UK Government Minister Praises Sky News AI-Generated Spending Review Projection
In a recent development, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, has commended Sky News for its pioneering use of artificial intelligence (AI) in generating a spending review projection. The projection, which was created using ChatGPT, was compared to the real spending review delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday.
According to Sky News, Jones scored the AI-generated projection 70% accurate, calling it "pretty good". The projection was created by feeding the Treasury’s spring statement, past spending reviews, and Institute for Fiscal Studies’ projections into ChatGPT, 10 days ahead of the review.
The AI projection correctly identified defence and health as the biggest winners, and the Foreign Office as the biggest loser. It also highlighted challenges for departments such as the Home Office and environment. However, the projection suggested that the education budget would be smaller than it ultimately turned out to be.
As Sky News reports, Jones noted that the Treasury made some accounting changes to "mega projects" that the AI could not have anticipated, which affected the accuracy of the projection. Despite this, he stated that the use of AI in generating the projection was "pretty, pretty good".
The use of AI in government processes is set to increase, with the spending review including AI as a tool to save money in various government processes. Jones also revealed that the Treasury has its own AI, called HMT GPT, which helps pull together information across government to inform decision-making.
In an interview with Sky News, Jones joked that the use of AI could potentially put him out of a job in the future, saying "I could be out of a job next time in 2027, which to be honest, it’s not a bad idea given the process I’ve just had to go through."
The accuracy of the AI-generated projection has sparked debate about the role of AI in government decision-making. As Sky News notes, the use of AI in this context is a significant development, and one that could have far-reaching implications for the way government operates.
The news has also raised questions about the potential for AI to replace human decision-makers in the future. However, as Jones noted, the use of AI is intended to support decision-making, rather than replace it.
In conclusion, the use of AI in generating a spending review projection has been praised by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The accuracy of the projection has sparked debate about the role of AI in government decision-making, and the potential for AI to support or replace human decision-makers.
For more information on this story, viewers can watch Sky News‘ video on the topic, which provides further analysis and insights from experts in the field.
The Sky News report also highlighted that Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review is available to watch in full, providing viewers with a comprehensive understanding of the key takeaways from the review.
Experts believe that AI will play a significant role in shaping the future of government decision-making, and stories like this one will continue to be followed by Sky News.
