By Paul Hutchinson Simpson, Westminster Council
When I hear the buzz around AI – how it’s set to “transform engagement”, “revolutionise resident services” or “personalise communications like never before” – my first thought is: here we go again. Because we’ve been down a very similar path already.
A déjà-vu moment
About ten years ago, data was the big thing. We were told that if we understood residents better, segmented them more precisely, and targeted messages, we could change how we communicate with and engage our residents.
And since then, we have made significant progress—many councils now have insight tools and dashboards that support their work. And councils have been running regular surveys for years. However, if we are honest with ourselves, reality has been less exciting than the promise, and the work has been harder than the hype suggested.
Now, AI is the next shiny tool. That’s not necessarily bad, but it does mean we should be careful. As one report puts it:
‘AI relies on high-quality data and compatible systems, but out–of–date legacy technology and the poor quality of data and data sharing in the public sector is putting AI adoption at risk.’
Put simply, if the basics aren’t solid, adding something flashy on top won’t fix it.
Why this matters for comms & engagement
One of the AI risks is that in the rush to grab the shiny new AI tool, we ignore the less exciting but important job of making sure our data is reliable, connected, used ethically, and focused on residents.
Say we roll out an AI tool for segmentation or personalisation, but if our resident data is incomplete, out of date, or scattered across departments, the tool might send out so-called tailored messages that miss the mark and get things wrong, which will just damage trust.
But if we have joined-up data, we can target residents based on real insight.
Where we should focus our efforts
Given our role in local authorities, here are the priorities I would suggest:
Data governance & quality
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date, and duplicate-free resident and service-user databases.
- Be open with residents about how we use their data in comms and engagement. That’s how we build trust. We need to explain why we collect data, how we use it, and what residents get in return.
Joining up across silos
- Too often, comms is on one platform, services on another, and engagement somewhere else. Where we can and should, we need to be connecting these so we get the full picture.
- This helps us see residents as people, not just transactions, survey responses, or service users. We can then tailor our communications and engagement to meet the actual needs of residents, rather than those of our departments.
Comms team data confidence
- Ensure the comms and engagement team feels confident with data—reading dashboards, understanding analytics, and identifying gaps or biases.
- That means training, a supportive culture, good dashboards, and easy-to-understand insights. It’s not just about handing over an AI tool and hoping it works.
Use new tech wisely
- When it makes sense, AI can help—drafting communications, analysing feedback, or speeding up routine tasks.
- But AI should only come after we have strong data foundations. Otherwise, it’s just something flashy with no depth.
My bottom line
It’s good to be excited about AI, but we shouldn’t get carried away. Real change in comms and engagement won’t come from an AI system that claims to know our community. It will come from the data that shows us our community, and from teams who take the time to understand, connect, and act.
AI might get the headlines, but data is the real foundation. In local government, what matters most is having strong foundations, not just a shiny trophy. If we do this, we can turn hype into something real and lasting for our communities.