Scottish Government trials new AI to speed up policy analysis and cut costs, with promising early results
A government-developed artificial intelligence tool has been used for the first time to analyse responses to a public consultation, showing a massive step in modernising how public feedback is reviewed and used to shape policy.
The tool, called “Consult,” is part of a wider suite of AI tools known as “Humphrey,” which aims to support civil servants by reducing administrative burden and reliance on external contractors.
A trial run in Scotland
The Scottish Government was the first to trial the new tool during a consultation on regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as lip fillers and laser hair removal. With these treatments rising, the consultation hoped to gather views from the public and experts to inform future regulation.
Consult processed over 2,000 responses, identifying key themes across six qualitative questions. Government analysts then reviewed and refined these findings to ensure accuracy.
Comparable accuracy to human review
Despite the subjective nature of qualitative feedback, the tool produced results closely aligned with manual human analysis. The few differences identified between AI and human reviewers had minimal impact on the final rankings of themes. This sowed the tool’s reliability in identifying core issues raised by respondents while freeing up time for officials to focus on evaluating the policy implications.
Cost and time savings in the future
The UK government runs approximately 500 consultations yearly, which involve long and costly manual analysis.
Officials estimate that Consult could save up to 75,000 days of manual work annually, equivalent to £20 million in staffing costs. By reducing the need for outsourcing to expensive consultants and accelerating the pace of analysis, the AI tool supports a bigger goal of creating a more agile and cost-effective public sector.
Built-in oversight and transparency
While the tool streamlines initial analysis, human oversight is still essential. Government experts can use an interactive dashboard to review AI-generated themes, filter responses, and explore insights in greater depth. This hybrid approach ensures that technology enhances rather than replaces expert judgment while reducing the chance of individual bias influencing results.
Looking ahead
The first use of Consult earned an F1 score of 0.76, a strong result that indicates a good alignment between AI analysis and human interpretation. Further testing and evaluation are planned before any decisions about rolling the tool out more widely.
If adopted across departments, Consult could transform how public feedback is gathered, reviewed, and used, bringing speed, consistency, and greater efficiency to government policymaking.
The feedback from this initial use will help shape the content of the upcoming Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures Bill, with a formal response to the consultation expected before the end of June. As part of the Government’s wider “Plan for Change,” tools like Consult represent a move towards a smarter, more responsive public sector ready to meet future challenges.
