A major new study has revealed a mixed picture of artificial intelligence (AI) readiness among local councils across the UK.
The 18 month research, AI Readiness of UK Local Authorities 2025, was led by Heriot Watt University and GoLLM and examined 208 councils in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
While some authorities are advancing quickly by building strong data foundations and deploying targeted AI tools, many others remain in the earliest stages of digital development.
The report highlights significant regional variation: councils in Scotland benefit from coordinated national programmes and university partnerships, whereas English councils showed uneven adoption and others were focused on basic digital and data foundations.
The report says the UK can make the most progress by strengthening core digital foundations, including improving data quality, modernising legacy systems and expanding shared digital platforms that councils can use together.
It also calls for clearer national coordination, better workforce skills and stronger collaboration between councils, sector bodies and universities.
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