There has been a significant increase in the number of applications for senior positions in Whitehall, but are these increases purely a result of the availability of talented people?
Submissions made using the power of artificial intelligence tools may be responsible for a notable spike in the number of applications for senior civil service jobs, the government’s annual data release has revealed.
The Senior Pay Review Body (SSRB), the non-ministerial body with the mandate to advise Cabinet on the pay of senior civil servants, has published its 2026 report.
One of the findings is a 35% increase in the number of applications for positions subject to a competitive process chaired by the Civil Service Commission from 2024 to 2025. The Civil Service Commission oversees the recruitment of all permanent secretaries and directors, as well as some lower-level director-level positions. The Commission led the recruitment of 166 such positions in the most recent financial year, of which 152 processes resulted in appointments.
However, the SSRB believes that the significantly higher volume of resumes submitted for top jobs is not due to an abundance of qualified candidates.
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“[The increase] “This issue may be due, in part, to an increase in AI-generated applications that are not at the level expected for the SCS role, as well as ‘rush applications’ from individuals who do not have sufficient qualifications or experience,” the group’s report said.
After the end of the 2024/25 academic year, the Civil Service Careers Department has published formal guidelines outlining when the use of AI is considered acceptable when applying for government jobs. The advice actively encourages the use of tools such as ChatGPT to “refine and clarify” communications and statements on issues such as previous experience and skills.
However, large-scale language models and other similar tools cannot be used to exaggerate or invent expertise, come up with complete answers to questions, or complete tests related to numeracy, judgment, or personality traits.
Responding to inquiries regarding information public technology Last year, a Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “We want tech-savvy and AI-savvy people to apply for civil service jobs so we can modernize services for the British public. We are clear that applicants should not use AI to generate complete or false answers.”
