Aberdeen City Council pioneers AI-driven service transformation

Aberdeen City Council is redefining how local government services are delivered, using cloud-based technologies to streamline operations, support frontline staff, and enhance the experience of residents across the city.

Faced with rising demand for services, including social care, housing, and mental health, amid ongoing financial pressures and workforce shortages, the Council has embarked on a major digital transformation initiative, using Microsoft Cloud to modernise its infrastructure and deliver smarter, more responsive services for its 230,000 residents.

At the heart of this effort is the integration of adult and children’s social care services using Microsoft Dynamics 365, which brings care data and workflows into a single system. The platform enables frontline workers to record, access and share information more efficiently, and supports the use of automation and analytics to reduce administrative burden and improve safeguarding.

Andy MacDonald, Executive Director of Corporate Services at Aberdeen City Council, leads the initiative. “This programme is about giving our workforce the digital tools they need to focus on care, not admin,” he said.

As part of the project, Microsoft 365 Copilot has been deployed to over 700 staff across the organisation. Copilot is automating tasks such as minute-taking, report writing, policy drafting, and translation, freeing up time for employees to concentrate on resident-facing work.

Early user feedback indicates significant productivity gains, including a projected 241% ROI, equating to more than £3 million in annual savings.

Notably, Copilot has also helped improve digital accessibility, with neurodivergent staff reporting a more inclusive and efficient experience. The Council has additionally trialled Dynamics-powered telephony integrated with Facebook Messenger, enabling more personalised digital engagement with residents.

Aberdeen has also made significant strides in citizen-facing digital services. In 2020, the Council became the first in Scotland to launch a virtual assistant - AB-1. The chatbot uses generative AI to handle more complex citizen enquiries and provide detailed, natural-language responses.

AB-1 has already proven effective in supporting round-the-clock citizen self-service across high-demand areas such as refuse collection, school term dates, and council tax queries. An internal version of the chatbot also helps the Council’s 8,000 employees with HR and payroll queries.

The upgraded assistant is currently answering twice as many queries as its predecessor, with volumes expected to grow further as its knowledge base expands. AB-1’s feedback mechanism, powered by Copilot Studio, allows it to continuously learn from previous interactions to improve future responses.

In a nod to local identity and inclusion, AB-1 initially launched with support for Doric, the regional dialect. A forthcoming update will extend its multilingual capabilities to include Polish, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and Russian, reflecting the city’s diverse population.

Aberdeen’s use of Microsoft Cloud, Copilot, and Azure AI tools represents one of the most comprehensive AI-enabled transformations in UK local government to date. By embedding automation, AI, and data-driven design across both back-office functions and public-facing channels, the Council is freeing staff for high-value work, delivering better outcomes for residents, and setting a benchmark for digital innovation in local governance.

As councils across the UK seek to meet rising service expectations with shrinking resources, Aberdeen’s example demonstrates how technology partnerships and a user-centred approach can unlock new models of local delivery.