In October 2023 I wrote an opinion article extolling the virtues of Gen AI for the Higher Education sector: Generative AI is a game changer for higher education | Computer Weekly – so you can see from this article I am as enthusiastic as any digital professional about the potential of the AI revolution.
In July 2024, I was interested to read Governing in the Age of AI: A New Model to Transform the State, a report on AI from the Tony Blair Institute.
TBI stated that they found that AI could save government £200 billion over five years. In their joint foreword to the report, Tony Blair and faculty CEO, Marc Warner, wrote that AI “should make today the most exciting and creative time to govern”.
They go on to say:
“We both also see the potential prize for the UK, which should have its own ambitions to position itself at the forefront on AI and provide leadership on governing in this new era. And when both of us survey the operations of governments from our different perspectives, we see the same opportunity: almost everywhere AI can help us reimagine the state.
“The prospect might seem daunting, but for the most part investing in AI is low-risk, high-reward. Its benefits, as this paper shows, far exceed the costs – and the price of inaction may be higher still.”
As a public sector technology specialist with over 20 years of experience working in several areas of the public sector, I was immediately excited by the prospect of better more efficient public services in the UK that could be turned around using AI.
However, over the years, I have become a little sceptical about the speed of adoption and how this revolution will be achieved universally across the UK public sector for reasons I will share with you shortly.
This is not only my view. I was recently speaking at a conference of digital professionals in the Sout- East. I took an unscientific straw poll showing them the statement from the TBI quoted above and 95% of those present did not agree with the statement. We went on to discuss some of the reasons why the AI revolution may be a slower burn in the public sector which I will share with you below.
What’s going to stop the AI revolution moving at pace in the UK public sector?
Well first and most importantly – money! We are a public sector that is in deep financial crisis for the reasons we all know. Whilst the new government is ambitious and wants to re-build the public sector with more investment, it has many demands on the revenues raised by the taxpayer and to quote a previous prime minster, no ‘magic money tree’.
So, we can all see money needs to be invested in the NHS, schools and social care and it is likely that technology spend is going to be lower down the list of priorities for the individual public sector organisations.
When technology funds are allocated, it is likely that the priorities for that spend will be to remediate technology debts, replace core legacy systems and contain the growing cyber security threat.
If a public sector organisation such as a large national government department does have the funds to invest in AI at scale, there are several other barriers and challenges, that they will need to overcome:
- Data Privacy and Security: Concerns around data protection, particularly with regulations like GDPR, can hinder data sharing and usage necessary for effective AI systems.
- Data Quality: Good quality data is essential for the predictive nature of many AI systems including the growing use of AI assistants – data inconsistency, outdated data, data integrity and data inconsistency are just some of the issues with data in legacy systems and websites managed by public sector organizations.
- Lack of Skills and Expertise: There is often a shortage of personnel with the necessary technical skills to develop, implement, and maintain AI systems.
- Infrastructure Limitations: Many public sector organisations may lack the necessary technological infrastructure to support AI solutions, including hardware and software.
- Resistance to Change: Cultural resistance within organisations can slow down the adoption of AI technologies, as employees may be wary of how AI will affect their roles – every day there are articles about how many jobs will be lost because of AI. – Up to 8 million UK jobs at risk from AI unless government acts, finds IPPR | IPPR
- Integration with Legacy Systems: Many public sector organisations still rely on outdated systems, making it challenging to integrate new AI technologies.
- Public Trust: Gaining public confidence in AI’s role in government services is essential, particularly in sensitive areas like health and law enforcement.
It’s not all Doom and Gloom
Whilst the potential for AI to transform the UK public sector is of course immense, as I hope I have shown, several barriers and challenges must be addressed to unlock its full capabilities.
By prioritising data governance, investing in skills development, modernising infrastructure, and fostering a culture of ethical innovation, public sector organisations can begin to overcome these hurdles.
Only through concerted efforts can AI become the game-changing force it has the potential to be, ultimately enhancing the quality of public services and improving outcomes for citizens across the UK.
Also read: CIO interview: Sean Green, University of East Anglia
Sean Green is interim CIO at Birkbeck, University of London