UK AI Action Plan: What Employers and HR Need to Do Now

The UK government's AI action plan: what it means for government employers and HR

Artificial intelligence is now practical, immediate and driving change across services. In January 2025, the UK government launched its AI action plan to keep the country competitive while improving outcomes for people, industry and the economy.

Built on a report led by Matt Clifford, the plan sets 50 recommendations with many already moving. The aim is clear: lead in safe, effective AI adoption across the UK.

The plan at a glance

• Laying the foundations to enable AI. Investment in infrastructure, governance and regulatory frameworks that support responsible innovation.
• Changing lives by embracing AI. Better service delivery, streamlined processes and improved quality of life for citizens.
• Securing our future with homegrown AI. Skills, start-up investment and strong innovation ecosystems that grow domestic capability.

Why this matters for government employers

AI reduces administrative load, improves decisions and increases productivity across departments and agencies. It can automate repetitive tasks so teams focus on complex work and frontline outcomes.

For smaller public bodies and ALBs, AI can simplify planning, records management and citizen support. Benefits compound over time: lower costs, greater efficiency, stronger competitiveness for funding and talent, and higher retention when staff get meaningful training.

Skills England: building the workforce

Skills England is focused on closing the digital skills gap and preparing the workforce for technological change. Priorities include boosting diversity in AI fields and supporting lifelong learning.

The AI Skills Fellowship backs apprenticeships that blend study with hands-on projects. Government is working with major partners, including organisations such as OpenAI, to give smaller employers access to tools, workshops and practical guidance on responsible adoption.

Cross-sector partnerships that deliver

Partnerships with universities, NHS Trusts and local authorities are encouraged to build AI solutions with real impact. High-value areas include healthcare, education, technology and manufacturing supply chains that support public services.

How HR and leaders can prepare now

• Assess AI readiness. Audit data quality, access, security and current digital capabilities.
• Identify quick wins. Target case triage, contact centre summaries, records management, procurement checks and document drafting.
• Upskill your team. Provide core training in AI literacy, prompt writing, data ethics and tool safety. Consider role-based learning paths.
• Use government programmes. Leverage funded training, regional initiatives and AI growth zones or local innovation hubs.
• Collaborate locally. Co-design pilots with universities, NHS partners and civic tech groups.
• Implement ethical AI policies. Align with UK guidance on transparency, human oversight and accountability.
• Develop internal protocols. Cover data protection, confidentiality, procurement due diligence and model lifecycle governance.
• Stay informed. Assign responsibility for monitoring policy updates and new standards; brief leaders quarterly.

Governance essentials for safe, effective use

• Maintain an AI register of use cases, owners, risks and mitigations.
• Run data protection and equality impact assessments before pilots scale.
• Keep a human in the loop for decisions that affect people or budgets.
• Test for bias and accuracy; log results and remediation steps.
• Set retention, audit and incident response policies for AI outputs.
• Provide staff guidance on secure prompts and sensitive data handling.
• Brief unions and worker reps early; agree guardrails and reskilling plans.

Make progress this quarter

Pick two low-risk use cases, run a 60-90 day pilot and track metrics: time saved, error rates, satisfaction and cost. Train teams weekly, not once.

If you need structured pathways by role, explore curated options at Complete AI Training.

Bottom line

The plan is moving, and the window to act is open. Government employers that start with clear use cases, strong governance and steady upskilling will see quicker wins and fewer risks.

Begin small, measure, iterate and share results across your organisation. That's how you build momentum and deliver better public services with AI.