“In a bid to modernize its public interactions, the UK government is launching a secure digital wallet for official documents, along with an OpenAI-powered chatbot for its primary portal.
Initially, the digital wallet will accommodate a virtual driver’s license and a digital veterans’ card. The government aims to roll out these services later in the year. The main GOV.UK portal, featuring the just-named ‘chat-uk’ bot, is slated for a 2025 release. Despite the roadmap, general users can already test the chat service.
Digital transformation is central to preserving our future in an increasingly digital world,” noted Peter Kyle, the UK’s secretary of state for technology, iterating on the importance of early public interaction.
Meanwhile, the UK’s ‘AI-first’ strategy is well under consideration, with plans for more infrastructure, such as data centers and a supercomputer to support AI services. The government’s commitment to invest in AI has already driven the development of several tools, such as a multi-functional AI assistant named “Humphrey” and increased data sharing among departments.
However, questions loom over AI’s future role, especially its impact on jobs, data protection, copyright, and misuse, considering hostile actions like misinformation spreading and malicious hacking.
Simultaneously, the US has shown increased interest in digital services, highlighted by President Trump’s “efficiency” initiative, DOGE, led by Elon Musk.
The UK’s digital wallet intends to allow users to securely store government-issued documents on their phone. This would be especially handy while traveling, potentially eliminating the need for a physical wallet.”
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
