FOI release

FOI2020-14059 AI chatbots and live web chat

Published 7 January 2021

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Dear

I am writing in response to your email dated 21st December 2020 requesting the following information:

I would like to find out more about your organisations adoption of AI and Digital Transformation. Please see below a list of questions that hopefully you can help me with under the FOI ACT.

AI & Digital Transformation

  1. Do you currently have any AI enabled chatbots engaging with Citizens directly? If not, do you intend to introduce this in the next 12 months? If you are looking to introduce AI enabled chatbots in the next 12 months, then please advise us on who is best to contact regarding this. (Name, Job Title and Email address)

  2. Do you currently have a live webchat to engage with Citizens live on your website? If not, do you intend to introduce this in the next 12 months? If you are looking to introduce live Webchat in the next 12 months, then please advise us on who is best to contact regarding this. (Name, Job Title and Email address)

I am treating your correspondence as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

In response to your queries, I have completed a search for the information within the Defence Electronics & Components Agency (DECA), and I can confirm that we do not hold information in scope of your request as we do not use either AI enabled Chatbots or live webchat.

Under Section 16 of the Act (Advice and Assistance) you may find it helpful to note that Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act gives an applicant the right to access recorded information held by public authorities at the time the request is made and does not require public authorities to answer questions, provide explanations or give opinions, unless this is recorded information held.

If you are not satisfied with this response or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of your request, then you should contact me in the first instance. If informal resolution is not possible and you are still dissatisfied then you may apply for an independent internal review by contacting the Information Rights Compliance team, Ground Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB or by e-mailing [email protected]. Please note that any request for an internal review must be made within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to reach informal resolution has ended.

If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal review process is complete. You can find further details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner on the Commissioner’s website.

Regards

DECA FOI

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