When AI checks the paperwork, the queue moves

Three English councils tested a Google DeepMind AI that reviews applications for permission to renovate homes: it checks the documents, cross-references them with local rules and drafts an assessment. According to the British government, officers' time on this review fell 58%, and the decision stays with them.

More than 70% of the assessments were approved without edits, and the tool is going to 12 more councils, so officers can focus on the hard cases. In Brazil, more than half of back-office professionals still use spreadsheets, according to an Opinion Box survey for Qive with 406 back-office professionals, in fieldwork from 25 Aug to 18 Sep 2025.

Every company has a queue of requests with documents: customer onboarding, credit proposals, hiring, supplier invoices. Start with just one type. Write down what needs to come in and the approval rules, let AI check and draft the assessment, and keep the decision with whoever decides today.

The cost of starting is small: one type of request, the documents that already come in and one person reviewing. In the first month, measure the time per request and how many come back because of missing paperwork. Which request sits still the longest in your company?

This text was produced with the support of AI.

Sources

GOV.UK, 30 Oct 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/faster-planning-decisions-as-new-rules-and-ai-tackle-delays

Google DeepMind, 31 Oct 2026. https://deepmind.google/blog/speeding-up-planning-decisions-with-ai/

Qive e Opinion Box. https://qive.com.br/sala-de-imprensa/somente-33-das-empresas-usam-ia-no-dia-a-dia-e-16-destinaram-orcamento-dedicado-no-ultimo-ano