Government AI roll-outs threatened by outdated IT systems

The government's ambition to boost efficiency by embedding AI in all aspects of its work risks being undermined by out-of-date technology, poor quality data and a lack of skilled staff, an influential Commons committee has warned. The report by the cross-party public accounts committee (PAC) found that more than 20 government IT systems identified as "legacy", meaning out of date and unsupported, have yet to be given funding to improve them. Government research cited by the PAC in the report found that almost a third of central government IT systems met this definition in 2024. Keir Starmer's government has repeatedly stressed its desire to increase economic growth through the mass take-up of AI systems, including in the public sector. An official plan for the technology published in January called for the government to "rapidly pilot" AI-powered services, saying this would both increase productivity and improve people's experience of dealing with officialdom.