The message is clear: AI isn’t replacing civil servants — it’s helping them work smarter, save time, and deliver better results for everyone. Photo by mikemacmarketing, Wikimedia commons.