---
title: "Saving vs. Progress: UK Government Urges Checking Excel Before Launching AI"
description: "The UK government has urged officials to minimize AI usage, advising them to first verify if tasks can be solved in Excel to reduce energy consumption."
date: 2026-09-29T15:46:22.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/uk-government-recommends-excel-over-ai
tags: [artificial-intelligence, united-kingdom, green-it, data-centers]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Saving vs. Progress: UK Government Urges Checking Excel Before Launching AI

![Servers and laptop on a desk](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/29/britaniya-predlagaet-excel-vmesto-ii/britaniya-predlagaet-excel-vmesto-ii-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The British government introduced guidelines to limit excessive use of neural networks by civil servants.
- Priority is given to simple tools like Excel to reduce environmental impact.
- Experts warn that resource-saving measures may lead to increased errors due to the use of less powerful models.

The British government has unveiled new guidelines for civil servants aimed at the environmentally responsible adoption of artificial intelligence. Amidst the global surge in energy consumption by data centers, UK authorities are calling for rationality: before delegating a task to a neural network, one must assess whether a standard spreadsheet or office software could handle it just as effectively.

### Principles of "Green" AI Usage

The document highlights that every computational operation carries an environmental footprint. Officials are encouraged to select the smallest available AI models if the use of neural networks is deemed necessary. Furthermore, the importance of minimizing "excessive" prompts and simplifying queries is emphasized, which would reduce the load on server infrastructure and, consequently, lower the carbon emissions associated with AI operations.

### Contradictory Data

These recommendations have drawn mixed reactions from the expert community. Critics point to a fundamental contradiction: the use of compact or "trimmed" models significantly increases the risk of hallucinations and reduces the accuracy of responses. While the government prioritizes environmental conservation, experts warn that placing energy efficiency over data quality could lead to errors in management decisions and a decline in overall administrative productivity.

### Context: The Global Energy Challenge

The UK's approach stands in sharp contrast to US policy, which emphasizes aggressive capacity expansion. Morgan Stanley forecasts that US data center energy consumption could rise to 38 GW by 2027, compared to 10 GW in 2025. While Washington invests in energy infrastructure for AI leadership, London is betting on resource optimization, setting a unique precedent in the race for technological dominance.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Британское правительство предложило экономить на ИИ и сначала проверить, не справится ли с задачей Excel](https://www.goha.ru/britanskoe-pravitelstvo-predlozhilo-ekonomit-na-ii-i-snachala-proverit-ne-spravitsya-li-s-zadachej-excel-lOmV3o) - Основной источник информации.
- [Великобритания получит доступ к данным дронов ВСУ для обучения ИИ](https://www.rbc.ru/politics/25/08/2026/6a8cf4c99a794777fd9f632a) - Подтверждено по источнику rbc.ru
- [FT: Великобритания оценивает последствия потери доступа к передовым ИИ-моделям](https://tass.ru/ekonomika/28021365) - Подтверждено по источнику tass.ru

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why does the UK government ask to use Excel instead of AI?
**A:** It is part of a program for environmentally responsible technology usage to lower computational loads and energy consumption.

### Q: What is the risk of this approach?
**A:** Using less powerful models or opting out of AI for complex tasks may reduce output accuracy and the efficiency of civil servants.