Responsible and Ethical Expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Renfrewshire Council
Renfrewshire Council · 16 September 2026
Back to Leadership Board — 16 September 2026 and its agenda
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Leadership Board On: 16 September 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Finance and Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Responsible and Ethical Expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Renfrewshire Council ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. A council motion entitled “Responsible and Ethical Expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Renfrewshire Council” was approved by elected members in December 2025. 1.2. Members agreed that a bi-annual report on AI would be provided to the Leadership Board. This is the first report and will provide the background and set the scene for future updates. 1.3. The ICT service supported by other key stakeholders will create and maintain an on-going log outlining all AI tools utilised by the Council, their purpose and function, safeguards and any identified risks. 1.4. This log will inform the bi-annual report to elected members to ensure safe, transparent and responsible use of AI. 1.5. The Council is the first authority in Scotland to implement an AI-powered customer support solution and based on this experience the Council has agreed to further use of AI tools in public service delivery. 1.6. A corporate wide AI Transformation Assessment has been undertaken with the help of an external partner. Output from the activity is the catalyst for the establishment of the Council approved AI Transformation Programme 2026 – 2030.
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PUBLIC 1.7. A key part of this programme is the establishment of an AI Governance Board to monitor and control the use of AI across the Council. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members are asked to note the contents of this Report. The next update will be in February 2027 which will be prior to the start of the first phase of the AI Transformation Programme 2026 – 2030. This update will include the initial log outlining AI tools utilised by the Council, their purpose and function, safeguards and any identified risks. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The following Council Motion was approved in December 2025. “Council acknowledges the successful introduction of the award-winning Millie, Renfrewshire Council’s AI-powered customer support system and that it has improved access to services, reduced waiting times, and supported staff by handling routine enquiries. It demonstrates our commitment to digital innovation and notes that Renfrewshire is ahead of many Scottish local authorities in adopting practical, resident-focused AI tools. Council recognises that as AI becomes a larger part of public service delivery, ethical governance and transparent safeguards are essential to protect residents’ rights, prevent bias, and ensure AI continues to support key services and our valued workforce. As AI technologies learn over time, ongoing oversight and regular updates to elected members are necessary to ensure safe, transparent and responsible use as these systems evolve. Council agrees that a 6-monthly ‘AI Transparency Report’ be made to the relevant board, outlining all AI tools utilised by the council the purpose and function of each system, any data-protection or equality assessments undertaken, changes since the previous report, and any identified risks, mitigations or recommendations for future deployment. Renfrewshire can be a national leader in ethical, transparent, resident-focused AI, and that Millie as an example represents a foundation on which to build the confidence and transparency in our use of AI technology and one that the public can have trust in. Council believes that people should have a choice to use AI or speak to a person when calling Renfrewshire council. Council asks the IT department to investigate changing the initial start of a call with this option as soon as possible. This will give people a choice to use AI or speak to a real person at the beginning of a call.”
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PUBLIC 3.2 Following the successful launch of Millie for our citizens and the internal roll- out of Microsoft Co-pilot Chat as a tool for employees, last year Council officers completed an AI transformation assessment in consultation with more than 100 senior leaders, managers and employees from services from across the Council. This assessment was carried out with support from an external partner, ICS.AI. 3.3 An AI transformation assessment is designed to support a Council to evaluate current AI readiness, identify opportunities for AI-driven improvements, and develop a structured roadmap for adopting AI technologies where appropriate. This assessment included significant employee engagement, workshops and analysis to identify and understand if and how potential AI solutions could improve service delivery for citizens, reduce operating costs and enhance our efficiency, as well as support our workforce by freeing them up from repetitive tasks for more high value work. 3.4 We are also learning from the experiences of other UK local authorities in implementing a range of AI solutions. Derby City Council have welcomed establishing a working relationship with Renfrewshire Council and have been open and highly collaborative in sharing their journey to develop their AI capability. This working partnership will provide future opportunities to share best practice. 3.5 A business case has now been developed and tested by senior officers from across all services. It provides a clear understanding of the scale of opportunity and the key priorities for building on successful implementation of other technological developments to further improve local service delivery. It is also expected to make a significant contribution to the Council achieving longer term financial sustainability. 3.6 The AI Transformation Programme 2026 – 2030 was approved by the Leadership Board in April 2026 and will be delivered in three phases beginning with solutions already in place and which will have the maximum impact, benefitting all teams and employees across the Council. 3.7 A key part of the business case is the requirement for strong governance arrangements. The Council recognises that as AI becomes a larger part of public service delivery, ethical governance and transparent safeguards are essential to protect residents’ rights, prevent bias, and ensure AI continues to support key services and our valued workforce. The business case also establishes the requirement for human oversight even in the deployment of technologies to support administrative tasks. 3.8 A clear and transparent governance framework will support informed decision making, maintain employee and public trust and ensure that AI adoption complies with the Council’s policies, legal obligations and information governance standards.
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PUBLIC 3.9 As AI technologies continue to develop over time, ongoing oversight and regular updates to elected members will be necessary to provide transparency in safe, and responsible deployment and use as these systems evolve. 3.10 The following chart sets out the proposed governance arrangements: AI Strategic Programme Officer Board – strategic direction, financial oversight and risk management. AI Programme Delivery Team – day‑to‑day operational control, compliance and usage monitoring Ethics and Assurance Board – GDPR compliance, DPIAs, fairness, transparency, accountability and human oversight. 3.11 The terms of reference for the above groups will be developed in the coming months, with those developed for the ethics and assurance board being provided to the Board for information in the next update. 3.12 Clear communication and engagement with services and colleagues is essential for successful adoption. Activity will focus on preparing employees and building confidence to support the required change. This will include a combination of engagement, briefings, training and change support across all audience groups.
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial - The AI Transformation Programme 2026 – 2030 will support the Council’s ongoing financial sustainability which is dependent on the ability of the Council to transform and modernise services. 2. HR & Organisational Development - Requirement for awareness and training of staff as new AI solutions are implemented. This will help build confidence and support change across Renfrewshire Council. 3. Community/Council Planning – The AI Transformation Programme 2026 - 2030 focuses the delivery of priority outcomes as outlined in the Council Plan. 4. Legal - Requirement for support for the Ethics and Assurance Board. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology - Requirement for support for the implementation of the AI Transformation Programme 2026 - 2030. 7. Equality & Human Rights - An EQIA will be undertaken in developing this next stage of the AI Transformation Programme 2026 – 2030. 8. Health & Safety - None. 9. Procurement – The AI Transformation Programme 2026 – 2030 is subject to an appropriate procurement exercise. This is being managed through the Council’s well established procurement arrangements to secure best value. 10. Risk - The AI Transformation Programme 2026 – 2030 is a key element of mitigating the medium-term financial challenge for the Council. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. Climate Risk – None. 13. Children’s Rights – None. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None. _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers None. ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Patrick Murray, Head of Digital, Transformation and Customer Services