AI agents could soon take on ‘boring life admin’ under new plans from the UK Government that will make dealing with public services easier, and even support people in finding new careers.

Already leaning heavily on frontier tech firms like OpenAI and AWS in its quest to modernise the state, the Government now wants their help to build AI agents that can fill in forms and book appointments within public services, as well as take on mundane tasks like finding flights, shopping for deals, or booking restaurants.

Aiming to streamline services between dozens of different agencies and save users hours of headaches, the technology secretary, Peter Kyle, said that, if rolled out, AI agents would allow the Government to ‘rethink and reshape’ how public services help people through crucial life moments.

To that end, the Government has invited tech companies and AI labs that have started working on this type of AI to team up with Whitehall experts to share their expertise and test their tech. 

They will be helped to build a prototype of their technology over six to twelve months, with the Government planning to retain ownership of the product under the first ‘National AI Tender’ as part of Labour’s AI Opportunities Action Plan.

“Using agentic AI to its full potential, we could provide a level of service to citizens across the country that was previously unimaginable – helping people to find better career opportunities, avoid wasting their time on government admin and more,” said Kyle.

“We are asking the world’s brightest AI developers to work in collaboration with our own brilliant AI teams as we test how valuable their latest tech can be in helping people in their day-to-day lives. 

“At each step, we’ll only progress if the technology can be used in a safe and reliable way – but if it works, we could be the first country in the world to use AI agents at scale.”

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While in the first instance, the tool will be trialled to help people with employment and skills, if successful, the Government will experiment further to see if AI can help with other life milestones.

For example, when moving home, AI agents could help you update the address on your digital driving licence, register you with a new GP, or register you in the correct constituency to vote, saving time and hassle.

The technology will be built in small and iterative stages, being consistently evaluated and rigorously tested, with an agentic AI solution possibly being rolled out across the country by the end of 2027.