Home UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backs AI tool to slash frontline workers’ task load

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backs AI tool to slash frontline workers’ task load

In a huge win for frontline workers, Keir Starmer has praised an AI tool designed to slash time spent on laborious admin tasks.

At an event at 10 Downing Street yesterday (4 February), the UK Prime Minister was introduced to Magic Notes, which can be used to generate care assessments and paperwork from meeting recordings.

Social workers can now record their meetings on a smartphone or laptop, and Magic Notes will write almost instant summaries and even suggest follow-up actions.

An independent evaluation of the tool, carried out by Warwick University and published this week, found it can slash admin time by half.

In a statement sent to ReadWrite, Alex Stephany, Founder and CEO of Beam, who developed the app, said: “We’ve been delivering frontline services for over seven years, and seen first-hand the extraordinary impact that new technology can deliver for both frontline workers and service users.

“It’s been great to get Magic Notes to thousands of social workers across the UK, and now to see that an external evaluation has found that our AI cuts social workers’ paperwork in half enabling them to focus on the jobs that matter most, the work that we know they love doing.”

Alex added that the PM “sees potential” for new tech like Magic Notes to “radically overhaul the public sector at all levels”. He said it was great to recieve the leader’s support in getting the tech into the hands of “every frontline worker in the UK”.

At Ealing Council in London, Magic Notes has been handed out to more than 100 Social Workers across adult care teams, with a pilot beginning in the children’s teams.

Joanna James, a social worker at the Council, said: “All of us got into this line of work because we want to support people. What Magic Notes has done is let us really focus on that part of the job: cutting down the time.

“I spend doing paperwork to give me more time with people. It’s hard to imagine my job without it, now.”

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech, gambling and blockchain industries for major developments, new product and brand launches, AI breakthroughs, game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to in-house staff writers with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Liam Gilliver
Editor

Liam Gilliver is an NCTJ-trained journalist and editor with more than six years of experience in the field. He has worked across several of the biggest newspapers in the country, including the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Star and OK! Magazine - and was the former Senior Newsletter Lead for Reach PLC’s national titles. He has appeared on BBC Radio, featured on a panel with IMPRESS about the future of journalism, and judged third-year students’ final news project at the University of Sheffield (his old stomping ground). He has bylines in the I Newspaper, Huffington Post, The Independent, and Euro…

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.