UK government issues draft rules for civil servants using AI tools

New internal guidance sets expectations on how staff should pick models, review outputs and use AI efficiently in daily work.

The UK government has drafted internal guidance on how civil servants should use AI tools, aiming to promote safe, fair and sustainable use in official work. The document tells staff to follow any department‑specific AI policies and to choose models appropriate to each task, such as using Gemini Flash instead of Gemini Pro or GPT Instant instead of GPT Thinking. It stresses that outputs from AI systems must be checked both for factual accuracy and for fair treatment of different users and groups, avoiding stereotypes or discriminatory language. The guide also reminds employees they remain responsible for any content or decisions that involve AI assistance, rather than the tools themselves. To reduce environmental impact and resource use, it advises using as few prompts as possible, keeping them short and clear, and notes that there is no need to thank chatbots for their responses.