Civil Servants Turn to AI Ministers to Test Policy Plans
The Spectator Australia
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Details
- Date Published
- 7 May 2025
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- No
- Created
- 9 May 2025, 02:54 pm
Description
Well, well, well. It transpires that civil servants working across Whitehall are turning to artificial intelligence to figure out how different policy proposals will be received by their real…
Summary
The article reveals that civil servants in Whitehall are using AI 'clones' of government ministers to evaluate policy ideas before presenting them to actual politicians. This approach allows departments such as the Department for Education and the Home Office to simulate the reception of their policy proposals. While the use of AI in this context is innovative, the implications for AI safety are limited to concerns about the accuracy and ethical considerations of using AI models to predict human political reactions. The content does not specifically address existential or catastrophic AI risks, making its contribution to global AI safety discourse minimal.
Body
Steerpike9 May 20254:00 AM9 May 20254:00 AMShare ThisTwitterFacebookLinkedInEmailWell, well, well. It transpires that civil servants working across Whitehall are turning to artificial intelligence to figure out how different policy proposals will be received by theirrealgovernment ministers. Mandarins from the Department for Education, the Home Office and even the Cabinet Office have been clocked signing up to software that enables them to chat with and test new ideas on AI ‘clones’ of senior politicians – before they take them to their human equivalents.Unlimited access to spectator.com.au and appThe weekly edition on the Spectator Australia appSpectator podcasts and newslettersFull access to spectator.co.ukOrUnlock this articleREGISTERWhat to read nextBiden has learned nothing from his foreign-policy experienceDaniel DePetrisStarmer can’t afford a winter fuel U-turnMichael SimmonsNo. 10 sends lobby journalists to CoventrySteerpikeWill Jacob Rees-Mogg return to frontline politics?SteerpikeCarla Denyer quits as Green party co-leaderSteerpikeCould Reform become the official opposition in Scotland?SteerpikeCommentsDon't miss outJoin the conversation with otherSpectator Australiareaders. Subscribe to leave a comment.SUBSCRIBEAlready a subscriber?Log in