Humphrey: The AI-powered British bureaucrat coming this summer

As many governments are seeking to optimize data processing and storage with the help of artificial intelligence, the UK is also moving forward with such a plan. In an effort described by the local official as aiming to bring the government-public interaction "in tune with modern life," the British authorities will use a dedicated app and a digital wallet to make digital versions of various documents, starting with veteran cards and driving licenses. The "Humphrey" set of AI-powered tools, set to launch this summer, takes its name from the negative character from the sitcom "Yes, Minister."

According to Tim Flagg, chief operating officer of trade body UKAI, while this is a good initiative,

"Humphrey for me is a name which is very associated with the Machiavellian character from Yes, Minister.That immediately makes people who aren't in that central Whitehall office think that this is something which is not going to be empowering and not going to be helping them."

The Humphrey AI suite will include tools such as Consult, a piece of code that replaces expensive external consultants in dealing with people's responses to public calls for information. The digital wallet component will be compatible with Apple and Android devices. Initially, the digital wallet component will integrate the driver's license and veteran card, but it may also incorporate additional data in the future. Parlex and Lex are two other AI tools from the Humphrey suite, with the purpose of helping lawmakers by forecast parliamentary reactions to a certain proposed policy and by handling most of the tasks related to legislative research.

In the long run, the AI plan could improve the bureaucratic procedures in the UK while also creating well-paid jobs in developing and maintaining the software and hardware infrastructure involved. UK hospitals are already using AI to handle tasks like faster cancer diagnosis.

Chris Chiancone's Smart Government: Practical Uses for Artificial Intelligence in Local Government is an interesting read concerning the practical applications of AI in improving local governments. It is currently available in Kindle ($9.99), hardcover ($20), and paperback ($15) formats.