AI chatbot for government queries

The government has made a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool available on the GOV.UK app called GOV.UK Chat. It draws on official government guidance, including tax, to answer questions. 

According to the government press release, GOV.UK Chat is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot designed for people to ask questions in plain language and receive instant, clear and ‘reliable’ answers drawn from official government information. The aim is to reduce demand for helpline services and speed up searches for information on the GOV.UK website.

Users of the AI chatbot will be able to get answers on a range of subjects, including tax. It is important to note GOV.UK Chat has limitations. While it uses HMRC guidance on the GOV.UK website to source answers to tax questions, it does not source information from HMRC’s manuals.

This makes it unlikely to be useful beyond answering basic tax questions.
Businesses should also be aware that GOV.UK Chat is only available on the GOV.UK app. This means any use by your staff that is related to your business will likely be on their personal devices using personal logins, which could raise privacy and data security concerns.

Additionally, as with any AI tool, the answers given may not be accurate or complete and ‘hallucinations’ can cause AI tools to present incorrect responses as fact.