The Scottish Government has set out plans to give civil servants access to Copilot Premium and develop AI agents to support their work, as part of a five-year programme to change how the organisation operates. The commitments appear in Serving Scotland, its civil-service change plan for 2026–2031, published on 25 August.
The plan says Copilot Premium and Power Platform capabilities will be made available across the government in 2026, alongside learning and support for staff. It also commits to developing and deploying AI agents from this year to assist colleagues with tasks, access information and interact with business systems through secure, governed platforms.
The internal deployment plans are distinct from the public-sector AI guidance previously reported by Silicon Scotland. Announced on 31 August, that guidance addresses responsible use, transparency, human oversight and accountability across Scotland’s public sector, rather than setting out the government’s own technology rollout.
Serving Scotland identifies minute-taking, preparing internal briefings and handling correspondence, Parliamentary Questions and Freedom of Information requests as potential uses for AI. It says: “Technology cannot replace people. But used well, it can help you to do your best work.”
The government intends to scale AI, automation and work redesign from 2026, with the capabilities embedded in working practices by 2030. Its AI and Automation Centre of Excellence will coordinate and govern that work, turning successful approaches into shared, reusable services.
The technology programme sits within a wider effort to create a smaller, more focused organisation. The plan says workforce reductions have so far been achieved largely through natural attrition and recruitment controls, while any potential voluntary exit scheme would require trade-union engagement and ministerial approval.
A corporate digital plan, due in 2027, will set out the phased modernisation of internal IT systems. Other commitments for that year include Oracle Cloud staff-directory and HR-support tools, a replacement IT service desk, Cyber Essentials Plus certification and compliance with the UK Government’s Cyber Assessment Framework.
