PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Welfare System: Impact of AI - 13 November 2023 (Commons/Commons Chamber)
Debate Detail
Contributions from Sir Mel Stride, are highlighted with a yellow border.
Stephen Metcalfe
South Basildon and East Thurrock
Mel Stride
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
We have a number of projects that use artificial intelligence within the Department to drive performance, efficiency and the service we provide to our customers. One important point to bear in mind is that we never replace a human when it comes to judgments relating to a claim or an appeal.
Stephen Metcalfe
Will my right hon. Friend tell the House what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the use of AI in fraud protection? How will his Department ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place?
Mel Stride
Let me take the second of my hon. Friend’s points first. As I have outlined, there is always human intervention when it is appropriate. None the less, he is quite right to raise the issue of fraud and error. We have seen a reduction in the Department over the past year of some 10% across the benefit system, and much of that has been driven by machine learning and data analytics.
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