UK deputy PM says AI can rebuild trust in politics

UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy claims artificial intelligence can help rebuild public trust in politics by streamlining government bureaucracy and improving service delivery. Speaking at OpenAI’s Frontiers conference in London, Lammy outlined plans to embed AI across government systems to address productivity issues that have plagued the public sector since the pandemic.

The big picture: Lammy positioned AI as a solution to what he called a “bloated” public sector, arguing that governments adopting AI quickly will surge ahead while those hesitating will fall behind.

What they’re saying: “I’m also convinced that if used well – emphasis on used well – AI can help to rebuild trust in the state, badly needed trust in our politics, delivering what people really want: shorter waits, fewer errors, lower costs and better outcomes,” Lammy said.

• “Parts of our bureaucracy have become bloated, they have become too expensive, they have become too unproductive, to the point that too often they fail to meet the needs of the people that they’re meant to serve.”
• “If we get this right, if we embed AI across government, across every system, across every service, I believe that we can rejuvenate 150 years of British state enterprise in the next 15 years, possibly even sooner.”

Key implementations already underway: The government is deploying AI tools across various public services to demonstrate practical applications.

• More than 1,000 probation officers will receive an in-house AI tool that records and transcribes conversations with offenders to reduce administrative work.
• AI is being used to analyze responses to government consultations and help triage cancer patients.

Strategic partnership: ChatGPT-maker OpenAI will store data on British soil for the first time under a new government agreement aimed at bolstering cybersecurity for UK businesses.

• The deal comes after a wave of cyberattacks targeting major UK companies over the past year, including Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer, and the Co-op.
• The government hopes the arrangement will unlock investment by giving companies confidence that their data is managed securely within the UK.

Why this matters: Lammy’s vision represents an ambitious attempt to use AI as a tool for political reform, addressing persistent public sector productivity challenges that have worsened since the pandemic while potentially reshaping how citizens interact with government services.