New research from Appian shows strong optimism among public sector workers about artificial intelligence (AI) transforming public services. However, awareness among the public remains limited, with 75% of surveyed UK adults aged 18+ (representing approximately 41 million people*) unable to name a single way in which the public sector currently uses AI.
The 2026 UK Public Sector AI Adoption Outlook report surveyed 1,000 public sector workers and 1,000 UK citizens. It reveals a clear divide between those tasked with delivering AI-enabled services and those who use them. While two thirds (67%) of public servants believe it will improve public services over the next five years – rising to 87% among director-level leaders – only 44% of citizens share this optimism. Afigure closely mirrored by workers in administrative roles (40%).
This disconnect could be explained by the way AI is currently being deployed inside government. Nearly half (45%) of initiatives operate as bolt-on experiments or standalone tools rather than being embedded into core service workflows. Many applications remain invisible to citizens – limiting public awareness of where and how artificial intelligence is already in use.
“Too much AI in the public sector is still being used as a personal productivity tool rather than embedded into the processes that actually run services. When AI is treated as a bolt-on experiment or standalone tool, it struggles to deliver meaningful impact – our research shows nearly half of government’s application of AI falls into that trap. If organisations want AI to move beyond pilots and produce real value, it has to be integrated into core processes from the start.”
Peter Corpe, Industry Lead UK Public Sector at Appian
Public Trust in AI Remains Limited
Public trust in responsible AI use remains low across much of government. Fewer than half of UK citizens trust central government (39%) or local government (44%) to use it responsibly – placing government behind retailers (60%), banks (55%) and consumer technology companies (54%). The clear exception is the NHS, which commands a 63% net trust rating, making it the most trusted organisation for AI use across both public and private sectors.
Regarding AI making decisions without human oversight, 67% of public sector workers are comfortable with the technology selecting cases for tax or benefits compliance checks compared with 40% of citizens, while 56% of public sector workers support its use in analysing NHS scans versus 40% of citizens. Concerns about AI also extend beyond individual decisions, with the majority of the public worried about implications around data security and privacy (67%), job losses (63%), auditability of decisions (61%) and ethical oversight and bias (59%).
Fixing Processes Should Come Before Delivering AI at Scale
Inside government, enthusiasm for AI is tempered by concerns about execution. Less than a third (29%) of public sector workers say their organisation or department is delivering on most of its commitments. A similar proportion say they are moving slower than planned (27%), while a quarter (25%) identify a significant gap between AI strategy and delivery.
One year on from the AI Opportunities Action Plan, where the Government allocated £2bn to implement research and resources, the new research findings point to a growing disconnect between strategic ambition and service delivery reality. Nearly 9 in 10 public sector workers (89%) say their organisation is not fully able to leverage AI.
This delivery challenge is widely recognised by both public sector workers and citizens. A majority of public sector workers (55%) and citizens (56%) agree that existing processes must be fixed before new technologies are introduced, prioritising process improvement over deploying new AI tools.
“AI is only as good as the work you give it,” said Corpe. “This research shows strong belief in AI’s potential, but also a clear warning: without fixing the underlying processes first, it will struggle to deliver on its promise. Serious AI is not about experimentation or standalone tools – it’s about applying intelligence to the core processes that keep public services running.”
Different Priorities, Same End Goal
While both citizens and public sector workers agree that existing processes must be fixed as a priority, the research reveals contrasting expectations of what AI should deliver. Citizens want AI investment to deliver faster services (35%), improved public safety and fraud prevention (27%) and easier-to-use digital services (26%).
By contrast, public sector workers are more focused on efficiency gains (47%) and cost savings (41%), highlighting that citizens focus on outcomes they directly experience and public sector workers focus on how those outcomes are delivered.
The 2026 UK Public Sector AI Adoption Outlook was commissioned by Appian and conducted independently by Censuswide. The study surveyed 1,000 UK public sector workers, including 250 director-level respondents or above, and 1,000 UK citizens aged 18+.
The white paper can be downloaded here.
* 75% x 55 million UK population aged 18+ = 41 million (Source: Statbase, Population Ages 18+ UK)
- Data & AI
- Digital Strategy