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Andrew Laird, Mutual Ventures – The Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan needs Cooperative Values

The Government has produced a plan to ensure the UK takes advantage of AI. This is good news. AI is coming whether we want it or not and we should be ready. This means seizing the opportunities AI presents but also guarding against the risks and uncertainty which comes with it.

The “AI Opportunities Action Plan” is very heavy on boosting investment in AI research and engineering, developing a skilled workforce and boosting adoption across the economy. There is passing reference to being a “global leader on AI safety and governance” – but the general tone is all about the tech and the growth.

This is all well and good but when it comes to public services, we can’t embrace the ‘go fast and break things’ mentality prevalent in many parts of the private sector. When public services get it wrong, real people’s lives are impacted. Councils and other public services must be aware of numerous ethical factors when adopting AI. It can exhibit bias and make simple mistakes. It is only as reliable as the data it feeds on. It also presents concerns for public service staff who increasingly view AI as threatening their employment.

So it is fortunate timing that CCIN, working with Mutual Ventures, has produced a “Co-operative Values driven AI” guidance framework to support public service leaders in their AI adoption journey. This guide offers a foundational understanding of where AI could benefit councils. It proposes a framework based on cooperative principles to help leaders assess AI’s potential and suitability. It focuses on providing the basic knowledge necessary to ask pertinent questions and ensure the ethical and cooperative exploration and adoption of AI.

The Government’s AI action plan is exciting and a big positive – but for public services adoption needs to be grounded in and led by our values – not simply the opportunity to use it.

Let us know if you have any thoughts or would like to discuss.

 

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