A generative AI chatbot that is helping small businesses is being put through the next stage of testing.

People will be able to ask the tool for advice on business rules and support, with the chatbot linked from 30 of GOV.UK’s business pages.

Those with access to the trial can find information about tax and the support available to them.

The tool is being built by a team of in-house data scientists, developers and designers using OpenAI’s GPT-4o technology which aims to help people more quickly navigate complex advice to understand what matters to them.

Results from the trial will be used to determine the next steps, which could include larger-scale testing and a potential rollout across the full gov.uk website.

Science secretary Peter Kyle said: "Outdated and bulky government processes waste people’s time too often, with the average adult in the UK spending the equivalent of a working week and a half dealing with public sector bureaucracy every year.

"We are going to change this by experimenting with emerging technology to find new ways to save people time and make their lives easier, as we are doing with GOV.UK Chat. With all new technology, it takes time to get it right so we’re taking it through extensive trials with thousands of real users before it is used more widely.

"This is an essential part of our ambition to use AI to improve public services in a safe and reliable way, making sure the UK government leads by example in driving innovation forward."