Alzheimer’s Society is using Microsoft Copilot and task-specific AI agents to reduce administrative work, giving its people more time to guide, reassure, and support families affected by dementia in the UK.
For a dementia adviser, another 10 minutes can make a big difference. It can mean listening for longer to someone coming to terms with a diagnosis, helping a family understand the care and benefits available, or making sure a carer does not feel alone as they face the next step.
Alzheimer’s Society wants technology to create more of those moments. Its advisers offer practical information and emotional support, often becoming what families describe as a “lifeline”. Yet every conversation also creates essential follow-up administration.
“If they could stay with somebody 10 minutes longer or actually see them one more time,” says Mark Shergold, head of AI at Alzheimer’s Society, “that is where the difference may be felt.”
“We want to see the humans do what they do best“
One dementia adviser is already seeing the benefit in everyday work: “Copilot helps me with my day-to-day admin, particularly researching the right local support services. And this gives me more time to focus on face-to-face support and provide more help for people affected by dementia.”
The ambition is straightforward: less time on admin, more time with people living with dementia and those who care for them.
A growing need
Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity. It supports people living with dementia and their carers through its helpline, website, local services, and dementia advisers. It also funds research and campaigns for better public services.
“We do the two sides,” says Aimee Aveyard, senior media manager at Alzheimer’s Society. “There is support for people now who are living with dementia; people who have been diagnosed; and their carers. And then we also fund a huge amount of ground-breaking research to provide hope for the future.”
The organisation employs about 2,000 people and has annual income of roughly £160 million from fundraising, legacies, and services supplied to the NHS. The need it serves is growing. Around one million people in the UK are living with dementia, Alzheimer’s Society says, with that figure projected to reach 1.4 million by 2040.
One in three people living with dementia do not have a diagnosis.
Secure foundations
The work with Microsoft began before generative AI. Alzheimer’s Society already used Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, with Microsoft Defender helping to protect its systems. It has also been developing its use of Microsoft Purview to classify files, manage access, and strengthen data protection, and is considering Microsoft Dynamics 365 for some customer relationship management work.
“We get entrusted with some of people’s most important data, and we need to make sure that we’re protecting that,” says Aidan Forman, director of digital, data and technology at Alzheimer’s Society.
From Copilot to agents
An early adopter programme gave about 350 people access to Microsoft Copilot and helped the charity shape its training. It has since made Copilot available across the organisation, with more than 1,900 people now using it. Staff are beginning with routine work such as drafting emails and documents, summarising information, and analysing data.
“We’re not losing that human touch, we’re actually getting more of it“
But the charity expects some of the clearest gains to come from AI agents designed for specific tasks. One helps its corporate partnerships team carry out due diligence on prospective partners. It gathers background information from public sources, while people remain responsible for reviewing risk and making the final decision.
Shergold says the agent can save a small, busy team days of work each month, giving colleagues more time to find and support partners.
More human support
This is not a project to use as much AI as possible. Alzheimer’s Society is measuring success against its mission. Small time savings on routine tasks are useful, but the stronger case for investment will come from larger workflows where the charity can measure extra capacity and impact.
“Success for us is about helping more people affected by dementia,” Forman says. “We want to see the humans do what they do best. So we’re not losing that human touch, we’re actually getting more of it.”
That principle will guide the next phase: training staff, developing a carefully prioritised pipeline of agents, and exploring more personalised digital support.
The technology may sit quietly in the background, but for the person or family seeking help, its value is tangible: an adviser with fewer forms to complete, more attention to give, and more time to listen and help.