Introducing Local AI

Local AI is a new team in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), working with councils to support the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) across local government. We focus on the real pressures councils face and work in partnership with the sector to tackle shared problems.

Our goal is to accelerate and enable the responsible use of AI across local government to drive efficiency, reduce costs and improve services. Our mission is to amplify the brilliant innovation already happening, reduce duplication, and create reusable tools in collaboration with councils.

This work supports the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, particularly the principle of building digital tools once and reusing them across the public sector.

Minister Dixon, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at MHCLG who has responsibility for AI in Local Government said:

“Local government is where people see the real impact of good public services. This programme is about giving councils the confidence and practical tools to use AI in ways that genuinely help - cutting down admin, freeing up staff time, and ultimately improving outcomes for local people.

We’re not imposing solutions from the centre. Instead, we’re learning from the excellent work already happening in councils and helping it scale up, so more places can benefit.”

Why we're doing this

Councils are under increasing pressure. Many frontline staff spend large amounts of time managing information across multiple systems, re-entering data, or writing up notes. In services like social care and housing, this can reduce the time available to support people directly.

Some councils are already making progress with AI, while others are still building the data foundations, confidence and capacity they need to begin. The AI market can feel complex and fast moving, and it is not always clear which tools are safe, appropriate, and offer value for money. Local AI exists to help councils navigate this space with clarity and confidence, so AI adoption is easier, safer and more impactful.

What we're focused on

Local AI has two connected areas of focus:

1. Building and scaling solutions

Building AI tools once and making them reusable Amplifying and scaling locally developed tools

2. Strengthening foundations

Improving data quality and availability Supporting safe, secure and responsible AI use Helping councils navigate the AI market

What we've been doing

Over the past year, we’ve focused on understanding where AI can add the most value in local government. This has included:

discovery work on pressures in temporary accommodation services and the potential to scale an AI transcription and summarisation tool developed by the Incubator for AI (i.AI) close collaboration with partners across the sector, including Local Digital, GDS Local, i.AI and the Local Government Association participation in the Local Government Innovation Hackathon on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping establishing the Mayoral Data Council to improve data quality and availability.

This work has shown that well targeted AI can reduce administrative burden, free up frontline time and support earlier, more consistent interventions.

What we're doing now

We are moving into delivery and expanding our work in areas where AI can make a practical difference. This includes:

incubating high impact use cases in temporary accommodation developing a new transcription tool for public-facing workers based on i.AI’s Minute tool. running further discovery work in other service areas learning from local innovation and identifying ideas that can be reused supporting councils to strengthen data quality, ethics and safety practices.

This helps ensure we are solving the right problems and that councils help shape our roadmap from the start.

Get involved

Local AI only works if it works for councils – so we want to work with councils and others across the local government sector to help shape our work.

You can:

work with us to influence our current and future phases of work share with us about value and impact you are creating in your council with AI register your interest as an early adopter attend show and tells, roundtables and discussions.

Get in touch by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..