The UK is using Microsoft Copilot to help write new laws

The UK government’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has confirmed it is actively using Microsoft Copilot to assist with drafting legislation and policy documents.

In a written parliamentary answer published on Friday (24 April), Minister Samantha Dixon revealed that the department has rolled out Microsoft Copilot across the organisation to boost efficiency for all staff, including policy professionals and legislation teams.

“Copilot is used by staff across the department including legislation and policy teams.

“The department is clear that document authors are fully accountable for policy judgement and conclusions and compliance with departmental, legal, and information governance, irrespective of whether or not AI has been used to assist with drafting,” se said.

The rollout included training and guidance emphasising that all AI-generated work must undergo rigorous human checking to ensure trustworthiness, reliability, and to avoid bias, she said.

She added that officials remain fully accountable for the final content, regardless of AI assistance.

Broader AI adoption in UK government

This disclosure comes amid wider UK public sector experimentation with generative AI.

Earlier trials of Microsoft 365 Copilot across multiple government departments showed productivity gains, with staff reporting time savings on routine tasks such as document drafting and summarisation.

Other parts of government have also embraced the tool. Courts and tribunals are testing Copilot for transcriptions, summarising judgments, and case scheduling.

In a somewhat ironic twist, several departments have also used AI tools, including Copilot, to help draft responses to parliamentary questions. Parliament itself has trialled Copilot, and judicial office holders have access via secure platforms.

In each of these cases, the government has consistently stressed human oversight. Guidance requires staff to verify AI outputs, and authors retain full responsibility for accuracy, legal compliance, and policy decisions.

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