While attention remains fixed on election results and if the PM will survive the week in number 10 a quieter change of power is unfolding behind the scenes inside council chambers and town halls locally and across the UK with artificial intelligence rapidly moving into local government.
New Freedom of Information data obtained by DTP Group a Hybrid Cloud Services Provider, has revealed that more than 81 per cent of UK public authorities are already using AI tools in some form, with councils increasingly relying on the technology for administration, communications and internal operations.
Among them is Westmorland and Furness Council, which confirmed it has rolled out Microsoft Copilot Chat across the organisation as an AI-powered productivity tool for staff.
The council is also trialling an AI system called “Minute i.AI”, software designed to listen to meetings and automatically generate official minutes.
The pilot is expected to continue until March 2027 while the authority measures how much time and efficiency the system can save.
Although council officials stressed AI is not currently being used in frontline services such as social care, housing or bin route management, the authority admitted future work is already exploring possible uses including AI-assisted social care transcription.
The findings form part of a nationwide FOI investigation covering 373 councils, NHS trusts, universities, police forces and fire services across the UK.
What emerges is a picture of AI quietly embedding itself into the everyday running of public services.
For many organisations, the technology is being used to draft reports, summarise documents, assist with emails and reduce workloads for overstretched staff.
Microsoft Copilot emerged as the single most commonly used system across public bodies, while chatbots and virtual assistants are now widespread throughout the sector.
Westmorland and Furness Council said safeguards are in place surrounding its AI use, including formal governance frameworks, data protection assessments and equality impact reviews.
Officials also confirmed that human oversight remains mandatory for AI-assisted outputs and decisions.
In the case of the meeting transcription pilot, attendees must be informed when the technology is being used and agree before meetings are recorded by the AI system.
The council additionally stated that staff training programmes are underway to prepare employees for increasing AI use, while ongoing communication with HR is addressing concerns around job displacement and automation.
Nationally, almost nine in ten organisations surveyed said they are now either trialling further AI systems or planning significant expansion in the coming years.
What was once seen as futuristic technology is now becoming part of the machinery of local government — often quietly, and largely out of public view.
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