UK Government & AI: Guidance, Training & Resources for Civil and Public Servants

📅 Timeline of significant government AI announcements and events over the past 24 months  

June 2023
Initial guidance on use of generative AI published for civil servants. 

 

November 2023
AI Safety Summit and Institute 

• Bletchley Declaration – signed by 28 countries. 

• • Emphasises international cooperation to manage AI risks. 

• AI Safety Institute (now AI Security Institute) 

• • Created to evaluate the safety of advanced AI models.  

• • Initial £100 million funding.  

• • Now a directorate of the UK Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology. 

• Incubator for Artificial Intelligence launched. 

 

January 2024

Generative AI Framework for HMG published, replacing the June 2023 guidance. This outlined core principles and cautions for using generative AI tools in government.

 

February 2024

Local Government, State of the Sector: AI research reported. The key takeaways: 

• Adoption is growing: Many councils are starting to use AI, but most are still in early stages or exploring use cases. 

• Key barriers: Councils report challenges including lack of technical skills, funding constraints, and ethical concerns. 

• Strong appetite for support: There’s clear demand for guidance, shared case studies, and tools to help adopt AI responsibly and effectively. 

 

Early 2025

Local Government Association (LGA) AI Use Case Bank—a repository of AI use cases from councils across England to inform and empower local authorities in their AI initiatives. Includes practical examples showcasing how different councils are implementing AI to improve services, increase efficiency, and address local challenges. 

 

January 2025

The AI Opportunities Action Plan released by Matt Clifford outlines 50 recommendations to build AI capacity, talent, and governance across the UK.
Emphasises use of:

• AI Growth Zones 

• Smarter Services: AI will be embedded into areas like healthcare and education. 

• £45bn Potential Savings: Automating admin frees up staff for frontline work. 

• AI Adoption Unit: Set up to guide safe and effective use across departments. 

• Upskilling: Civil servants will be trained to work confidently with AI tools. 

 

February 2025 

AI Playbook for the UK Government released: An expanded version of the Generative AI Framework for HMG, now covering a broader range of AI tools and use cases. It’s a guide for public sector organisations in safely and effectively implementing AI. Provides principles, legal considerations, and strategies for managing AI projects across government departments. 

• • Includes 10 principles for safe and responsible AI use: 

• • • 1: You know what AI is and what its limitations are 

• • • 2: You use AI lawfully, ethically and responsibly 

• • • 3: You know how to use AI securely 

• • • 4: You have meaningful human control at the right stage 

• • • 5: You understand how to manage the AI life cycle 

• • • 6: You use the right tool for the job 

• • • 7: You are open and collaborative 

• • • 8: You work with commercial colleagues from the start 

• • • 9: You have the skills and expertise needed to implement and use AI 

• • • 10: You use these principles alongside your organisation’s policies and have the right assurance in place 

• • Explains what AI is, its risks, and how to buy and deploy AI in public services. 

• A new series of AI courses on Civil Service Learning and off-the-shelf training on Government Campus became available. These resources were made available in collaboration with several leading tech firms and the Government Skills unit.

• AI Insights Series from GDS launched: Offers more technical guidance including: 

• • Generative AI 

• • Synthetic Data 

• • Prompt Engineering 

• • Prompt Risks 

 

January 2025

Government digital leadership restructured: The Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI), the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), the Geospatial Commission and the Government Digital Service (GDS) merged to create the new Government Digital Service – the digital centre of government, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

 

January 2025 

• Launch of “Humphrey”, a new AI tool to streamline public services. 

• Release of State of Digital Government Review and Blueprint for Modern Digital Government. 
  • Focus on improved data sharing, reduced reliance on consultants, and more efficient services. 

 

March 2025 

• Keir Starmer’s “Flabby State” speech. Prime Minister commits to digital transformation: 

• • 1 in 10 civil servants to be in digital roles by 2030. 

• • Pledge to eliminate tasks that digital or AI tools can do better.  

• • → Key quote: “No person’s time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker, and to the same standard.” 

• Spring Statement 2025 AI Investment

• • £3.25bn transformation fund includes AI in probation, tax enforcement, and government efficiency. 

• • Launch of Frontier AI Exemplars and support for responsible public sector AI use. 

 

April 2025 

• UK Parliament Committees examines the government’s approach to AI integration in public services. Highlights the need for: 

• • Clear governance structures. 

• • Transparency in AI deployment. 

• • Investment in digital infrastructure. 

• • Emphasises that AI should be used to enhance, not replace, human decision-making in government operation. 

• AI Planning Tool “Extract” Pilot

Angela Rayner announces AI digitisation tool to accelerate local planning and housing targets. Also, 

• • AI-Enhanced Community Monitoring: Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has proposed leveraging AI and advanced technologies to monitor offenders outside prison setting. 

• • AI Tools for Policy Analysis: The government is developing AI tools, including “Humphrey” and “Parlex,” to assist in policy analysis and predict parliamentary reactions. 

• • AI chatbot project “Redbox” progresses: In the future Civil servants use Redbox Copilot like Chat-GPT. 

 

May 2025 

Bennett Institute publishes guide on Using Large Language Models (LLMs) Responsibly in the Civil Service. It says AI can support government work — but only with clear rules, strong oversight, and confident users.  

Practical framework for using LLMs: 

• • Tiered risk approach, matching safeguards to how critical or sensitive the use case is. 

• • Emphasises human oversight — LLMs should support decisions, not make them. 

• • Guidance on prompt design, output validation, and workflow integration. 

• • Calls for a Centre of Excellence for best practice, support training, & ensure ethical, consistent use. 

The Tony Blair Institute publishes paper on Governing in the Age of AI to support councils in adopting AI technologies.

• • £8bn potential savings across councils

• • 26% of tasks could be improved/automated 

• • “Devolved AI Service” for councils, by councils 

• • Reusable AI tools  

• • Shared data standards  

• • Ethical oversight  

• • Collaborative governance 

• • Initial central government funding 

 

Next up: Watch out for the Government Digital and AI Roadmap coming in summer 2025, setting out how digital and AI will help drive forward the government’s missions and public sector reform. This will be done in parallel with the second phase of the Spending Review. 

 

🎓 AI Training & Resources for Civil and Public Servants 

A range of free, self-paced learning resources are available to help public sector staff develop AI skills—from beginner to technical level. 

The core guidance provided in the AI Playbook for the UK Government, learning resources and posters, are supplemented by the AI courses on Civil Service Learning (login required) and the off-the-shelf training on Government Campus (no login required). These resources were made available in collaboration with several leading tech firms and the Government Skills unit. 

 

AI Courses on Civil Service Learning 

Login required. Over 70 e-learning AI modules available, including:
 

• AI Fundamentals 

• Understanding AI Ethics 

• Gen AI Tools and Applications 

• Working with Large Language Models (LLMs) 

• Natural Language Processing and Speech Recognition 

• Computer Vision 

• Machine Learning and Deep Learning 

• Business Value of AI 

• Technical AI Curriculum
   

Each course includes short articles, videos, and optional tasks to fit around your schedule. 

👉 Visit the Artificial Intelligence section on Prospectus Online for more training and pathways. 

 

Copilot Webinars by Hitachi Solutions 

Hitachi Solutions is launching a series of Microsoft 365 Copilot learning webinars for public sector professionals, helping teams get more value from their personal Copilot AI assistants. 

Webinar 1: 

📍 Making Copilot Work for You: Everyday Efficiency Tips for Public Sector Professionals 

📅 Thursday 5 June | 12:30–1:30 PM BST (40-minute webinar, 20-minute Q&A) 

🎓 Free to attend | No technical experience needed 

Coming soon: ‘Mastering Effective Prompt Writing for Microsoft Copilot’.  

 

👥 Join the AI Community 

The Cross-Government AI Community meets monthly and connects civil servants from across departments. It’s a place to: 

• Share best practice 

• Stay updated on policy and tools 

• Hear from experts in academia and industry 

• Join the AI Security Group for more technical discussions
   

🔗 Sign up to the AI Community newsletter to get updates on training, events, and new guidance.