// REGIONAL ROUND-UP //

AFRICA | APAC | EUROPE | MIDDLE EAST | NORTH AMERICA

Up to 15,000 people were able to ask the tool for advice on business rules and support , with the chatbot linked from 30 of GOV . UK ’ s business pages , such as ‘ set up a business ’ and ‘ search for a trade mark ’. People with access to the trial asked questions about tax and the support available to them .

A team of in-house data scientists , developers and designers are building the experimental tool using OpenAI ’ s GPT-4o technology which aims to help people more quickly navigate complex advice to understand what matters to them . In response , they will receive straightforward , personalised answers that collate information that may otherwise be spread across dozens of pages .

Joe Phelan , money . co . uk business bank accounts expert , said : “ You might be one of the 15,000 early access users who have already used the tool to seek advice on topics ranging from business rules to tax .

“ While still in a trial phase , the chatbot promises to offer an accessible way for business owners to get the support they need from GOV . UK . For example , you can ask a question – what is public liability insurance ? – and you ’ ll get a concise , specific answer . Given the sheer volume of content on GOV . UK , it ’ s a resource likely to be well received .

“ But what makes this AI chatbot stand out ? The answer lies not just in what the tool promises to deliver , but in the bigger problem it aims to address .

“ Small business owners routinely have to juggle numerous responsibilities , leaving them with little time to keep up with tasks like finding new funding opportunities or understanding insurance policies . The day-to-day demands of running a business make it difficult to allocate time for research or strategic planning , which can result in missed opportunities or costly mistakes .

“ And this brings us nicely to the reason why the government ’ s new tool has been designed at all .

The reality is that its existence is necessary because , as any small or aspiring business owner will attest , launching a company is rarely simple . This bot highlights the complexity and overwhelming nature of the business landscape . For entrepreneurs , navigating the vast amount of information , guidance , regulations and documentation can feel like a daunting , potentially insurmountable challenge . And that needs to change .

“ Simplified , time-saving resources , such as AI chatbots or comparison tools , could help owners quickly access the information and solutions they need , reducing the time spent navigating various complexities ,” said Phelan .

Despite exclusively linking to GOV . UK content , early stage users are being advised to keep a close eye on the results . A message displayed during the current trial highlights a key concern with AI tools : hallucinations . In this context , hallucinations are when AI generates incorrect or misleading information , but presents it as if it ’ s entirely factual . �

Intelligent SME . tech

59