The Alan Turing Institute is the United Kingdom’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence (AI), founded in 2015. The institute has been working to drive forward the development of standards and guidelines for responsible AI.
In a recent blog post by Professor David Leslie, Director of Ethics and Responsible Innovation Research at the institute, Leslie discussed the importance of AI ethics in the public sector and how they are helping public sector bodies ensure their AI systems are safe, ethical, equitable, and sustainable.
“Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, the meteoric rise of generative AI applications has captured the attention of the public sector, bringing increased interest in how AI technologies can help government bodies better serve members of the public.”
— Professor David Leslie
The post highlights that whilst many aspects of public administration stand to benefit from an AI-enabled technological transformation, there are also important ethical issues to consider around the production, procurement, and use of AI systems in the public sector, across areas including healthcare, education, defence, and law enforcement.
The institute has created new tools to help public sector bodies put existing, world-leading guidance on AI ethics and governance into practice. These tools will provide the foundations for safe, ethical, equitable, and sustainable AI in the civil service and beyond.
“Creating responsible and trustworthy public sector AI futures is crucial for realising the immense potential of AI technologies to serve the public interest and to advance the common good. At a time when the development of advanced AI technologies could play a critical role in helping governments tackle difficult global problems like climate change, biodiversity loss, and biomedical and public health challenges, it is essential to have in place governance protocols and training regimes that lay the foundations for a culture of responsible AI innovation. The Turing’s new AI ethics programme is a small step in this challenging process.”
— Professor David Leslie
