AI in the UK Public Sector: A New Era of Productivity and Possibility

Friday 20th June 2025

Nathan Miller

Microsoft Program Manager

Author

Georgia Moore

Senior Public Sector Marketing Executive

Editor

The UK Government has taken a bold step into the future of work. In a landmark trial involving over 20,000 civil servants, generative AI tools, most notably Microsoft 365 Copilot, were tested across a range of departments to assess their impact on productivity, efficiency, and employee satisfaction. The results are not just promising - they’re eye-opening and transformative.

As the UKs Number 1 Copilot Partner, and one of few Microsoft Copilot JumpStart Partners, Bytes are perfectly placed to discuss this and how we have helped our 800 plus Copilot customers adopt AI.

Lets dive into the report.

The Trial: Scope and Purpose

From September to December 2024, the Government Digital Service (GDS) led a cross-departmental experiment to evaluate how AI could support civil servants in their daily tasks. The trial involved 12 major departments, including the DWP, HMRC, Home Office, and Welsh Government, making it the largest AI deployment in UK government history.

The goal? To understand beyond the hype, whether AI tools like M365 Copilot could:

Improve task quality and reduce time spent on routine work

Enhance job satisfaction

Support accessibility and inclusion

Deliver measurable productivity gains

Not only was the trial across several departments, it also covered a diverse range of job roles. Ensuring the best possible testing.

Key Findings: Time Saved, Value Gained, Productivity increased

The big takeaway? An average of 26 minutes saved per user per day. That equates to nearly 13 working days per year, per civil servant. When scaled across the civil service, this could free up the equivalent of 1,130 full-time employees annually, time that can be reinvested away from the basic work to higher-value, citizen-facing work. Driving change back into sector.

Other standout findings include:

82% of users said they wouldn’t want to return to pre-AI working conditions.

85% agreed Copilot provided good value to their organisation.

63% said it improved their satisfaction with their employer.

63% believed their productivity would decline without it.

Satisfaction score: 7.7/10

Recommendation score: 8.2/10

Want to see similar results across your organisation?

Join a Bytes Promptathon!

This hands-on, high-energy session gives your teams the opportunity to explore Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio in real-world scenarios. It’s the perfect way to uncover quick wins and build internal momentum—all within a safe, supportive environment.

Whether you're in IT, HR, Finance, Sales, Engineering, or beyond—any Copilot user is welcome!

Across the seven Promptathons we've run so far, with over 350 attendees, we’ve encouraged everyone to try, fail, learn, and try again. This risk-free space is proving to be a powerful catalyst for unlocking the innovation Copilot can bring.

Real-World Use Cases: From Admin to Impact

Departments used AI in several of practical, impactful ways. A key element I would like to highlight with the below examples is that is shows the departments pushing ahead with AI and moving beyond the simple actions, such as summarising an email or meeting (brilliant features of course). When we push beyond this phase of using AI, we move into more bespoke areas of use. It is in these areas where we will see greater productivity gains and increase our Return on Investment (ROI).

Companies House used Copilot to handle routine customer queries and draft responses faster.

DWP leveraged AI to personalise jobseeker support.

Policy teams used AI to summarise consultations and prepare reports more quickly.

Finance teams used Copilot to analyse documents, extract action points, and summarise technical content.

These examples show how AI can augment—not replace—human expertise, freeing up time for more meaningful work. These are perfect examples of how AI can, almost instantly, enable staff to work in a way which they could not before.

Need Help Scaling AI Across Your Teams?

Our Adoption & Change Management and range of AI Workshops ensure your people are supported every step of the way. From training to cultural alignment, we help you embed AI in a way that sticks and helps you drive meaningful change.

Time Savings by Task and Profession

Document drafting saved the most time: 24 minutes per session.

Presentation creation saved 19 minutes, though adoption was lower—suggesting room for growth.

Scheduling and communication tasks saved 9 minutes but were done more frequently.

8 out of 15 professions saved at least 26 minutes/day.

SEO to Grade 6 staff saved over 29 minutes/day on average.

Professions with the highest satisfaction scores—like project delivery and operational delivery—also saw the greatest productivity gains.

Build Confidence with Bytes AI Workshops

Our Copilot Workshops are designed to demystify AI, build digital confidence, and align tools with your organisation’s goals. Whether you’re just starting or scaling up, we tailor sessions to your business needs and staff personas.

Adoption Patterns and Engagement

Adoption rate peaked at 83% and remained stable.

Teams was the most used application (71% adoption), followed by Outlook (33% daily use) and Word (25% daily, 43% weekly).

Only 2% of users didn’t engage with Copilot at all.

Professions with higher AI familiarity saw greater time savings.

This reinforces the need for targeted training and change management to maximise ROI. In our experience training needs to be followed up with smaller, easy to consume sessions or videos, to really enforce the new learnings. It is also worth noting that companies who build out an internal Champions network will likely see a quicker adoption.

Accessibility and Inclusion: A Quiet Revolution

One of the most powerful outcomes was the positive impact on users with disabilities:

“M365 Copilot has added value through supporting me as a dyslexic and making my tone not only more refined but more sophisticated.”

“I have dyspraxia and M365 Copilot has been brilliant. Emails are so much easier when using M365 Copilot. It has saved me so much time and effort in creating work”

These testimonials highlight Copilot’s potential to enhance digital inclusion across the public sector. Copilot has helped level the playing field by supporting different working styles and reducing barriers to productivity. This not only helps boost the productivity of staff, but the increased inclusion will also have a positive effect on staff morale.

Challenges and Considerations

While the results were overwhelmingly positive, the trial also surfaced important considerations:

Nuanced or context-heavy tasks were more difficult for Copilot to handle.

Concerns about accuracy in sensitive areas like HR and finance were raised. Potentially resulting in a duplicate of effort.

Learning curve: Users needed time to learn effective prompting techniques. Users all have different levels of Digital confidence, this highlights the need upskilling

Tool evolution: Mid-trial updates (e.g., Copilot Agents) created some confusion but also excitement.

Security and data sensitivity: Some users were cautious about using AI for sensitive tasks, highlighting the need for clear governance, training and further conversations around Security tools such as Microsoft Purview.

These insights reinforce that technology alone isn’t enough—successful AI adoption requires a people-first approach. Staff will use Copilot in the initial phases, almost like that shinny new toy. However, to ensure a successful rollout and improved ROI it is imperative to ensure we are driving home the benefits of Copilot. If staff are not seeing benefits beyond the simple actions, adoption will drop off.

The Bigger Picture: AI and the Plan for Change

This trial is part of the UK Government’s broader Plan for Change and AI Opportunities Action Plan, which aims to modernise public services and save up to £45 billion through smarter use of technology. AI is central to this vision—not just as a cost-saving tool, but as a catalyst for innovation, growth, and better outcomes for citizens.

As Technology Secretary Peter Kyle put it:

“AI isn’t just a future promise—it’s a present reality.”

Ready to Start Your AI Journey?

Whether you're exploring AI for the first time or looking to scale, Bytes is here to help. From Promptathons to Workshops to Adoption & Change Management, we’ll guide you every step of the way.

Bytes are the UK’s Number 1 Copilot Partner. We manage 200,000 plus licenses across more than 800 customers, we have secured over 1.5M of funding for Copilot Projects and in just one of our Promptathons uncovered over 150,000 hours of savings and Business Process improvements.

What could we do for you?

Conclusion: A Turning Point for the Public Sector

AI is emerging as a transformative enabler in public service delivery—enhancing employment support through more effective job-matching, improving social care outcomes for the vulnerable, and increasing clinical capacity within the NHS.

The UK Government’s AI trial shows what’s possible when innovation meets intention. With the right tools, training, and support, AI can help civil servants do more of what matters—serving the public with speed, precision, and empathy.

The future of public service isn’t just digital—it’s intelligent.

For any further information or assistance, please feel free to reach out to our team at [email protected]

Want to keep informed? Sign up to our Newsletter