UK Government Trials AI Tool to Analyze Public Feedback on Cosmetic Procedures

The UK government has trialed an artificial intelligence tool named ‘Consult’ to analyze public responses to a Scottish government consultation on regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as botox and lip fillers. This marks the first known use of AI for this purpose in the UK. The AI tool reviewed 2,000 submissions and produced results nearly identical to those of human analysts, identifying themes and categorizing responses efficiently. ‘Consult’ is part of a broader suite of AI tools called ‘Humphrey,’ intended to reduce bureaucratic workload and save taxpayers an estimated £20 million initially, with potential savings of £45 billion across the public sector. While still in trial, the government emphasizes that humans will remain in the loop to verify the AI’s work. Officials have addressed concerns about AI hallucination and bias, noting that the tool’s limited scope reduces misinformation risks and that it may reduce human bias by limiting analysts’ subjective influence. Currently, ‘Consult’ only processes English-language responses, requiring translation for other UK languages. The government plans further evaluation before wider implementation, aiming to streamline public consultation analysis and governance costs.