A Bigger Shift Toward Human-Centered Automation

When Somerset Council recently announced its trial of artificial intelligence (AI) to help draft special education reports, it made headlines for all the right reasons—and raised all the right questions.

At Vengo AI, we’ve long advocated for smart, human-first automation. And what Somerset is doing signals something powerful: a growing movement toward using AI not to replace people, but to support them.

The Problem: Mountains of Admin, Not Enough Time

Every educator and caseworker knows this reality too well: hours spent writing reports, filling forms, and chasing documents—time that could be spent face-to-face with the families they serve.

Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) are critical for children with special educational needs, but they are also notoriously time-consuming. Delays can mean children not getting the support they urgently need. The goal isn’t just accuracy—it’s speed with sensitivity.

The Solution: Human-AI Collaboration

Somerset’s trial involves using AI to draft the first version of EHCPs—saving time on initial composition so staff can focus on personalization and judgment. As Councillor Heather Shearer put it, “If AI can help do the background tasks for these reports, it could be beneficial.”

And that’s the key: AI as an assistant, not a decision-maker. The final call? Always human.

This model aligns with how we designed Vengo AI—from lead conversion agents to follow-up writers, our platform handles the repetitive tasks so real people can focus on strategy, service, and care.

The Concerns: Rightfully Raised

Of course, questions around sensitive data are valid. The Somerset Parent Carers Forum expressed early concerns about how vulnerable children’s information would be handled.

This is where responsible AI implementation matters. Encryption, audit trails, and human-in-the-loop protocols aren’t optional—they’re essential.

The good news? These concerns aren’t being ignored. Somerset Council has made it clear they’re in the “very early stages” and are actively seeking community feedback. That’s how ethical AI development should work—transparent, iterative, and accountable.

What It Means for the Future

This trial is about more than special education reports. It’s a microcosm of a larger shift in how public institutions (and businesses) are thinking about AI:

• Not as a magic wand.

• Not as a replacement for people.

• But as a time-saving tool to elevate human work, not erase it.

At Vengo AI, we see this every day with clients using our tools to 3x their sales conversations without burning out their teams. The lesson applies across industries: when AI handles the “first draft,” humans get to do what they do best—connect, create, and care.

AI won’t replace your team. But teams that use AI ethically and effectively? They’ll move faster, deliver better, and make more room for what really matters.

Want to see what that looks like in action? Visit Vengo AI and let’s show you what AI + empathy can do together.