“AI will deliver real change for working people across the UK – not only growing our economy but improving our public services.”

Feryal Clark, Minister for Digital Government and AI

This blog examines the potential societal impact of a £32 million governmental investment in AI, highlighting the benefits these funds could bring while also delving into the ways digital transformation is reshaping the public sector.

Earlier this month (7 August 2024), the government awarded financial backing to almost 100 projects utilising AI. With the projects spanning industries including transport, healthcare and education, the investment marks one of the first major initiatives under the newly formed Labour government.

The UK government's vision for AI is part of its broader technological advancement strategy, with objectives of economic growth, job creation and improved public services.

Overhauling legacy technology is crucial to ensure that citizens and civil servants benefit from these advancements. This approach can lead to improved public services, streamlined processes, and greater engagement with citizens, creating a more efficient public sector, ultimately benefiting society.

AI has the potential to drive an inclusive and innovative digital public sector. AI, combined with a mature data capability that has overcome data siloes, can drive significant automation and improve data-driven decision-making. This can increase the quality and speed of public service, leading to better outcomes like increased satisfaction for public servants, and savings of hundreds of millions of pounds for the public purse.

Healthcare improvements

 

There is monumental strain on the NHS. It is facing an aging population, economic challenges, and staff shortages. With seven million patients on the NHS waiting list in England and around 100,000 staff vacancies, AI has the potential to modernise the health service.

In a bid to future-ready the NHS, funding has been provided to improve efficiencies when it comes to delivering prescriptions across the UK with the use of AI algorithms.

In 2024, over half of NHS staff surveyed believed it likely that AI would save time in their work within the next five years. However, there is some doubt within the NHS, with a quarter of staff finding the impact of AI on saving time to be unlikely.

Enhancing NHS efficiency through AI-driven solutions will see patient outcomes, such as diagnostics advance; as well as treatment planning and patient care, and it holds the possibility of freeing up staff time and resources.

An example of positive patient outcomes from AI implementation can be seen in the project carried out by BJSS for Care Fertility. By using AI, Care Fertility enhanced embryo assessment accuracy, leading to better IVF outcomes. This innovation has improved success rates and reduced costs, benefiting both patients and practitioners. The tool reduces expert time spent on embryo assessment, freeing up approximately six months of embryologist time per year.

Education development

Education is also receiving a boost from the recent funding, with initiatives launched to enhance AI education, focusing on expanding access to AI courses. Funding has been increased for AI research and development programmes, and partnerships have been formed with tech companies to provide hands-on training.

Through data and AI, BJSS enables educational institutions to gain more meaningful insights from the data held. For example, the on-site space management in universities often comes with the challenge of ever-changing needs for campus spaces. Through innovative dashboards, space utilisation insights can be closely analysed to ensure efficient use of space.

As AI continues to evolve rapidly, it’s crucial for educational institutions to stay informed, establish robust governance policies, and collaborate across disciplines.


AI governance and Responsible AI (RAI) considerations

The development and deployment of AI technologies comes with significant social, ethical, and legal responsibilities. At BJSS, we have developed our own Responsible AI guidelines to address these, based on our AI values and principles. These take into account our organisation’s needs, risks, and uses of AI.

We have also established our AI Risk and Impact Assessment (ARIA) processes to help identify and manage specific AI risks, helping us align with global best practice standards and the legal standard set by The EU AI Act.

Our ARIA process also ensures we can complete the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, which is important for UK public sector projects. Our guidelines and risk management processes help ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in the use of AI systems.

Government regulations play a crucial role in maintaining this balance by establishing equitable AI usage frameworks while allowing innovation to flourish. Undoubtedly, this is a balancing act under intense public scrutiny. Excessive regulation can stifle innovation, so it is essential to strike a balance between fostering technological advancements and safeguarding societal interests.

For successful AI projects, the public sector must ensure it is:

  • Building trust through transparency and accountability
  • Promoting public understanding and awareness of AI benefits and risks
  • Engaging with the public to address concerns about AI

Balancing opportunities and challenges

The UK is a leader in AI research and innovation, but it also faces many challenges in ensuring ethical and Responsible AI usage. AI funding can bring significant benefits to the public sector and society, such as improved efficiency, quality, and accessibility of services.

However, it also requires careful governance, regulation, education, training, and public engagement to address the potential risks and harms of AI, such as bias, discrimination, and privacy violations.

BJSS is at the forefront of digital transformation in the public sector, and has been for over 30 years. Adaptive governance and policymaking must evolve to meet emerging challenges and opportunities. In this ebook, BJSS explores the complexities of AI governance, Responsible AI: A comprehensive guide to governance.

Understanding current AI usage is vital for assessing how these technologies can enhance public services effectively through appropriate use cases. While bridging public knowledge gaps is crucial for maintaining lasting public value.

Encouraging a collaborative approach across the public sector will maximise AI’s societal benefits, while aligning with Responsible AI standards and public expectations for a better future.