Seven in 10 government bodies say that skills are a barrier to artificial intelligence adoption in their organisation, with many struggling to attract and retain staff with the right capabilities.
A report from the public spending watchdog the National Audit Office has found that AI is not in wide use across the government, with many departments’ adoption plans being held back by a lack of skills.
It suggests that government departments can address skills shortages through the use of contractors, agency workers and temporary staff, who currently make up an estimated one-third of digital and data professionals in the civil service. However, it recognises that the government wants to reduce the civil service’s reliance on contingent labour to reduce costs and develop long-term capability.
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The NAO’s report suggests that AI could transform public services and deliver billions of pounds in productivity savings.
Thirty-seven per cent of the 87 government and arms-length bodies that responded to the NAO’s survey had deployed AI, but typically only in one or two use cases.
Seventy per cent said they were planning or piloting AI. The most common uses under consideration included supporting operational decision-making or improving internal processes.
Large-scale benefits of AI adoption not only hinge on the roll-out of new technology and retirement of ageing IT systems, but also changes in business processes and the roles of civil servants, according to the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Government report.
It encourages the Cabinet Office to develop a “realistic” plan for skills and funding.
Central government departments are required have developed AI adoption plans by June 2024.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO said: “AI offers government opportunities to transform public services and deliver better outcomes for the taxpayer.
“To deliver these improved outcomes government needs to make sure its overall programme for AI adoption tackles longstanding issues, including data quality and ageing IT, as well as builds in effective governance of the risks.
“Without prompt action to address barriers to making effective use of AI within public services, government will not secure the benefits it has identified.”
Meg Hillier, chair of the public accounts committee, said: “There is existing AI activity and exploration across government, so the Cabinet Office needs to bring together this insight and learning and share it across departments. To realise the benefits of AI in the public sector it must address AI risks and be clear who is responsible for the strategy for AI adoption and how it will be delivered and funded.”
The TUC’s public services lead Sian Elliot urged the government to ensure they were introducing AI “in the right way”.
“That means proper consultation with staff and unions. Imposing new tech and IT systems on public servants without their input and without proper training has been recipe for disaster in the past,” she said.
“We must get the basics right first. Fourteen years of capital budget cuts have left public services with ageing and inadequate equipment. NHS professionals tell us it can take 15 minutes to fire up a computer.”
Elliot called for the swift introduction of new laws governing AI use at work to reassure employees who are wary of how they will be protected.
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“As the NAO makes clear, there is still a lot of workforce unease about legal liability and whether AI will be used ethically and with full transparency,” she said. “The US, the EU and Canada are all regulating in this way. Ministers should stop dragging their feet and do the same.”
