AQW 20338/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 10/01/2025
Answered On Date: 20/01/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance to detail any pilot programmes planned to demonstrate the potential of generative Artificial Intelligence in the public sector.

Answer:

The adoption and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the Department of Finance offers many opportunities to examine how processes and procedures could be improved to drive efficiencies and effectiveness across the Department.

To investigate this new technology, while being cognisant of the risks, my Department is running a few small-scale Proof of Value (PoV) projects to examine the use of AI in a controlled and measured way to understand how this technology can deliver value in the public sector.

One of these PoVs is to investigate how a chatbot can reduce complexity, save time, and make interactions with a government service simpler and faster. The technology responds to user questions using existing published information. Another PoV involves the use of an AI coding assistant that helps our developers become more efficient in writing code, quickly identifying and rectifying errors, increasing efficiency and productivity.

I am also aware that some other departments are embarking on similar projects to assess the value of harnessing the potential of generative AI.