Leaders are being told to “treat AI like a new colleague, not just new tech”. For councils and public service organisations, the challenge is turning that idea into a practical, low-risk plan you can start next week. At Datnexa, we work with local authorities to deploy AI assistants like “Hey Geraldine” that are governed, measurable and actually used in day‑to‑day work. This guide translates recent thinking on AI agent onboarding into a simple, six‑step approach for public se

The Public Sector AI Adoption Index for 2026 shows a UK public sector that is curious, motivated and increasingly trained, but not yet systematically supported to use AI in the flow of real work. 74% of public servants globally now use AI, with most adoption happening in the past year. The UK is part of this wave. The UK scores relatively well on education. 37% of UK public servants report receiving some form of AI training and confidence is high, with 75% stating that they

In January 2026, tourists descended on a remote Tasmanian town  searching for hot springs that never existed. An AI-generated blog post had fabricated "Weldborough Hot Springs" complete with descriptions of therapeutic minerals and secluded forest retreats. The local pub owner received five calls daily from confused travellers. The tour operator's response was telling: "Our AI has messed up completely." The company had outsourced content generation to a third party using AI w