About AI DOGE

AI DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) is an independent project that uses artificial intelligence to audit UK public spending. We believe every taxpayer has the right to understand exactly where their money goes.

Our Mission

Every council in the UK publishes spending data under the Local Government Transparency Code. But the data is often buried in spreadsheets, published in inconsistent formats, and impossible for ordinary people to understand. AI DOGE changes that.

We use AI to scan millions of transactions, detect anomalies, flag duplicate payments, identify contracts without proper documentation, and make public spending genuinely transparent.

How It Works

  • Data Collection — We gather spending data from official council transparency pages (payments over £500, contracts, purchase cards).
  • AI Analysis — Machine learning algorithms scan every transaction for patterns, anomalies, and areas of concern.
  • Human Investigation — When the AI flags something, we investigate further using FOI requests, contract searches, and cross-referencing.
  • Public Reporting — Everything is published openly for taxpayers to explore, search, and share.

Who's Behind This

Tom Pickup is a Lancashire County Councillor, serving Padiham and Burnley West, and Clowbridge with Dunnockshaw. As Lead Member for Finance and Resources at Lancashire County Council, Tom has professional experience scrutinising public budgets and spending.

AI DOGE is Tom's independent project — not affiliated with any council, political party, or government body. The aim is objective, data-driven accountability.

Data Sources

All data comes from publicly available sources:

  • Council transparency pages (Transparency Code publications)
  • Annual budget documents
  • Committee system records (councillors, meetings, decisions)
  • Freedom of Information responses
  • Companies House records (for supplier analysis)

Accuracy Disclaimer

While we strive for accuracy, AI DOGE is an independent analysis tool. Data may contain errors, and AI analysis should not be taken as definitive audit findings. Always verify information with official council publications. If you spot an error, please contact us.