The Public Accounts Committee has released its report on the use of AI in government, incorporating evidence from CMI AI for Health Lead, Dr. Denis Newman-Griffis, and AI and In/Equality Lead, Dr. Susan Oman. The report highlights AI’s potential to transform public services by automating tasks and improving efficiency but stresses that outdated technology, poor data quality, and digital skills shortages pose significant risks to adoption.
The report calls for urgent action, recommending that DSIT:
- Prioritise funding and clear barriers to data sharing to improve AI adoption
- Strengthen transparency in AI use to maintain public trust
- Address the digital skills gap, ensuring the government can recruit and retain AI talent
- Scale successful AI pilots and improve knowledge-sharing across departments
- Reform procurement processes to foster a competitive AI supplier market.
- Establish clear leadership and accountability for AI adoption across the public sector.
Notably, the report cites recommendations from Dr. Newman-Griffis, reinforcing the importance of responsible AI governance. The Centre for Machine Intelligence welcomes this recognition and remains committed to shaping ethical and effective AI policies that maximise public benefit.