Yes, Minister character is government’s new AI assistant

Government workers will soon be given access to a set of tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI), named after a scheming parliamentary official from the classic sitcom Yes, Minister.

The government says the assistants – called Humphrey – will “speed up the work of civil servants” and save money by replacing cash that would have been spent on consultants.

But the decision to name the AI after Sir Humphrey Appleby, a…