At the Scrutiny Committee meeting on 1 July 2025, the Committee requested a review of the Council’s AI Strategy. Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focussed Services and Council Companies, Tom Hook, Deputy Chief Executive – City and Citizens, and Helen Bishop, Director of Communities and Citizens' Services will be in attendance to present the report and answer questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and agree any recommendations.

At the Scrutiny Committee meeting on 1 July 2025, the Committee requested a review of the Council’s AI Strategy. The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focussed Services and Council Companies, the Deputy Chief Executive for City and Citizens, the Director of Communities and Citizens' Services, and the People Programme Manager were present to respond to questions.  

Councillor Chapman introduced the report, noting that the strategy supplements the Council’s existing AI policy. The Committee understood that the report outlined how the progression of AI use would be managed in the future with reference to clear principles and a governance framework. Councillor Chapman emphasised the challenges of AI as it rapidly evolves and the need to keep it continuously under review, but also the exciting opportunities it offers, including for current apprentices within the council and for wider organisational efficiency. The Committee were informed that these apprenticeships are being funded via a government levy. Councillor Chapman concluded by urging the Committee not to be too prescriptive in any recommendations put forward as to allow the productive development of AI with time.  

The Director of Communities and Citizens' Services emphasised that the strategy seeks to curate a safe introduction for AI mechanisms within the organisation and to maintain a fair balance between safety and responsibility alongside creativity. The Committee learned of the steering groups which have been developed to assess and monitor the Council’s expansion of AI.   

Councillor Miles suggested an open question focused on whether security and GDPR had been considered within the Council’s expansion of AI.  

Councillor Corais queried the savings targets mentioned in the report, specifically how they had been set up and managed. 

The Director of Communities and Citizens' Services, in response to Councillor Miles, emphasised that the Council manages AI within a highly secure environment, and the current policy ensures employees use tools that are confined within the Microsoft environment. This ensures that all organisational data remains within a compliant boundary and risk is naturally minimised; data and audit trails are also maintained. The Committee were assured that this is assessed by the steering groups which ensures compliance with necessary protocols. In response to Councillor Corais, the Director of Communities and Citizens' Services explained that no specific target has been set in relation to AI, instead the report references savings in relation to an existing target for transformation programmes. The Committee heard future assessments would determine whether efficiency savings could be made using AI. 

The Deputy Chief Executive for City and Citizens also noted that the Council would assess future savings from AI and referenced some local authorities already doing so. It was emphasised that the savings would focus on how staff use AI tools, not the replacement of staff with AI.    

The Chair noted that the strategy references making decisions about when ethical AI can be deployed and asked whether there is a process for making these decisions. Specifically, it was asked what areas AI may be allowed into, and what parameters this would be based on. 

The People Programme Manager emphasised that the process is still being tested and refined through the steering group. In reference to Microsoft CoPilot, the Committee heard that monitoring is currently focused on how officers are using the tool to create and engage with AI agents and the protection and management of sensitive data within this. The People Programme Manager outlined other steering groups which also exist to monitor the application of AI in specific departments, and the process which these projects must complete before reaching the Organisation Change Board, chaired by the Deputy Chief Executive for City and Citizens.  

Councillor Qayyum asked whether CoPilot would be the only AI tool taken forward by the Council, or whether others are also being considered. 

The People Programme Manager noted that all current trials within the organisation only use CoPilot. The Committee were assured that procurement guidelines are being reviewed to facilitate the rollout of other AI tools which considers factors such as environmental sustainability credentials.  

The Chair asked whether there is a reporting process for AI related incidents, and whether examples of inaccurate or negative outcomes are recorded.   

The People Programme Manager confirmed that relevant training is being developed and delivered to all staff on how to use AI tools safely, and some staff are asked to fill out logs to record learning and disadvantages. This allows issues to be reviewed.   

Councillor Miles asked what the Council’s approach to transcriptions through AI is, and how third-party tools can be managed from an operational perspective.  

The People Programme Manager clarified that the question related more to the AI policy than strategy but summarised that transcription is permitted in line with consent guidance which applies to meeting attendees where AI is used; human checking still occurs even when AI transcription has been utilised. In relation to third-party add-ons, the Committee heard that a process is being developed with the IT team to stop this until authorisation has been confirmed by the organisation.  

Councillor Taylor asked how the use of AI generated content on the Council’s public website, for example, would be managed and viewed by the organisation.  

Councillor Chapman emphasised that officers would remain responsible for any content they published using AI, and human checking would still be required to ensure organisational and induvial accountability remains.  

The Chair, in conversation with officers, confirmed there are currently no AI situations within the Council where there is no human responsible for checking output.  

The Committee made no recommendations to Cabinet. 

The Chair thanked the officers. 

The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focussed Services and Council Companies, the Deputy Chief Executive for City and Citizens, and the Director of Communities and Citizens' Services left the meeting.