UK Government department to use AI in benefits claims

• DWP announces four/six-year project to deploy AI in benefits call centers
• Claimants are on the rise, and millions of worker hours were wasted
• UK Government set to undergo a much bigger transformation

Britain's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is now seeking a contract for plans to deploy a conversational AI agent to help handle some benefit-related calls in the hope it can both improve experiences and reduce costs.

Part of the cost reduction will involve the up to £23.4 million (including VAT) spend on the project, up from the previous £10.8 million estimate, as the Government aims to drive for more efficiency.

The procurement notice calls for a natural language call steering system that allows citizens to speak naturally, allowing the system to identify intent and route calls effectively.