Central Digital and Data Office has signed an agreement to deliver a proof of concept for Google’s Gemini Code Assist tool, and PublicTechnology understands trials of other systems are ongoing
Government is trialling various artificial intelligence-powered tools for supporting the work of software developers throughout the civil service, PublicTechnology has learned.
Details of one such trial – using the Gemini Code Assist technology from Google – are revealed in recently released commercial documents, regarding an engagement between the Central Digital and Data Office and Ancoris.
The company, a specialist Google reseller and services firm based in Bracknell, signed a three-month agreement with CDDO on 1 November. The contract – which does not appear to come with any financial value attached – covers the provision of “support services” for a proof-of-concept (POC) exercise for the Gemini Code Assist platform.
According to Google product specs, the platform in question “completes your code as you write, and generates whole code blocks or functions on demand”.
The specification adds: “Code assistance is available in many popular IDEs, such as Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, GoLand, WebStorm, and more), Cloud Workstations, Cloud Shell Editor, and supports 20+ programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, Python, C, C++, Go, PHP, and SQL.”
The technology can also tap into an “organisation’s private codebases for more tailored assistance [and] developers can get code suggestions more pertinent to your private codebases”.
The automated coding functionality is complemented by a “natural language chat interface, [where] you can quickly chat with Gemini Code Assist to get answers to your coding questions, or receive guidance on coding best practices”, according to Google.
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PublicTechnology understands that the Gemini system is one of several AI-powered tools to support the work of software engineers that is currently being assessed as part of pilots and POCs taking place in multiple government departments.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – which houses the new ‘digital centre of government’, including CDDO and sister agencies the Government Digital Service and Incubator for Artificial Intelligence – is convening these trials.
The department hopes to understand the benefits these technologies might have to offer, as well as their current limitations. The best practice and governance set out in the Generative AI Framework for HMG, published by CDDO earlier this year, is helping inform the testing exercises, it is understood.
A DSIT spokesperson said: “The UK government is leading the way in experimenting with emerging technologies, particularly AI, to boost economic growth, accelerate innovation and improve our public services. We’re running limited trials of AI coding assistant tools, working with multiple suppliers, including Gemini Code Assist, to explore the potential of these cutting-edge technologies.”
Work to assess the possibilities of automated coding tools forms part of wider efforts being led by DSIT to identify new technologies and use cases for AI and other emerging tools. This includes the imminent AI Opportunities Action Plan being created by tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford and due to be published shortly. The plan will outline opportunities for the use of AI in supporting innovation in the public sector and beyond.
