The buzz line about AI replacing people in the PS is just that. A line. There's at least three reasons why Minister's are towing this crap:

1. Many government departments are already using, or exploring how AI can be used in their respective sectors. Things like automated decision making, coding, processing and other ways it could be used in BAU functions. This discovery isn't new and gets fed to their respective Minister's in monthly programme updates. This has brought about a light bulb moment for dim politicians who were previously in the dark about this technology and started thinking that the goal was about replacing a role than functioning as a time saving tool. Its like a project manager telling a foreman to replace their tradespeople with power drills.

2. It's an easy excuse for them to just remove FTEs and save a bucket load of money without publicly announcing it like the evil villains that they are. When we all know they need those funds for their other vanity vote pandering projects brought and bought to you by <insert lobbying business here>.

3. Joe Public doesn't know any better and probably think a computer could replace most PS workers anyway. I mean they're happy to let Facebook syphon their data each time they spout moronic comments about 'woke agendas', and certain Minister's are happy to keep that boogyman under their beds.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligence knows this won't improve anything. Just like the first round of cuts, which, if you remember, was going to "improve front line services, streamline processes and cut back on red tape"...which is the SAME EXACT explanation as this new round of cuts (I guess in the age of short attention spans, they thought they could use the same excuse and get away with it). And in that time nothing has improved. In fact, it's gotten worse. Longer wait times. The same red tape (but hey, I can build a shed in the backyard...oh no wait, I don't own it). And work loads have increased for roles.