Bedford Borough Council says over 300 staff are now using an artificial intelligence system that records meetings and automatically generates notes and assessment reports.
A report to this week’s Finance and Improvement Committee (14 May) says the authority has introduced an AI tool called “Magic Notes” across Adults’ and Children’s Services as part of its wider transformation programme.
According to the report, the system records and transcribes meetings with service users and can automatically populate report and assessment templates.
The council says implementation began in January 2026 and usage has “exceeded” projected levels during the first quarter.
Committee papers state that around 310 staff are now routinely using the system and have reported “noticeable time savings each week”.
However, the committee papers do not specify how recordings and transcripts generated by the system are stored or processed, or what safeguards are in place for sensitive information.
The council has also not set out in the report whether the system has been subject to a formal equality or data protection assessment.
The rollout comes amid a wider push across local government to adopt AI tools in frontline services.
In March, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) launched a “Local AI” programme to help councils use artificial intelligence safely and responsibly, including for tasks such as transcription and summarisation in areas such as social care and housing.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
