The UK government has unveiled a £32 million investment into artificial intelligence (AI) innovations designed to transform public services and enhance productivity. This initiative targets critical areas such as reducing train delays, accelerating NHS prescription deliveries, and providing training for construction workers.
A total of 98 projects have been selected to receive a share of the funding, benefiting 200 businesses and research organisations across the UK. These projects, spread nationwide, are supported by the UKRI Technology Missions Fund and the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme, underlining the government’s commitment to positioning AI at the forefront of productivity improvements.
Feryal Clark, Minister for Digital Government and AI, stated: “AI will deliver real change for working people across the UK – not only growing our economy but improving our public services. Our support for initiatives like this is crucial, backing a range of projects that could reduce train delays, offer new ways of maintaining our vital infrastructure, and improve patient experiences by streamlining prescription deliveries. We aim for technology to boost growth and deliver change across the board, and I’m confident projects like these will help us achieve that ambition.”
Michael Thornton, Director of Public Services for Investigo, echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of investment in public services to drive efficiency and economic growth. He noted: “Investment in public services is crucial to driving efficiency and economic growth, whether it’s AI, policy or people. We’ve seen the beginning of the dominance of AI in private sector process automation, so it’s time to see similar investment into the public sector to improve areas such as scheduling and data analysis to deliver better public services.”
Thornton also highlighted the need for specialised skillsets in AI within the public sector, advocating for the training and upskilling of current staff to ensure effective project delivery. “A large portion of public sector work is carried out on a project basis, such as the 98 being funded, so it’s important that the government prioritises investment in staff who have specialised skillsets in AI, while also training and upskilling current staff to ensure smooth delivery. Taking a smart approach to interim versus consultancy staff can allow departments to streamline the skills within their teams for each project, streamlining the delivery of services while keeping costs down,” he added.
The newly announced funding is targeted at solutions within ‘high growth’ industries, ensuring AI is central to driving greater productivity and efficiency across key economic sectors.
