By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Service
Nottinghamshire County Council is planning to use AI to improve its customer services, highways monitoring and social care.
Chatbots, sensors in the homes of people requiring support and AI-managed road repairs are already either being piloted or developed.
The council is due to approve the spending £500,000 towards using artificial intelligence to improve its services, with a report saying it could make better and faster decisions, and increase efficiency and productivity.
It says it recognises the risk of AI and intends to “deploy the software where it has no risk of producing incorrect answers and information”.
Monitoring the condition of the road network, residents’ access to digital information and services, and various aspects of care have been identified as areas where it could be used.
A report coming before the council’s cabinet next week (Thursday, July 25) will seek approval to replace outdated programmes which are coming to the end of their lives with AI-enabled ones.
The council is already in a pilot group of local authorities which started adopting the Microsoft’s 365 CoPilot AI in October 2023, and has around 250 software licenses in various areas.
It is working on chatbots that simulate conversations with humans, but admits “there are some challenges to overcome before this is deployed”.
It has also piloted sensors to allow vulnerable people needing care to live in their own homes for longer.
Road maintenance could also benefit, with the council working with its highways contractor VIA to explore how AI could better co-ordinate repairs.
The council will ask for £250,000 to purchase and set up two AI-enabled programmes, replacing the outdated ones which currently manage its HR, finance and social care records.
Another £250,000 is estimated to be needed for the dedicated teams to run and manage them.
The report promises that AI will deliver benefits, and won’t become a financial black hole due to “cost creep”.
An AI strategy is currently being developed to guide the wider rollout of the emerging technology.
Artificial intelligence technology has rapidly advanced in recent years, with the potential to change almost every area of life.
However there are also concerns about whether humans can manage and use its power, or whether AI will develop faster than we are able to regulate it.
