In a groundbreaking development for government efficiency, an artificial intelligence tool has successfully analyzed public comments on cosmetic procedures in what officials describe as the first use of this kind in the United Kingdom.
The AI system, named “Consult,” was deployed to process approximately 2,000 submissions received during a Scottish government consultation on regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as botox and lip fillers. Officials reported that the AI-generated analysis produced results “nearly identical” to those compiled by human evaluators working on the same dataset.
“This represents a significant step forward in how government can process public feedback more efficiently,” said Dr. Emma Harlow, digital transformation expert at Oxford Digital Policy Lab. “The ability to quickly identify themes and patterns in consultation responses could dramatically reduce the administrative burden on civil servants.” 
Consult is part of a broader initiative of government AI tools collectively nicknamed “Humphrey” – a reference to the bureaucracy-navigating civil servant from the classic British comedy “Yes, Minister.” Officials estimate that implementing these AI systems across government operations could save taxpayers approximately £20 million, with broader public sector AI adoption potentially saving up to £45 billion.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle expressed optimism about the trial results, stating that Consult would be implemented “very soon” across government departments. “After demonstrating such promising results, Humphrey will help us cut the costs of governing and make it easier to collect and comprehensively review what experts and the public are telling us on a range of crucial issues,” Kyle said in a statement.
The government has taken steps to address common concerns about AI implementation in public services. Officials emphasized that “humans in the loop” would always review the AI’s work before any decisions are made. The system was specifically designed to minimize “hallucinations” – instances where AI generates false information – by limiting its scope to specific analysis tasks.
Additionally, early testing suggests the AI tool may actually reduce bias in consultation analysis by eliminating opportunities for individual human analysts to “project their own preconceived ideas” onto the data.
“The technology has shown remarkable ability to identify nuanced themes across thousands of responses,” notes technology analyst James Michaels. “However, as with any AI implementation in government, transparency about how these systems work remains essential.”
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While the initial trial has been deemed successful, the government has indicated that Consult remains in a testing phase with further evaluation planned before any wider implementation. Current limitations include language constraints – the system currently only processes English submissions, meaning responses in other UK languages like Welsh would require translation first.
Public consultations, which gather citizen views on issues under ministerial consideration, can generate tens of thousands of responses. Traditional manual analysis of these submissions often represents a significant time investment for civil servants, making AI assistance particularly valuable for processing large volumes of public feedback efficiently.
The successful implementation of AI tools like Consult could potentially transform how government departments engage with public opinion, allowing for more comprehensive analysis of citizen feedback while redirecting human resources to higher-value tasks requiring judgment and contextual understanding.
