Microsoft Copilot AI saves civil service hours of admin work
Pawel Pajor – stock.adobe.com
Over a third of Microsoft 365 users who took part in trials across government departments claimed they saved more than half an hour in productivity a day
The government has run a trial of using artificial intelligence (AI) with 20,000 civil servants which it said demonstrates they could save nearly two weeks each annually by using the technology.
The trial used generative AI (GenAI) tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot to assist with everyday tasks, including drafting documents, summarising lengthy emails, updating records and preparing reports.
The results of the trial coincide with research from the Alan Turing Institute, which has reported that AI could support up to 41% of tasks across the public sector, offering significant time savings.
The study from the Alan Turing Institute found that GenAI could be particularly useful for roles that have high levels of administrative tasks. For example, public sector workers spend on average 30 minutes per day on emails, many of which are routine and require little human involvement and oversight. According to the Alan Turing Institute, by using a generative AI tool to support initial drafting, civil servants decrease this time by 70%.
According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the government trial saved users an average of 26 minutes per day. Examples of how AI has been used in the trial include the use of Microsoft Copilot at Companies House to speed up how staff handled routine customer queries, drafting responses and updating records. At the Department for Work and Pensions, DSIT said AI is being used by work coaches to personalise advice for jobseekers.
Other government departments that took part in the trial included His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC); Home Office (HO); Ministry of Justice (MoJ); Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ); Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); the Welsh Government; and the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Commenting on the results of the trial, technology secretary Peter Kyle said: “These findings show that AI isn’t just a future promise – it’s a present reality. Whether it’s helping draft documents, preparing lesson plans or cutting down on routine admin, AI tools are saving civil servants time every day. That means we can focus more on delivering faster, more personalised support where it really counts.”
Kyle believes AI is changing the way government operates, helping people who work in the public sector work smarter, which cuts red tape and makes better use of taxpayers’ money.
Tony Blair Institute (TBI) director of government innovation policy Alexander Iosad said: “At every level of government, the case for AI has never been clearer. DSIT’s latest trial offers yet more evidence of what TBI has long believed: reimagining the day-to-day work of the state with AI at its heart can save billions every year. Now is the time to move quickly from pilots to widespread deployment, freeing officials to focus on delivering for the public.”
While AI has the potential to improve the efficiency of the administrative load across the public sector, Youmna Hashem, research associate in AI for public services at the Alan Turing Institute, said: “It is vital for these technologies to be embedded in ways that are safe, responsible and which take into account the many complexities of public sector work. If the government introduces generative AI effectively and staff receive the training and assurance they need to confidently use the technology, this could meaningfully transform the way that public sector time is spent.”
The trial used the Copilot generative AI functionality in Microsoft’s product suite to support the administrative workload civil servants manage every day. Microsoft made several enhancements to M365, which added new AI capabilities.
The authors of the Microsoft 365 Copilot experiment: cross-government findings report noted one of the improvements that sparked significant interest among departments was the introduction of M365 Copilot Agents. According to Microsoft, this functionality connects the AI in M365 to existing knowledge and data sources. Copilot Agents can also automate and execute business processes.
Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK, said: “AI is the most transformative technology of our time and we’re already seeing its potential to reshape public service delivery. As a strategic technology partner to the UK government, we have an amazing opportunity to help improve both the quality of the services people receive and the way they access them. This could unlock new levels of growth, efficiency and innovation for the country.”
