Government issues AI Playbook to support public sector understand what AI can and cannot do
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has published an AI Playbook, setting out ten principles civil servants should uphold when using AI.
The ten principles are:
- Principle 1: You know what AI is and what its limitations are
- Principle 2: You use AI lawfully, ethically and responsibly
- Principle 3: You know how to use AI securely
- Principle 4: You have meaningful human control at the right stage, “so any decisions recommended by technology can be monitored properly, and changed rapidly if needed”
- Principle 5: You understand how to manage the AI life cycle
- Principle 6: You use the right tool for the job – “and avoid using AI where more basic technology can fulfil the same task”
- Principle 7: You are open and collaborative
- Principle 8: You work with commercial colleagues from the start
- Principle 9: You have the skills and expertise needed to implement and use AI
- Principle 10: You use these principles alongside your organisation’s policies and have the right assurance in place
DSIT said the Playbook insists that public servants working with AI do so openly and collaboratively, making sure the public know how technology is being used and allowing other public sector organisations to benefit from work that has already taken place.
The document is also intended to help mitigate the risks involved.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Every corner of the public sector can be using technology to save money, speed things up, and crucially, improve public services for people across the UK, driving our Plan for Change forward.
“The publication of our AI Playbook today comes with a call to arms for tech specialists across the public sector – use the guidance we are sharing to put AI to work in your organisations at whiplash speed, so we can repair our broken public services together.”
DSIT also revealed – along with 12 other examples of how AI and algorithmic tools are being used to speed up decision making – that AI and satellite images are now being used to predict how natural habitats are changing across the country “so more current data can be used to accelerate planning proposals and stop NIMBYism getting in the way of growth and the Plan for Change”.
The Department said: “Satellite images and machine learning – a type of AI – are being used by Natural England to build a detailed map of “Living England”, showing the current extent of habitats across the country. Rather than the manual surveys of the past, changes to English habitats will now be tracked more efficiently and across the country – speeding up decisions around planning and land use while better protecting nature.”
Natural England’s Chief Scientist, Professor Sallie Bailey said: “Nature restoration, development and economic growth are not opposing forces - they can and must work together to create a sustainable future for both people and wildlife.
“Our Living England project is harnessing the power of AI to inform and support planning decisions far more efficiently. This means we can make the biggest impact for Nature recovery, while helping to deliver the new homes and infrastructure the country needs.”
