Derby City Council asserts robot cleaners pose no job threat

Officials at Derby City Council have affirmed that the introduction of two new robotic cleaning devices will not lead to job reductions for employees. The council recently acquired these two units for approximately £33,000, a cost that encompasses a three-year maintenance contract. This acquisition comes amidst financial pressures on the authority, which needs to achieve nearly £10 million in savings over the next year. Despite this, the council states the purpose is not to reduce expenditure on personnel. Nevertheless, the council intends to expand its use of artificial intelligence (AI) for future cost-cutting measures. Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, a Labour member and Derby’s cabinet member for digital and organisational transformation, stated that these new additions do not pose a risk to employees. He explained they will handle more routine cleaning duties to enhance the efficiency of existing staff. He remarked, “This is an efficient and effective use of funding, because we can’t recruit more staff…it’s not about saving, it’s about trying to do more.” He further added, “No jobs are being lost…this hasn’t replaced any staff.” Dhindsa clarified that budgetary difficulties constituted a “separate issue” from this particular purchase. He noted that the acquisition was not funded under the council’s AI investment programme but was instead classified independently as part of “innovation…to help enhance our cleaning service.” He elaborated, “We are leading in the country as a local authority looking to see how we can actually meet the financial challenges we face, where we are getting less and less budget, but our service and what we have to provide is increasing not decreasing.” However, Dhindsa also indicated that the council’s broader AI initiative would explore opportunities for savings in other areas of the council’s operations, explicitly stating that future staff reductions stemming from AI investments have not been dismissed. This development comes after the implementation of digital assistants named Darcie and Ali, whose purpose is to assist individuals visiting the website and those making telephone inquiries. Steve Hassall, who leads the Derby Conservatives, characterized the rationale behind acquiring the equipment as “nonsense.” Tim Prosser, the leader of Reform Derby, commented, “It’s ridiculous when we are apparently so short of money.” Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.