The government will bring in “digital gurus” from the private sector to support Whitehall civil servants with expertise in AI and data, the cabinet office minister announced on Wednesday.
The move, which will look to poach people from “top tech businesses”, is aimed at improving productivity in Whitehall with AI tools, and to improve how data is used among government departments.
Jeremy Quin, cabinet office minister, said in a speech delivered at the think tank Policy Exchange that many in the civil service felt “frustrated and stiffed by bureaucracy”.
The cabinet office said it made £4.4bn in efficiency savings in the most recent financial year by modernising IT systems and preventing fraud.
“Combining efforts from the private sector, tech experts and the government will help quickly develop digital skills, which will drive the overall economy, and bolster confidence in AI usage as the UK continues to oversee its evolution,” said John Kirk, Deputy CEO at ITG.
It’s the latest move by the government to bring in AI expertise from the private sector. Last month, the government appointed tech entrepreneur and investor Ian Hogarth to chair the recently launched AI taskforce, which will assess the risks and opportunities associated with advanced foundation models such as those powering ChatGPT.
It comes as part of a wider policy push for the UK to take a leading role in AI safety and regulation. However, some businesses have raised concerns that the plans might create additional challenges.