Phone waiting times for public services could be cut in half after successful AI trial, minister suggests
Phone centre waiting times for public services could be cut in half by using AI, a minister has suggested.
Speaking to Sky News, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the technology was “win-win” as it will save the taxpayer money and make the public experience better.
“I am determined to drive this technology through the government,” he added.
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Long waiting times has long blighted those trying to access services like Citizens Advice, HMRC and the DVLA.
But with the government talking of an AI revolution, one trial has used the tech to drastically reduce the volume of minutes spent on hold.
The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) teams in Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford have managed to cut the average phone call length from eight minutes to four in a months’ long trial.
The AI helper, Caddy, was developed in house by the team in Manchester. Its success led to interest from the government, and there are now hopes it can be expanded into public services.
CAB is run as a series of charities. There are hopes Caddy will be rolled-out nationwide across the service later this year.
The Caddy software was first developed at the Citizens Advice Bureau. Pic: iStock
Rather than a robotic voice answering and directing callers, the software helps workers answer queries faster – and with greater confidence.
Stuart Pearson, the head of innovation at the CAB team in Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford, told Sky News: “Caddy frees our advisers to focus on what truly matters – listening, understanding, and providing personalised support to people during challenging times. This technology helps our staff and volunteers work more efficiently, but that person-to-person contact remains central to our service.
“For us, Caddy represents our commitment to embracing innovation while preserving the personal touch that has defined Citizens Advice for over 80 years. We want to use AI responsibly to help our people do even more good in communities across the country.”
The new system replaces the old ways of working, which including having to consult with colleagues and manually searching documentation – all of which required putting users on hold.
Instead, phone handlers can ask AI a question and quickly receive an answer based only on approved sources. The response is still checked by a senior member of staff.
“People won’t know when they’re calling that the person who is answering the call and assisting them is using the power of AI to get the right information to them much, much quicker – that means it’s a better experience,” Mr Kyle said.
“They get the information quicker, they can start to tackle the issues they’re calling about, you know, much more rapidly than before.
“And it also means that those volunteers working in Citizen’s Advice can actually speak to more people and help more people.”
The AI chatbot Caddy. The owl was the original symbol of Citizens Advice. Pic: DSIT
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When Labour came to power last year, they inherited creaking public services, with public confidence in the sector plummeting.
One poll from Ipsos released a month before the general election found that three quarters of Britons believed public services had worsened since 2019.
And a report on the sector released by the Institute for Government at the end of 2023 said: “Public services that have for years been creaking are now crumbling.”
Concerns were rife about issues like long phone waiting times. His Majesty’s Revenue And Customs (HMRC) was accused by MPs of deliberately cutting off tens of thousands of calls in a bid to get them using online services.
The department said the claims were “completely baseless”.
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The technology secretary was keen to emphasise the point of the AI assistant was to make interactions “more human” – and callers wouldn’t know it was being used.
Mr Kyle said: “HMRC, for example, has 100,000 conversations every single day.
“Imagine if we, on that scale, could halve the amount of time that people need to spend having that conversation, they have more time to do the things that they need to be doing, or actioning the things they are calling the help centre for in the first place.
“But also it means that the people who are delivering that service can speak to more people and therefore the service gets better.”
Away from trying to provide a better service, AI could pave a way for the government to save money.
Mr Kyle said that “headcount, costs, people, go into the decisions that departments make”.
But he also wants to drive a better quality of service through a digital transformation.
“That is an absolute priority, and there will be other productivity gains along the way.” he said. “And we’re determined to deliver on both.”
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Unions, however, want to make sure the government works alongside workers in a bid to prevent job losses.
Mike Clancy, the general secretary of Prospect, previously said there are “potentially large positives” for the use of AI in the civil service.
“But to make any technology work properly and to minimise the risks involved it needs to be introduced in consultation with their workforce, not imposed on them,” he added.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
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