Exclusive research sets out how UK government can capitalize on the opportunities of AI

Published: 2024-09-20 10:26:30 am

Exclusive Global Government Forum research has set out key steps that the UK government should take to make the most of developments in artificial intelligence and capitalize on its potential to revolutionize policymaking, national security and the delivery of public services.

Global Government Forum’s Digital Leaders 2024 report, supported by knowledge partner Cognizant, is based on interviews with 10 digital leaders in government about their perceptions of the UK’s performance on AI.

The report found that the UK is currently far from ready to capitalize on the opportunities offered by AI. This was encapsulated by a comment made by one interviewee, who said: “It’s like we’re driving a car with one foot very firmly pressed down on the accelerator and one foot pressed down on the brake.”

The interviewees highlighted that the UK government is doing exemplary, even world-leading work around standards and AI safety. The first AI Safety Summit hosted at Bletchley Park and the AI Safety Institute are both good examples of this. Policy efforts like these are what this interviewee is referring to as ‘the brake’. 

However, on the other hand, there’s considerable ministerial interest and external hype about AI, including from supportive think-tanks and private sector experts. This is creating huge expectations about what AI can offer and some early innovative work on this within government too. The report characterizes this as ‘the accelerator’.

The report concludes that managing risks and exploiting the opportunities of AI are both important but the practical work underpinning ‘the accelerator’ – the testing, trialing, implementing and scaling-up of AI applications – isn’t yet advanced.

How to make progress on AI implementation

The report concludes that the government needs a clear, overarching AI roadmap.

Among the report’s recommendations therefore is a call for a strategic vision for AI across government.

Until recently, there was no single voice or source of leadership for AI within government, but the report says the new UK administration’s move to make the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), Government Digital Service (GDS) and the incubator for AI (i.AI) all part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is a promising development.

“It establishes the kind of single AI authority that’s needed to build a whole-of-government vision,” say the report authors: Kevin Cunnington, former director general of the UK’s Government Digital Service; James Sweetland, a researcher, journalist and consultant specializing in government reform, policing and tech policy; and Yatin Mahandru, vice president and head of public sector and health, UK and Ireland for Cognizant.

The interviews also found that a vision for AI in government has been developed by the CDDO, but that the office has not yet received political sign-off to publish it.

The report acknowledges that new-in-post Labour ministers will wish to provide feedback on the vision document and possibly make changes, but urges DSIT to ensure this revised vision is published “urgently”.

“Delivering and promoting a clear vision should be the flagship statement of the new AI hub, resetting the government’s approach in this area,” the report states.

A roadmap for the UK government’s AI transition

The report sets out the key elements that a government vision for AI should cover, across the 7 Lenses of Transformation: vision, design, plan, collaboration, accountability, transformational leadership, and people.

As well as urging the government to finalize and publish a vision for AI use across the whole government by the end of 2024, the report also calls for a more detailed plan to be developed, and for the creation of an AI hub at DSIT to foster an engaged community across Whitehall on this topic.

The report also recommends that a new set of cross-government digital missions is created, following the expiration (in 2025) of those included in the CDDO’s existing roadmap for digital and data. It calls for the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework to be updated to include AI roles with defined competencies.

Government can ‘improve fast’ on AI use

Cunnington stresses that there is scope for the government to “improve – and improve fast” in the way that AI is used in government.

“It just takes a government that’s willing to be bold and seize the opportunities that AI presents. Our message to them is clear: they should do exactly that. It’s time to commit to AI and really press down on the accelerator,” he comments.

Mahandru adds that AI represents a potentially transformative shift for government.

“This report underscores the critical imperative for a unified AI vision and for coordinated action across government departments. The consolidation of AI bodies within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is a step in the right direction, unifying AI leadership and setting the stage for a cohesive strategy that transcends silos in pursuit of deep collaboration,” he says.

“Embedding AI across government departments and functions is not just a strategic choice – it’s a necessity to ensure the UK remains competitive and responsive in an increasingly digital world. Its potential to enhance efficiency, reduce costs and improve outcomes is immense. And the UK can lead the way.”

Source: global government forum

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