UK partners WEF to develop first artificial intelligence procurement policy

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds the potential to vastly improve government operations and meet the needs of citizens in new ways, ranging from traffic management to healthcare delivery to processing tax forms. But many public institutions are cautious about harnessing this powerful technology because of concerns over bias, privacy, accountability, transparency and overall complexity. The World Economic Forum, the International Organisation for Public-Private Cooperation, have said they will bring governments, businesses, start-ups and civil society together to co-design guidelines to empower governments to responsibly deploy and design AI technology for the benefit of citizens.

The United Kingdom is the first country to partner with the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution on this project. The partnership will involve sending a government secondee to the Centre in San Francisco to create these new guidelines. “Governments’ significant buying power can drive private-sector adoption of these standards even for products that are sold beyond government,” said Kay Firth-Butterfield, Head of Artificial Intelligence at the World Economic Forum. “The future of AI needs government and businesses to work together. I’m thrilled to have the United Kingdom partner with the Centre on this project.”

“The UK has a proud history of stepping up and shaping the international rules and partnerships for new technologies,” said Margot James, Digital Minister, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. “Artificial Intelligence has huge potential benefits and it is right that the public sector is helping to lead the way. Our collaboration with the World Economic Forum on AI will keep the UK at the forefront of this revolutionary technology.”