Work-shy civil servants are exploring new avenues of laziness by using insecure AI chatbots to perform analytical tasks. The Department for Education ran an 8-week trial over the summer which used a version of ChatGPT to analyse training plans intended for review by civil servants. The results hailed not only the “useful insights” of the AI but also its potential to “identify future skills needs across the country”. Civil servants are excited to have AI interpret large documents “where previously the only other option for be for individuals to read through all the reports”. Without civil servants at work productivity might spiral…

The government’s guidance on AI chatbots is clear that they should only be used for consultation, and all of their output should be verified as it is often inaccurate. More importantly, no material that is sensitive, classified, or “reveals the intent of government” is to be passed through them as they are insecure. Outsourcing government might prove more difficult than it seems…