MPs using AI to polish speeches and prepare for PMQs

Telegraph

a day ago

Politicians of all stripes have often been accused of sounding robotic as they seek to toe the party line.
Now that claim might be taken literally, as MPs team up with machines to upgrade their parliamentary potential.
The Telegraph has found that MPs across the political spectrum are expensing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help with tasks like polishing speeches and grilling the Prime Minister.
At least three are claiming for ChatGPT subscriptions, while others use AI-powered writing aids and video editing software.
It is a sign that the centuries-old job is undergoing another revolution. Politicians are increasingly turning to the cutting-edge technology to boost their abilities as ministers scramble to balance innovation with regulation.
An analysis of parliamentary expenses by The Telegraph has found at least 19 MPs have charged the taxpayer for AI tools, or programmes that have AI features.
Sir Keir Starmer has actively encouraged the use of AI in Whitehall, saying he is determined to seize the 'golden opportunity' it offers. The Government has said it is throwing its full weight behind the industry to make Britain a world leader.
However, there are concerns over the rapidly developing technology's transparency and reliability, as well as the potential for systems to 'go rogue'.
Earlier in May, Labour was forced to row back on plans to force companies to opt out if they don't want their content used to train AI systems.
The proposals had sparked anger from artists, musicians and filmmakers, who said it amounted to having their work stolen to feed AI models that could eventually replace them.
Sir David Davis, the former Cabinet minister, is one of three MPs putting ChatGPT on expenses. The popular AI chatbot answers questions and solves problems by drawing upon a vast wealth of knowledge.
The Tory MP, who describes himself as 'Mr Privacy', insisted he never uses the technology to engage with constituents or handle their data.
But he said it is a huge asset for his policy work, getting taxpayers 'the value of maybe 10 members of staff from three'.
On one occasion, he used the tool to prepare to quiz Sir Keir at Prime Minister's Questions, conducting masses of research far more quickly than any human could.
By answering streams of queries in mere minutes that would normally take staff days to complete, he said the chatbot helped him to reduce the burden on his team and craft the most pertinent question possible.
'Half an hour's work on the AI'
He said he 'wouldn't even have asked that question' if he had needed to get his staffers to do all the work, as it couldn't feasibly have been completed in time.
However, he stressed the information still needed to be manually filtered and fact-checked.
'So it's about half an hour's work on the AI and probably about another half an hour's work checking it,' he said.
He also insisted that ChatGPT could not replace his team as it lacked the 'human insight and wisdom' required to ask the right question.
'I'm pretty lucky. I've had a very, very good staff down the years,' he said.
'But they're human. They can't just sit down and read seven and a half million words in half an hour… So it's basically a force multiplier on them.'
Sir David has used AI tools to help conduct research on the Lucy Letby case, which he has been campaigning on, and take notes from in-house meetings.
He even attempted to get some AI writing aids to replicate his speaking mannerisms but found they couldn't quite match his style.
Another MP to expense ChatGPT is Steff Aquarone, the new Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk. He also claims for an unspecified product from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and Otter, an AI transcription software.
Writing tool can proofread
His office said the AI tools were predominantly used for accessibility purposes by one of his staff members, who has a condition affecting his speech and coordination.
Brendan O'Hara, the SNP MP for Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber, also expenses ChatGPT on a monthly basis. However, he said he hadn't found it as useful as hoped.
He told The Telegraph: 'We signed up to ChatGPT a couple of years ago when it first emerged, hoping that it could assist the office staff in their day-to-day operations.
'We have since discovered that it didn't do what we thought it might, and we really haven't used it very much since. We will probably look at it again before reviewing our £20-a-month subscription.'
Amanda Hack, a Labour MP, and Paul Kohler, a Lib Dem MP, have both expensed Grammarly, an AI writing aid which can proofread and rewrite passages of text, as well as help the user 'strike the right tone'.
Neither responded to questions about what they use it for.
At least 11 MPs, including Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, have claimed for Veed, an AI video editor which promises to make content more engaging.
Two MPs who use programmes with AI capabilities told The Telegraph that they do not make use of those features specifically.
The revelations show how AI use is becoming increasingly normalised in Westminster.
It emerged earlier tin 2025 that Peter Kyle, Science Secretary, has used ChatGPT to come up with policy advice.
He had previously said he used the chatbot to learn on the job, telling Politics Home it can be a 'very good tutor' when 'there are things that you really struggle to understand in depth'.
The Telegraph went on to reveal that five government departments had used AI to answer questions in Parliament, with Labour ministers accused of providing 'stock answers generated by a computer'.
Civil servants have also been told to abide by the mantra that 'no person's substantive time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker and to the same high quality and standard'.