Letters: Reading into the data of AI
[Re: UK set to become next AI superpower says new report, Nov 23]
Amidst the hype about the UK as the “next AI superpower”, the WPI Economics Report should be seen as a much bigger call to action to improve how the UK public sector approaches data.
Having enhanced AI capabilities is all very well and good, but it has no value for citizens if public sector workers don’t have the tools or knowledge to maximise its effect. With more data available than ever before, the public sector must adapt to be able
to use the data to improve public services and the lives of citizens.
Beneath the headlines of the UK as a future AI superpower, the report is full of signs that data maturity is lacking across the public sector. Suppose the UK is to burnish its status as a
tech superpower. In that case, the government must ensure that civil servants and public sector workers have access to the tools that make maximising value from data simple, efficient, and effective. We need to see a more joined up approach in government to data, focusing on solving complex problems by combining augmented analytics, AI and machine learning, and data exploration. This help drives faster and more informed decision-making – an outcome that will benefit citizens and public sector professionals alike.
Tom Warren
Pyramid Analytics