https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/treasury-sparks-row-use-ai-deal-taxpayer-complaints/ Jump to content UK News Website of the Year 2024 * News * 2024 Elections * Israel * Ukraine * Royals * Sports * Opinion * Travel * Health * Life * Entertainment * Business * Puzzles [USA-SVG] US Edition * [UK-SVG] UK Edition Subscribe now Free for one month Log in [ ] Search Sections [USA-SVG] US Edition * [UK-SVG] UK Edition * News + News home + UK news + Politics + World + Health news + Defence + Science + Education + Environment + Investigations + Global Health Security * Olympics * Sport + Sport home + Football + Rugby Union + Cricket + F1 + Golf + Tennis + Women's Sport + Racing + Cycling + Boxing + Betting + More... * Business + Business home + Economy + Companies + Markets + Tech * Money + Money home + Property + Tax + Pensions + Banking + Investing + Net Zero + Calculators + Guides * Opinion + Opinion home + Obituaries + Letters to the Editor + Telegraph View + Our columnists + Cartoons * Ukraine + Ukraine home + Daily podcast + Daily newsletter * US election * Travel + Travel home + Europe + UK + Worldwide + City breaks + Hotels + Cruise + Ski + Advice * Health + Health home + Diet + Fitness + Conditions + Wellbeing + Parenting + Guides + Tools * Lifestyle + Lifestyle home + Recipes + Food & Drink + Fashion + Beauty + Luxury + Cars + Gardening + Recommended * Culture + Culture home + TV + Film + Music + Books + Theatre + Comedy + Dance + Opera + Classical + Art + + Telegraph Tickets * Puzzles * Podcasts * [USA-SVG] US Edition + [UK-SVG] UK Edition Subscribe now Free for one month Log in Follow us on: * * * * * * More from The Telegraph * Download our app * Newsletters * Telegraph Extra * Recommended * Financial Solutions * Events * Dating * Offers * Travel offers * Shop * Garden shop * Bookshop * Tickets * Puzzles * Fantasy Football * Work at The Telegraph * Telegraph Corporate * Help and support * The Chelsea Magazine Company * Broadband and Mobile Deals * Voucher codes See top shops + Samsung + Nike + ASOS + eBay + Currys + Wayfair + TUI + JD Sports + Travelodge + Adidas + Broadband deals + Cheap broadband + Broadband in my area + Broadband and TV deals + Mobile deals + SIM-only deals Treasury sparks row over use of AI to handle taxpayer complaints Concern comes as Whitehall struggles to hit customer service targets Madeleine Ross, Money Reporter 12 August 2024 * 5:13pm Related Topics * Civil service, * Artificial Intelligence, * HM Revenue & Customs, * HM Treasury * * * * robot hand reaching for phone The Treasury is locked in a row with the civil service union over plans to use artificial intelligence to answer taxpayer complaints. Letters and emails to the Treasury are already being read by an AI tool which summarises the contents and suggests responses for civil servants. The Government is now in talks to use AI across more departments, The Telegraph understands. A government spokesman said: "We make no apology for exploring innovations which improve public services. This tool has already been in use for four months and has increased productivity by 30pc, helping us save taxpayers' money by stopping the need to use expensive contractors during busy periods. "Staff at the Treasury will continue to write all public correspondence and make decisions on cases. This tool, which was developed by data science experts in the department, helps civil servants respond to thousands more questions quickly and on time." But the civil serrvice trade body, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, warned that the AI tool could be developed "on the cheap", leading to correspondence being misread. Fran Heathcote, PCS general secretary, said that while the union has no objection in principle to AI, that training the tool "properly takes a long time and considerable resources". "Further, in anticipation of AI working well, staff numbers are cut so you get the worst of all worlds: a poorly functioning AI system with too few humans left behind to pick up the broken pieces," Ms Heathcote added. The Government has encouraged the increased use of AI for several years. More than 70pc of government bodies are piloting AI tools, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) in March found. Departments were required to set out how they were planning to use AI by June this year. More than PS101m will be spent by 2028 to 2029 to introduce more AI projects, such as a chatbot which was trialled on the gov.uk website earlier this year, the NAO report said. It comes as Whitehall struggles to hit its customer service targets as call handlers work from home. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) hung up on 55,922 taxpayers last year after leaving them waiting on the phone for more than 70 minutes, The Telegraph reported last month. Pensioners and benefit claimants spent the equivalent of 753 years waiting for call handlers at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to pick up the phone in 2023 to 2024. Just over three quarters of calls were answered last year, 10 percentage points below the department target of 85pc, with 5.3 million calls abandoned by frustrated taxpayers. Labour has so far refused to recommit to targets introduced in an efficiency drive by the former Conservative government which required civil servants to work from the office for at least 60pc of the time - the equivalent of three days a week for a full-time employee. Civil Service job adverts posted in July seem to be out of step with the target. An opening for a customer service adviser in the DWP stated the new employee will be permitted to work in the office just two days a week shortly after starting. A government spokesman said: "The Government's entire focus is on the work of delivering change. We will support the civil service with the necessary tools to ensure it can deliver that for working people." Recommended How to speak to a human at HMRC Read more Related Topics * Civil service, * Artificial Intelligence, * HM Revenue & Customs, * HM Treasury * * * * License this content Join the conversation The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy. You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Find out more here. 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