A trial of 20,000 civil servants using AI found that these tools could save them up to two weeks per year, which is the equivalent of giving 1,130 people a full year back, each year, to focus on more important, higher-impact tasks, rather than admin-based work. This figure would rise if AI was widely adopted across the entirety of the civil service.

Civil servants were using AI tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, to help with drafting documents, summarising meetings, and preparing reports, which saved them an average of 26 minutes each day. Over time, this has the potential to deliver a significant productivity boost when used across the public workforce.

Alongside these findings, research from the Alan Turing Institute found that AI could support up to 41 per cent of tasks across the public sector, offering significant time savings. For example, teacher could save up to 75 per cent of the time taken to plan lessons, which usually totals around 100 minutes each day.

Civil servants spend around thirty minutes each day on emails, and AI could cut this by 70 per cent.

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.

“As we deliver our Plan for Change, we’re backing innovation like this to boost productivity and growth—not just in the private sector, but in public services too.

“AI is changing the way government operates, helping us work smarter, reduce red tape, and make better use of taxpayers’ money.”