Here’s a summary based on the original article from PublicTechnology:
Major UK Government Copilot Trial: Key Findings
Scope:
20,000 civil servants
12 government departments
3-month pilot (end of last year)
Led by the Government Digital Service (GDS) and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
Key Results:
Average time saved: 26 minutes/day per participant (about 13 workdays/year)
Consistency: Benefits were found across all grades and most professions, though actual savings varied by role
Adoption: 80% used Copilot with at least one M365 app
Teams had the highest adoption (71%)
Word, Outlook, Copilot Chat around 50%
PowerPoint and Excel under 25%
Usage:
39% used Copilot more than once daily
43% used it several times each week
Only 2% did not use it at all
Professional Differences:
Highest savings:
Project delivery: 35 mins/day
Commercial: 32 mins
Operations, digital/data, comms: 31 mins
HR, policy: 29 mins
Finance, analysis: 25 mins
Lowest:
Legal: 19 mins
Tax: 11 mins
User Sentiment & Value:
85% said Copilot provided good value to their department
63% felt job satisfaction and productivity would drop without it
Average satisfaction score: 7.7/10
Average recommendation: 8.2/10
Commonly Saved Tasks:
Drafting written documents and presentations
Challenges Noted:
The lowest satisfaction and time savings came from teams dealing with nuance/contradictory data (like policy roles), sometimes leading to more cautious usage
Users identified needs for more effective prompting, skill-building, and concern about accuracy, reliability, dependency, and even environmental impact
Next Steps Highlighted by Government:
Focus deployment on professions showing both highest and lowest time savings for further study
More attention on accessibility use cases and inclusion (noted benefits for disabled staff)
Continued tracking and evaluation through a dedicated AI adoption unit in GDS
Participating Departments Included:
DWP, HMRC, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, DESNZ, DSIT, FCDO, DEFRA, Department for Business & Trade, Companies House, ONS, Welsh Government
Conclusion:
Microsoft Copilot helped deliver significant average daily time savings for a large cross-section of UK public sector staff, with most seeing value in its continued use, but its impact varies with the type of work and level of user skill/confidence.
Read the full report on PublicTechnology.net. Let me know if you need the direct quotes, infographics, or a deeper dive on a particular department or role! Source: PublicTechnology Major government Copilot trial finds half an hour average time savings per day