TL;DR
The UK Government Digital Service plans to introduce an AI chatbot, GOV.UK Chat, to the GOV.UK app in early 2026, with a subsequent rollout across the main GOV.UK website. The system, built on OpenAI technology using a retrieval-augmented generation model, has been tested and modified after a pilot found accuracy problems.
What happened
The Government Digital Service (GDS) will deploy an AI chatbot called GOV.UK Chat to the GOV.UK app in early 2026 and later extend it across the GOV.UK website used by departments and services. GDS says the bot will answer everyday questions by drawing on content from multiple departments — including HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education — and delivering a single conversational response. The service has been under development for more than two years and is based on OpenAI technology using a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) approach, with personal data removed from its training sources. GDS ran a private 1,000-user pilot in late 2023 that found accuracy issues; after red-teaming and testing, the team added filters and rules to prevent the assistant from answering certain queries. The app has been in public beta since July and had nearly 260,000 downloads by November 24.
Why it matters
- Could simplify how citizens find cross-department information by consolidating answers into a single conversational response.
- Previous testing exposed factual errors, prompting added safeguards — a reminder that accuracy and trust remain central to public-facing AI.
- Use of third-party models and a RAG approach highlights dependence on external AI technology and on curated government content.
- Potential to expand into simple transactions would change how users interact with government services if implemented.
Key facts
- GOV.UK Chat will launch in the GOV.UK app in early 2026, with a later rollout across the GOV.UK website.
- The assistant is based on OpenAI technology and uses a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) model drawing on GOV.UK content.
- GDS says personal data has been stripped out of the content the model uses.
- Development has taken more than two years and included red-teaming exercises by government colleagues.
- A private pilot with 1,000 users in late 2023 found the chatbot sometimes produced inaccurate or outright wrong answers.
- Following testing, GDS added filters and rules designed to stop the chatbot from answering certain questions.
- The GOV.UK app has been in public beta since July and had nearly 260,000 downloads by November 24.
- GDS intends the chatbot to combine material from multiple departments, including HMRC, DWP and the Department for Education, into single conversational answers.
- GDS is exploring whether the assistant could carry out simple transactions in future.
What to watch next
- Whether GOV.UK Chat will be enabled to perform simple transactions and what scope that would cover — not confirmed in the source.
- How the accuracy and safety measures (filters and rules) perform at scale once the service is publicly rolled out.
- Exact timetable and phased schedule for the sitewide rollout across GOV.UK beyond the app launch — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- GDS (Government Digital Service): The UK government unit responsible for digital services and strategy for GOV.UK and related public-sector technology projects.
- GOV.UK Chat: The name given by GDS for the planned AI chatbot that will answer user questions using GOV.UK content.
- Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG): A method that combines information retrieval from documents with a generative model to produce answers grounded in source content.
- Red-teaming: A testing approach in which individuals attempt to find vulnerabilities, errors or ways to break a system to improve its resilience.
- OpenAI: A developer of advanced AI models and tools; cited as the underlying technology used by GOV.UK Chat in this project.
Reader FAQ
When will GOV.UK Chat launch?
The chatbot is scheduled to appear in the GOV.UK app in early 2026; a wider rollout across GOV.UK will follow, though no specific date was given.
What technology does the chatbot use?
GDS says the assistant is based on OpenAI technology and uses a retrieval-augmented generation model that draws on GOV.UK content with personal data removed.
Will the chatbot be able to complete transactions?
GDS is exploring whether it could carry out simple transactions, but that capability is not confirmed in the source.
Were there problems in testing?
A private pilot in late 2023 involving 1,000 users found accuracy issues; GDS responded by adding filters and rules after red-teaming exercises.
PUBLIC SECTOR 42 GOV.UK to unleash AI chatbot on confused citizens Coming with added 'filters and rules' after prototype spat out inaccurate or outright wrong responses SA Mathieson Fri 19 Dec 2025 //…
Sources
- GOV.UK to unleash AI chatbot on confused citizens
- GOV.UK has entered the Chat: our vision for GOV.UK Chat
- GOV.UK readies AI chatbot for 2026 rollout-guardrails on …
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