AQW 46127/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 13/05/2026
Answered On Date: 03/06/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail how Artificial Intelligence is being used by, and within (i) his Department; and (ii) the arm's length bodies sponsored by his Department.

Answer:

My Department uses Artificial Intelligence in a limited and targeted way to support service delivery and internal operations. Microsoft Copilot is available to support productivity, improve consistency, and assist staff in day-to-day tasks. In addition, the Department’s Mail Opening Unit uses an AI-powered Strategic Scanning Solution to classify incoming benefit-related correspondence.

With the exception of Foras na Gaeilge, the Local Government Staff Commission and the Ulster-Scots Agency, all Arm’s Length Bodies sponsored by my Department have access to Microsoft Copilot. It is used to summarise and draft documents, generate images, conduct research, and answer questions.

Armagh Observatory and Planetarium also uses tools such as ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot to support scientific coding, as well as generative AI tools to prepare educational and promotional materials. Machine learning techniques are used in astrophysics research.

Libraries NI uses AI-enabled functionality to support IT helpdesk services.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive uses AI-enabled systems including:

Microsoft Fabric to support data analysis and decision-making;

Predictive analytics to identify tenants at risk of falling into rent arrears, enabling early intervention; and

An AI-solution which deploys robotic processes to interact with Department for Work and Pensions portals, Housing Management and Finance systems, to automatically check tenancy details.