Evidence submission: PAC inquiry on the "Use of AI in Government"
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AI is increasingly being deployed within the public sector. Last year the National Audit Office (NAO) reported that 70 per cent of government bodies are piloting or planning the use of AI.
This is positive. AI has the potential to unlock dramatic improvements in public sector efficiency and effectiveness. But problems remain. Departments are not incentivised to pursue AI adoption at pace, pilots are rarely scaled up, governance arrangements are simultaneously too complex and too vague, there is excessive risk-aversion, data is often of a poor quality and inaccessible, and skills gaps remain.
This submission to the Public Account’s Committee’s inquiry into the use of AI in government details the problems and potential solutions across four main subjects:
- Departmental accountability on AI delivery, funding and implementation
- Progress on strategy development and governance arrangements
- Risks and opportunities of AI adoption in government
- Data and skills issues in government
It is informed by recent Re:State (formerly Reform) reports on the use of AI in government: