LIVE: Parliament grills Barker-Vormawor over bribery allegation
How UK govt's generative AI chatbot will aid small businesses setup
How UK govt's generative AI chatbot will aid small businesses setup
By: Nii Ammui Fio | 2 mins read
The UK government is expanding its generative AI chatbot pilot to assist thousands of small businesses with setup, guidance, and regulatory information, marking a new stage in making support more accessible on GOV.UK.
This week, up to 15,000 users can participate in the trial by accessing the chatbot from 30 GOV.UK business pages, including those on “setting up a business” and “trademark search.”
Designed to simplify the search for complex information, the AI-powered tool allows users to ask questions on topics like tax and available business support, offering straightforward and personalized responses that collate information otherwise dispersed across multiple pages.
The chatbot is built using OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology by a team of in-house UK government data scientists, developers, and designers. If this phase proves successful, the trial could expand to broader testing across the entire GOV.UK platform, which currently spans 700,000 pages and receives over 11 million users weekly.
As part of the government’s strategy to boost public sector efficiency with new technology, Science Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the need to reduce bureaucracy for UK citizens, who spend nearly a week and a half each year on government-related processes. He noted that GOV.UK Chat is a step toward transforming public service delivery through safe and innovative AI integration, with trials ensuring accuracy before a broader rollout.
Following initial testing last year, 70% of users found the chatbot’s responses helpful, although accuracy improvements were highlighted. The latest trial includes added safety measures, such as “guardrails” to prevent responses to sensitive or inappropriate questions and consultation with the AI Safety Institute (AISI) to ensure safeguarding. Accessibility and onboarding improvements have also been made.
The chatbot trial will generate insights for further enhancements, helping the UK government refine the tool with an aim for a broader rollout to support users across GOV.UK.
