AI tool used to test feelings about Botox will be rolled out by government
A government AI tool used to test public feeling on different issues is to be rolled out nationwide.
The tool, called Consult, was first used by the Scottish government to understand public views on the regulation on non-surgical cosmetic procedures like Botox and fillers.
It was able to produce results identical to those of human officials, according to the UK government, and will now be used to review responses from other consultations.
It is claimed it could help save human workers from 75,000 days of manual analysis each year and around £20m in staffing.
"No one should be wasting time on something can do quicker and better, let alone wasting millions of taxpayer pounds on outsourcing such work to contractors," said.
Consult is part of a set of AI tools called Humphrey, which are named after the senior civil servant in Yes, Minister.
The government is using them to speed up the work of civil servants and save money.
"The Scottish government has taken a bold first step," said Mr Kyle.
"Very soon, I'll be using Consult, within Humphrey, in my own department and others in Whitehall will be using it too - speeding up our work to deliver the plan for change."
Read more from climate, science and technology:Concerns in US as Trump sells jewels of America's AI crown
In January, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced he wanted and unlock a supposed £400bn economic opportunity with the technology.
A report by Google in April, titled AI Works, suggested that around half of that figure would come from workers using AI to make themselves more efficient.
However, there are significant challenges in embedding AI across workforces, with training, infrastructure and messy data all presenting problems.
At the moment, there are vast age and gender differences in how comfortable people are with the technology.
Research completed by Public First for Google showed that women over 55 are four times less likely to use AI than men under 35.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Britain says it understands U.S. need to review AUKUS submarine pact
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Thursday it understood a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to launch a formal review into the AUKUS submarine pact, repeating London's position that the project was crucial to peace and security. In 2023, the United States, Australia and Britain unveiled details of the plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. On Wednesday, a Pentagon official said the administration was reviewing AUKUS to ensure it was "aligned with the President's America First agenda". Asked about the review, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "As we've already said it is understandable that a new administration would want to review its approach to such a major partnership." "AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership with two of our closest allies and it's one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades supporting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic," he told reporters.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Billionaire Blavatnik courted to take Daily Telegraph stake
The billionaire who has bankrolled DAZN, the sports-streaming service, is being courted to take a stake in The Daily Telegraph alongside the newspaper's new American majority-owners. Sky News has learnt that Sir Len Blavatnik, whose holding company Access Entertainment owns assets in Britain, including the Theatre Royal Haymarket, has been approached by RedBird Capital Partners about becoming a minority investor in the Telegraph titles. Two sources close to the situation said on Thursday that Sir Len was being sounded out about a deal, although they cautioned that no agreement had been struck and it remained unclear whether one would be. Sir Len, who was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for services to philanthropy in 2017, is a prolific investor in the arts, media and entertainment industries. Access Entertainment is run by Danny Cohen, the former BBC director of television. Announcing its agreement to acquire Telegraph Media Group last month for an enterprise valuation of £500m, RedBird Capital said it was "in discussions with select UK-based minority investors with print media expertise and strong commitment to upholding the editorial values of the Telegraph". This was principally a reference to Lord Rothermere, the Daily Mail proprietor, who remains in talks to pay more than £30m for a stake in the Mail's rival right-leaning newspaper group. Goldman Sachs is advising DMGT on the investment, with a deal the subject of ongoing discussions, according to insiders. Read more: The Abu Dhabi state-backed vehicle IMI is still expected to acquire the maximum 15% stake in the Telegraph permitted under proposed new media ownership rules. The government's decision to set the ownership threshold at 15% follows an intensive lobbying campaign by newspaper industry executives concerned that a permanent outright ban could cut off a vital source of funding to an already-embattled industry. However, the deal faces continued opposition from parliamentarians, with The Guardian reporting on Thursday that a cross-party group had written to Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, warning of "potential Chinese state influence" because of links between RedBird Capital chair John Thornton and China's sovereign wealth fund. This suggestion has been dismissed by RedBird Capital insiders. Ukraine-born Sir Len's portfolio of investments includes DAZN, which is now also backed by a Saudi sports group, mobile games studio Tripledot and Scenario Two, a theatre production company. Dovid Efune, the owner of The New York Sun, is meanwhile continuing to assemble a rival bid for the Telegraph, having secured backing from Jeremy Hosking, the prominent City investor. His prospects, however, look to have diminished after the former chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, was reported to have withdrawn from his so-called 'British bid'. The Telegraph titles' parent company was forced into insolvency proceedings two years ago by Lloyds Banking Group, which ran out of patience with the Barclay family, their long-standing owner. RedBird IMI, a joint venture between the two firms, paid £600m several months later to acquire a call option that was intended to convert into ownership of the Telegraph newspapers and The Spectator magazine. That objective was thwarted by a change in media ownership laws, which banned any form of foreign state ownership. Some parliamentarians are continuing to argue that a 15% threshold would be too high, and that the proposed rules are ambiguous because they potentially allow for more than one state investor to aggregate their holdings in British newspapers. The Spectator was sold last year for £100m to Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund billionaire, who has installed Lord Gove, the former cabinet minister, as its editor. RedBird Capital has been contacted for comment, while a call to Access Industries' London office went unanswered on Thursday lunchtime.
Associated Press
43 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Frontline Education Announces Jonathan Kost as Chief Strategy Officer
Wayne, Pa., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wayne, Pa. – [June 12, 2025] – Frontline Education, a leading provider of administration software purpose-built for educators in K-12, today announced Jonathan Kost as Chief Strategy Officer, a newly created position on the company's Executive Leadership Team. He will lead Frontline's strategic direction and innovation efforts to accelerate growth and advance the company's mission in K-12 education. Kost has over twenty years of experience in technology, data strategy, and product innovation. Recently, he was Chief Strategy Officer at ConstructConnect, where he developed company strategy, drove inorganic growth, created a market and competitive intelligence capability, and served for several years as General Manager. He also worked with product teams to imagine and introduce new AI technologies that automate significant portions of the preconstruction process. Earlier in his career, Kost was Chief Strategy Officer at a P&C insurance technology and data firm, now known as Cotality. During this time, he helped create systems to improve efficiency, transparency, and customer satisfaction in property underwriting and claims processes. 'Jon brings a powerful combination of strategic thinking, operational leadership, and technical acumen,' said Matt Strazza, Chief Executive Officer of Frontline Education. 'His experience driving enterprise-wide transformation will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen and expand the ways we support the K-12 community. We're excited to welcome him to Frontline in this important new role at this pivotal time. As Frontline's first Chief Strategy Officer, Kost will play a key role in leveraging AI to drive innovation and technology investment, enhancing our service and product offerings to help districts tackle their most pressing challenges. 'As the education sector faces increasing complexity and rising expectations, the demands on school districts have increased significantly,' said Kost. 'Frontline is uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of progress in K-12, and I look forward to helping define the future—especially as we embrace the full potential of AI to empower educators, streamline district operations, and improve outcomes for students.' Kost's appointment underscores Frontline's long-term commitment to bold innovation, strategic growth, and delivering meaningful value to the educators, administrators, and communities it serves. About Frontline Education Frontline Education is a leading provider of school administration software, supporting more than 10,000 K-12 organizations nationwide. Our solutions span four key areas — Human Capital Management, Student Solutions, Business Operations, and Data & Analytics — helping school systems operate efficiently and deliver better outcomes for students and staff. A part of Roper Technologies (NASDAQ: ROP), Frontline combines long-term stability with a commitment to innovation in K-12 education. We're proud to be recognized with a 2025 Glassdoor Best Places to Work award, reflecting our people-first culture and dedication to those who serve our schools. Natalie Kay Frontline Education 2158504643 [email protected]
