UK civil servants told to stop saying thank you to AI
Key Points
- UK government told civil servants to stop saying thank you to AI
- Guidance says AI uses more energy than standard tools
- Staff told to keep prompts short and use as few as possible
- Civil servants must check AI outputs and disclose AI use
The UK government has told civil servants to stop saying thank you to AI tools to cut energy use.
The advice appears in guidance on using AI ethically and sustainably, which the government published with a draft label on its AI Knowledge Hub.
The government said AI uses more energy and resources than standard tools, and that staff need to consider whether they need it at all.
It told civil servants to use AI efficiently by following several steps, including:
- Keeping prompts short, clear and direct
- Using as few prompts as possible, with no need to say thank you
- Only using AI when the task needs it
The hub also offers a prompt library with examples of short, direct prompts for staff to use.
The guidance makes civil servants responsible for any content or decisions they produce with AI.
Staff must check that AI outputs are accurate and fair, asking for sources and confirming figures before they use the content.
The government also told civil servants to tell people when they have used AI to help create or edit content.
Staff must keep personal or identifiable information out of AI tools and use systems their department provides for government work.
The government warned that AI systems may use the content people give them as training material.
The hub described the guidance as a starting point rather than a comprehensive guide, and said it does not constitute legal advice.
