Renfrewshire’s award-winning digital overhaul is strengthening Scotland’s reputation as a leader in AI-enabled public services, as councils look to improve access, efficiency and 24/7 support for residents.
Renfrewshire Council has been recognised across three major awards programmes, including Council of the Year for Service Delivery (APSE), the Leading Innovation Award (COSLA 2025) and the Digital Public Services Award (Scottish Public Services Awards 2025), for its work to modernise customer services and expand digital access for residents.
At the centre of this transformation is the council’s AI-powered digital assistant, Millie, introduced in late 2024 to help residents get faster responses to routine queries and reduce pressure on contact centre staff. The service has already handled more than 392,000 calls, including nearly 100,000 outside traditional opening hours, enabling residents to resolve issues at any time of day.
Internal data shows Millie is resolving around 40% of enquiries outright and has contributed to the lowest monthly call volumes in almost a decade. The council estimates £110,000 in direct savings so far, with substantial productivity benefits for staff who can be redirected to more complex cases. The system’s speech and accent-recognition capabilities, reporting accuracy above 98%, are also supporting more inclusive access for residents across the region.
Following these results, Renfrewshire is conducting a wider assessment of where AI could be deployed next, with areas such as housing, waste, education and internal operations under review.
Councillor John Shaw said Scotland’s councils are “showing the value of innovation and technology in delivering better services to residents nationwide”, adding that AI has the potential to support “better, fairer, more efficient services across Scotland”.
ICS.AI, the supplier behind Millie, has similar deployments in other Scottish councils and describes Scotland as a “blueprint” for AI-enabled resident services, but emphasises that the progress is being driven by councils’ own service-improvement priorities.
The company’s CEO, Martin Neale, said Renfrewshire’s recognition highlights what is possible when “innovation, service and partnership come together to benefit real people”, and confirmed discussions are under way with multiple councils exploring similar models.