Amid ongoing public sector reform, Keir Starmer’s Labour government must turn AI dialogue into tangible progress.
With a renewed focus on innovation and the launch of Matt Clifford’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, the stage is set for a meaningful digital transformation.
One of the most promising developments is agentic AI, a new generation of systems that go beyond supporting users to acting on their behalf, like an invisible colleague.
What makes agentic AI different is its ability to operate autonomously under human direction, using four key capabilities: reasoning, memory, task execution, and orchestration.
For UK public services, this offers vital support by automating time-consuming, repetitive tasks. Instead of a professional drafting a report after a consultation, agentic AI can generate it instantly.
It can also process routine paperwork, summarise legislative and research data into policy briefs, and, in a council meeting, capture key points, flag action items, and draft follow-up communications. This allows public servants to focus on higher-value work.
A highly effective way to adopt agentic AI is by embedding it into tools that people already use, whether for communication, collaboration, education, or service delivery. Seamless integration builds user trust, accelerates adoption, and avoids the disruption of entirely new systems.
However, public trust is essential. AI in public services must meet high standards for privacy, bias mitigation, and accountability.
Confidence starts with inclusive design, strong governance, and a focus on solving real-world problems.
When citizens see AI used responsibly and in their interest, it becomes more than a technical upgrade, it becomes a public asset.
With the right approach, agentic AI can support the UK government’s ambition for a more citizen-focused, efficient, and future-ready public sector.
Piers Horobin is the head of public sector UK at Zoom
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