Derby City Council is implementing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to save nearly £12.5m annually in costs. The council has identified 261 tasks where AI can be beneficial, focusing on 54 areas such as adult social care, debt recovery, and customer service. The goal is to improve efficiencies and allow staff to focus on higher-value work.
The council has already seen success with chatbots handling over a million queries and expects to save £4m in the coming years through AI. The majority of savings will come from adult social care. The council has entered into a partnership with Microsoft and integrator ICS.AI for a three-phase, five-year project.
Other public sector bodies are also looking to AI to improve productivity. Research shows that AI tools could save millions of hours of administration work each week. Many councils, including Derby, are finding AI useful in various departments such as finance, HR, and social care.
While there are risks associated with AI deployment, Derby City Council has established an AI compliance and ethics board to monitor the roll-out and address any issues that may arise. The council is eager to share its experiences with other public sector bodies as an early adopter of AI technology.
Overall, Derby City Council sees AI as a valuable tool for improving services and efficiencies, and looks forward to further integrating AI into its operations in the future.