Join AI Engineering Lab and  help shape the future of digital government 

Engineering Excellence Team, Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), GDS • January 12, 2026

2026 is set to be an incredibly exciting year for the digital industry, particularly across the public sector, and it all begins with a major opportunity for you to help shape the future of digital government. 

To start the year, the AI Engineering Lab is driving AI adoption across public sector software teams by helping them to implement AI coding assistants by offering technical support and training for anyone who uses them.  

This work builds on the positive results of the  AI Coding Assistant (AICA) trial  we ran in 2025, which found significant potential for improving efficiency and delivery.  

Most importantly, this is a project which will evolve and adapt as we evaluate and learn along the way. 

Here’s why you need to get involved, especially if you’re part of the digital and data in the public sector! 

What is AI Engineering Lab? 

AI Engineering Lab is being led by the Engineering Excellence team in the Government Digital Service (GDS), and its role is to drive sustained and impactful adoption of AI tooling in software engineering teams across the public sector. This includes the training and management of AI enablement, not just the technical implementation of tooling. 

Its main aims are to: 

  • integrate AI tooling for teams throughout the entire software development lifecycle 

  • upskill government digital and data professionals to make the most of AI tooling 

  • monitor and evaluate where AI tooling can enhance digital service delivery 

AI Engineering Lab is a user-led project, which means that your input will help to determine how, where and why AI is used, and where it shouldn’t be. 

What’s happening in early 2026  

Starting in early 2026, we’ll roll out licences for leading AI tools, including: 

  • GitHub Copilot

  • Gemini 

  • Amazon Q or Kiro 

  • Claude 

We’ll be adding more tools later on, and these licences will be available for up to six months. During this time, we’ll also provide support for technical setup, integration and training. 

These tools will be available to all public sector departments and organisations, although there are a limited number of licences available. 

We’ll also be organising events such as hackathons and community meetings. You don’t need to be an expert to take part – anyone with an interest in how AI can or should be used in software engineering is welcome to join in. 

Get involved  

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of digital government, and there are many ways that you can get involved. These include: 

  • signing up for licences for AI coding assistants 

  • accessing training and guidance 

  • providing feedback and examples of how these tools are used in your organisation 

  • coming to events and sharing your experiences  

To take part in AI Engineering Lab, contact us at  gdsengineeringexcellence@dsit.gov.uk  

Update from the GDS Responsible AI Advisory Panel   

By Jeni Tennison, GDS Responsible AI Advisory Panel Chair, Executive Director, Connected by Data • June 18, 2026
How is government using AI responsibly? Insights, challenges and next steps from the GDS’s Responsible AI Advisory Panel.

Data maturity: the foundation for AI ready public sector data

By Dan Hesse, Senior Product Manager • June 4, 2026
Good AI starts with good data. We partnered with The National Archives to explore how data maturity can prepare legal data for AI use. Here's what we found.

Building for the future: Making change simple on GOV.UK Pay 

By Alan Maddrell - Senior Content Designer for GOV.UK Pay, Government Digital Service • June 2, 2026
GOV.UK Pay has a new provider for non-Crown card payments and pay by bank. Find out what this means for public sector teams.