Addressing an audience in Hull today (13 March) UK Prime Minister Starmer outlined plans to fundamentally reshape the British state. Starmer said that “AI was a golden opportunity” that would create public sector efficiency savings of £45bn.
“If we push forward with digital reform of government – and we are going to do that, we can make massive savings,” said Starmer pledging to “get the best of best on AI working across government.”
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The Prime Minister’s plan includes sending specialist teams into every government department with a clear mandate from the top to make the state more innovative and efficient using technology.
Plans include dismantling NHS England, the body charged with administering and budgeting for the UK’s health service.
James Hall, vice president and general manager UK&I, Snowflake
“The government has been consistent in its outlook and ambitions around AI. But as the Prime Minister has pointed out, AI use within the public sector must be accountable, with every pound spent and every decision made aimed at delivering for working people.
“Centralising, securing and scaling data for AI applications, enabling organisations to confidently achieve measurable outcomes, will be key here. AI systems are only as powerful as the data they’re trained on, making high-quality, accessible data essential. Rather than struggling with a reactive approach tackling new technology case by case which can be costly, the government should also focus on AI governance frameworks that proactively seek ways to address challenges, such as privacy and autonomy. Data sharing across trusted ecosystems will help the government reach its goals, but also ensure its use of AI is accountable, free of bias and measurable.”
Damian Stirrett, group vice president & general manager UK&I, ServiceNow
“The Prime Minister’s announcement to “reshape” the state offers a huge opportunity to reinforce the UK’s ambitions to be an AI leader across the public sector. The private sector is already proving what’s possible—AI-driven automation is cutting error rates by up to 50% and reducing casework time by over a third. AI, and Agentic AI in particular, will be central to a successful and sustainable transformation, and it is promising to hear Keir Starmer’s plans for greater use of AI in the civil service. Agentic AI is the new frontier, delivering predictability and efficiency across organisations. Investing and implementing Agentic AI will enable the civil service, and public state as a whole, to meet demands faster, smarter, and at scale. Today’s pledge is one of many important steps the UK is taking to becoming a true AI leader.”
Ian Jeffs, UK&I general manager, Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group
“The UK Government’s move to integrate AI into the civil service is a proactive step towards improving efficiency and modernising public services. There has been huge demand for the public sector to adopt emerging technology, and the latest announcement reinforces this ambition. Research by Lenovo reveals that UK spending on AI has increased by 84% since 2024, which demonstrates a wider shift in priorities for business leaders, echoed across both the private and public sector.
“However, while investment and confidence in AI continue to grow, critical challenges remain around training staff, poor data quality and scaling initiatives. Careful implementation is required by governmental departments to ensure the right frameworks are in place to enable innovation and productivity. For it to be considered a success, the UK Government must be proactive and implement impactful AI solutions that showcase ROI and turn words into actionable outcomes.”
Rupal Karia, general manager, UKI & MEA at Celonis
“Government systems are complex, with a lot of important information being shared between teams and across disparate systems. There are some obvious quick wins for the Government in automating tasks through AI that are currently reliant on out-dated processes and require a lot of manual input. This will free up civil servant time, but AI can only be as effective as the data that is available to it.
“However the risk is in deploying AI without systems speaking the same language and having the same organisational context. This is only possible through Process Intelligence platforms like Celonis. We are excited to build on our work with the Cabinet Office to streamline its Shared Services for Government computer system which serves half a million civil servants. Without getting the processes and data in order first there is a risk of the government adding another layer of complexity to the civil service instead of easing workloads and saving costs.”
Neal Riley, co-founder and GM, Salable, The Adaptavist Group
“The ‘golden opportunity’ that Starmer is right to recognise the role that technology plays in the transformation of how organisations work. The top-down mandate for greater “innovation and efficiency” however will not be a simple undertaking, and AI alone will not solve this problem.
“The power that Starmer alludes to about AI only comes from understanding the real challenges that face the government today, and tactically and surgically using technology coupled with proper operational change. It is focusing on the human experience throughout the process of changing the shape and role of these civil service departments that will ensure that technology, including that which comes from AI, is put to best use. Organisations that benefit the most from AI rollouts are often digital natives who already have a culture of adopting modern technology and trends. The Government historically doesn’t fit this kind of description, and a serious technology upgrade needs to be applied before this kind of technology can actually meet the full expectations that Starmer set out.”
Levent Ergin, chief climate, sustainability & GenAI strategist at Informatica
“Turbocharging AI adoption in Whitehall isn’t as simple as a tech and personnel pivot. It needs accurate, integrated and well-governed data, to fuel the AI engine, ensuring AI can enhance human decision making. It is this data engine that is proving to be an Achilles’ heel for many organisations wanting to turn AI adoption into impact.
“In the UK only 38%* of organisations successfully transition AI pilots into production – with nearly half citing technology limitations (43%), alongside data quality, readiness and completeness (39%), as the primary challenges holding them back (Informatica CDO study, published Jan 2025).
“But it is about more than technology. The transition to an AI enabled government, will require the right skillsets across departments and human oversight to ensure the data powering AI is correct. That means AI-ready employees who understand how to use the technology, and this means a significant amount of training. Our research shows organisations in the UK expect this training period to typically take just over a year. Getting this right means that valuable insights won’t be left undiscovered and productivity gains can be realised.”
