Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Government starts trialling AI chatbot on GOV.UK with business users

Government starts trialling AI chatbot on GOV.UK with business users
Photo: GOV.UK

The UK government’s generative AI chatbot has moved to the next stage of testing this week, making it easier and quicker for thousands of small businesses across the country to find information on GOV.UK.

Up to 15,000 business users will be able to ask the tool for advice on business rules and support, with the chatbot linked from 30 of GOV.UK’s business pages, such as “set up a business” and “search for a trade mark”. People with access to the trial can ask questions about tax and the support available to them.


A team of in-house data scientists, developers and designers are building the experimental tool using OpenAI’s GPT-4o technology which aims to help people more quickly navigate complex advice to understand what matters to them. In response, they will receive straightforward, personalised answers that collate information that may otherwise be spread across dozens of pages.

The results from the trial will determine the next steps which could include potential larger-scale testing. This could ultimately lead to the chatbot being rolled out across the full government website, made up of 700,000 pages.

The GOV.UK website attracts over 11 million users per week and is the best-known digital service in the UK according to YouGov.

The new trial comes as the science secretary’s department is shaping the new ‘digital centre’ of government to boost technology adoption across the public sector, taking a more experimental approach with emerging technology where appropriate as it does so.

“Outdated and bulky government processes waste people’s time too often, with the average adult in the UK spending the equivalent of a working week and a half dealing with public sector bureaucracy every year,” science secretary Peter Kyle said.

“We are going to change this by experimenting with emerging technology to find new ways to save people time and make their lives easier, as we are doing with GOV.UK Chat. With all new technology, it takes time to get it right so we’re taking it through extensive trials with thousands of real users before it is used more widely.”

After the first trial, which was conducted late last year, nearly 70 per cent of users agreed that the responses provided by the chatbot were helpful - where under 15 per cent disagreed. However, the first trial also showed that more testing and development was required to meet the high accuracy standards for advice and information on GOV.UK.

The government added that stringent safety measures and guardrails have been put in place, given the nature of this technology. Since the last test, the government experts have added ‘guardrails’ that help GOV.UK Chat detect which questions it should, and should not, answer. These include measures to prevent the chatbot responding to queries that may prompt an illegal answer, share sensitive financial information or force the chatbot to take a political position.

More for you

Police officers in Trafalgar Square, London

Police officers in Trafalgar Square, London

Photo: iStock

New Respect Orders to target repeat perpetrators of anti-social behaviour

The government on Friday announced that they will introduce new Respect Orders as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.

The measure, a modernised version of the anti-social behaviour orders that were introduced by the last Labour Government, is aimed at the most serious offenders who plague town centres and neighbourhoods with anti-social behaviour.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Faulty' pre-Horizon Post Office system led to hundreds of prosecutions

Exclusive: 'Faulty' pre-Horizon Post Office system led to hundreds of prosecutions

Ecco+, another pre-Horizon IT system that was introduced to post masters between 1992 and 1999, was also likely to be faulty due to which hundreds of sub postmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office, a leading sub postmaster representative has said.

Speaking to Asian Trader today (22), Calum Greenhow – Chief Executive Officer at National Federation of Sub Postmasters (NFSP) stated that Ecco+ system that was introduced between 1992 and 1999 also created problems for sub post masters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bestway Foundation UK donates £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Bestway Foundation UK donates £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Lord Zameer Choudrey CBE SI Pk, Chief Executive of Bestway Group, and Dawood Pervez, Managing Director of Bestway Wholesale, presented a cheque for £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) at Bestway Group’s Head Office in Park Royal, London last week.

This significant contribution reflects Bestway's ongoing commitment to supporting impactful charitable initiatives that make a difference to the lives of young people across the UK. The presentation was attended by Ruth Marvel OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Laura Puddefoot-Knaggs, Head of Philanthropy and Clare Harris, Senior Relationships Manager from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Bestway Board of Directors, including Sir Anwar Pervez OBE H Pk, Chairman Bestway Group.

Keep ReadingShow less
GroceryAid: supporting grocery colleagues over the festive season

GroceryAid: supporting grocery colleagues over the festive season

As we head into the busiest time of the year for the grocery industry, GroceryAid is urging people to reach out to them if they find themselves struggling.

The charity helps grocery workers and their families through difficult times and offers a range of financial, emotional and practical support. This includes support for people facing stress, anxiety, low mood or loneliness, as well as debt advice and impartial financial support through GroceryAid’s online financial hub.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sugro UK partners with Britvic to launch industry-first sample box

Sugro UK partners with Britvic to launch industry-first sample box

Leading wholesale buying and marketing group Sugro UK has collaborated with Britvic Soft Drinks, a global organisation with 39 much-loved brands sold in over 100 countries, to launch a groundbreaking Fast Food Sample Box.

The sample box is specifically designed for ICS UK LTD customers, giving them a unique opportunity to sample and experience new Fast Food soft drinks offerings firsthand.

Keep ReadingShow less