UK Government Partners with Anthropic to Launch Claude-Based Assistant for GOV.UK
The UK Government is working with Anthropic to pilot an AI assistant that helps people get the right support from GOV.UK faster. Built with Claude, the tool gives personalized guidance through services and tasks, starting with employment and skills.
For public sector CX leaders, this is about two things: better citizen outcomes and smarter use of front-line capacity. The aim is simple-quicker answers for the public, fewer repetitive contacts for teams, and clear safeguards around data.
What's Launching-and Why It Matters
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is developing and testing the assistant to provide practical advice and efficient service access. Anthropic will support with models, tools, and research to help government teams understand AI behavior and deploy it responsibly at scale.
Pip White, Head of UK, Ireland, and Northern Europe at Anthropic, said, "We're excited to partner with the UK government to help deliver on the AI Opportunities Action Plan. This partnership with the UK government is central to our mission. It demonstrates how frontier AI can be deployed safely for the public benefit, setting the standard for how governments integrate AI into the services their citizens depend on."
How the Assistant Works (Pilot Scope)
- Initial focus: employment and skills support-finding jobs, accessing training, and understanding employment-related options.
- Personalized guidance that keeps context across interactions, so people don't repeat themselves.
- Acts as a process guide, not just a basic FAQ-walking users through steps and linking to the right services.
Rollout follows DSIT's "Scan, Pilot, Scale" approach, so the tool is tested, learned from, and improved before wider release.
Safety, Privacy, and Accountability
DSIT and Anthropic signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2025 on AI opportunities-covering research collaboration on capabilities, risks, and secure use in public services. The pilot is built to meet UK privacy law, with clear choices for citizens, including the ability to switch off memory at any time.
For transparency and governance, see DSIT's official work and updates on GOV.UK: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Benefits for Customers and CX Teams
- Faster resolutions with clear, conversational answers that match someone's situation.
- Step-by-step help through tasks like job search and training, reducing time spent clicking through pages.
- Lower call and email volumes on routine queries, freeing experts for complex or sensitive cases.
- More consistent guidance and 24/7 availability for core information.
What This Means for Your Team
- Map your top contact drivers and define intents and flows the assistant should handle first.
- Tighten knowledge articles so the AI (and agents) get the same, current source of truth.
- Set clear escalation paths, with ownership and SLAs when a human needs to step in.
- Lock in data rules: consent, retention, redaction, memory controls, and audit trails.
- Train advisors to co-pilot with Claude-spot-check outputs, leave notes, and improve prompts.
- Instrument metrics: deflection rate, time to resolution, CSAT, escalation accuracy, and privacy incidents.
Rollout and Measurement
Expect iterative releases. Start small, measure hard, then widen scope. Track the mix of automation and human support so nothing critical falls through the cracks.
- Short term: quick wins on repetitive queries, better self-service discovery.
- Mid term: deeper process guidance, cross-journey context, and reduced repeat contacts.
- Ongoing: safety reviews, data audits, and continuous improvement on quality and equity.
The Wider AI Strategy
This work supports the UK's goal to strengthen its role in global AI, attract talent and investment, and build capacity in frontier tech across public services. DSIT also launched CustomerFirst to apply proven CX methods from the private sector to reduce wait times and repetitive forms.
Anthropic's UK team continues to support both public sector and business adoption. As Chris Ciauri, Managing Director of International at Anthropic, noted, the team is helping transform services across startups and enterprises, including organizations like WPP and London Stock Exchange Group.
Get Ready
If you're leading CX or service transformation in government, this is the moment to align your content, processes, and data controls so AI support actually sticks. Want structured upskilling on Claude for your team? Consider this practical certification: Claude Certification for Public-Sector and CX Use Cases.
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