Joanna Shields

⚡Enforcement Technology #EnfTech in practice: Adam Davison Head of Data Science at Advertising Standards Authority has done a lot with #AI to identify and enforce against misleading and harmful adverts. Adam spoke at the Consumer Empowerment Project - CEP Consumer Leadership Academy in a session on using AI for spotting consumer harm. He says it's as much about an organisational transformation as about the tech, and has not replaced expert review, but rather maximises their time. Read more examples of #EnfTech from authorities across the world in our report: https://lnkd.in/d3RNTkgr #AIenforcemnet #EnfTech #EnforcementTechnology Christine Riefa

8

From communicating with citizens better to expediting research and accelerating planning applications, #AI can make countless tasks performed by public-sector workers better, faster and cheaper.   The UK must follow in the footsteps of the private sector and embed AI into every government department and across every public service to make government more efficient and save the country money.   Read the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change’s latest paper about how AI can transform public services for #FutureofBritain:  https://bit.ly/4bCEN7s

3

Many thanks Form Ventures for digging into the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) AI and Digital Hub and how it can help digital innovators.

9

The Global Digital Compact (GDC) wrapped last week and it offers a new multilateral digital governance reality. As we prepare for the WSIS+20 review next year, it is important we reflect on WSIS and what it may mean for the future of digital governance and the ability of stakeholders to participate in it. Here are my reflections about the future of digital governance in a post-GDC reality. https://lnkd.in/eeBvrwFu #governance #internet #GDC #WSIS #unitednations #multilateral #multistakeholder #internetgovernance #tech #China #humanrights

72

6 Comments

The report The Futures Toolkit, prepared by the UK Government Office for Science in collaboration with SAMI Consulting, provides a comprehensive framework designed to assist #policymakers in developing #resilientstrategies and #policies amidst an increasingly uncertain future. This toolkit aims to enhance the ability of #governments and organizations to anticipate change, #managerisks, and leverage #opportunities through a systematic approach to #futureplanning. Key Components: 1. Understanding Uncertainty: • The report emphasizes the importance of recognizing and embracing uncertainty in the policymaking process. It outlines how traditional forecasting methods may fall short in today’s complex and dynamic environment, encouraging a shift towards more flexible and adaptive planning approaches. 2. Futures Thinking Framework: • The toolkit introduces a structured framework for futures thinking, encompassing various methodologies and techniques to explore different possible futures. It encourages policymakers to consider multiple scenarios and perspectives, enabling them to identify potential risks and opportunities. 3. Scenario Planning: • Scenario planning is highlighted as a key tool for exploring diverse futures. The report outlines methods for creating detailed scenarios that reflect various social, economic, technological, and environmental changes, helping policymakers visualize the implications of different choices. 4. Horizon Scanning: • The toolkit promotes horizon scanning as a proactive approach to identify emerging trends and signals of change. By systematically monitoring developments across various fields, policymakers can better anticipate potential challenges and opportunities. 5. Stakeholder Engagement: • Engaging a wide range of stakeholders is crucial for developing robust policies. The report stresses the importance of collaboration and inclusive dialogue, enabling diverse perspectives to inform the policymaking process and enhance the credibility of strategies. 6. Robustness and Flexibility: • Policies and strategies must be designed with both robustness and flexibility in mind. The toolkit provides guidance on how to create adaptive policies that can respond effectively to unforeseen developments while maintaining core objectives. 7. Implementation and Evaluation: • The report outlines best practices for implementing and evaluating policies developed using the toolkit. Continuous monitoring and feedback mechanisms are emphasized to ensure that strategies remain relevant and effective over time. Conclusion: “The Futures Toolkit” serves as an essential resource for policymakers seeking to navigate the complexities of an uncertain future. By incorporating innovative methodologies such as scenario planning, horizon scanning, and stakeholder engagement, the toolkit empowers decision-makers to create resilient policies that can withstand volatility and change.

12

I love this piece and it is exactly why I keep going on about replatforming public services to take advantage of commodity back-end services! https://lnkd.in/dQXx9hYM The implications of this phenomenon for public services are that we need a DIGITAL SERVICES BILL that redefines what people do at the front end and what we will manage centrally - horizontally - at the back end. This will have to happen eventually because without it more and more public services will just collapse under the weight of all that redundant activity and duplication, and we will just run out of money to fund it all. The issue is that a DIGITAL SERVICES BILL would require a flagship government policy and commitment to pushing through a huge (if very overdue) reconfiguration of the way we organise ourselves, and there will inevitably be winners and losers from this (as from any reorganisation) - but this does not mean that it should not happen...

34

4 Comments

Advancing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) We are at a crucial stage, expanding the applications of large language models (LLMs) to revolutionise our work-life balance. The "big model" approach to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) aims to make AI models deeper, larger, and more complex by scaling their size. While this method has already delivered impressive results, the question remains: is bigger always better? Recently, researchers studying human cognition more closely, proposed an alternative approach. Rather than simply increasing model size, they suggest using smaller models with enhanced internal neuron structures. This allows AI models to become smarter and more efficient, without demanding vast computational resources. Much like the human brain, which excels at parallel processing by handling multiple tasks across different regions, these smaller models seek to replicate this efficiency. By leveraging internal complexity, they can manage several tasks seamlessly, just as different brain regions work together for optimal functioning. Could this shift in strategy help us unlock AGI faster and more sustainably? The potential is fascinating, and it opens up new paths for innovation in AI development.

20

4 Comments

Understanding your AI use case requires a context-specific approach. Check out this insightful blog post from Armilla AI, which explains why relying solely on generic benchmarks doesn't provide a complete picture of an AI's functionality or its associated risks. A must-read for anyone looking to deepen their knowledge of practical AI implementation.

8

Big deal report out this week on the fusion energy supply chain. Over $600 million spent by fusion energy companies last year, and projected to grow by 24% this year. Make sure to join the Fusion Industry Association to take part in this booming industry!

24

The myth of Daedalus and Icarus offers a profound allegory as we explore the realms of artificial intelligence (AI). The development of AI is rapidly changing the world as we know it. However, it's important to remember that with great power comes great responsibility.(#MarvelFan) Education and policy play a crucial role in ensuring that AI is developed and used ethically and for the greater good. According to the paper "AI and Identity" by Tadimalla and Maher, AI education must go beyond technical skills and include ethical, social, and cultural contexts. This holistic approach will ensure that future AI professionals are equipped with the wisdom and foresight to anticipate the potential implications of their creations and the caution to implement safeguards against misuse.

5

MAPPING CIVIL SOCIETY PERSPECTIVES ON THE WSIS+20 PROCESS APC and IT for Change survey: Mapping civil society perspectives on the WSIS+20 process APC and IT for Change, as part of the Global Digital Justice Forum, have developed a survey to map civil society perspectives on the WSIS+20 process and a way forward for the broader digital justice agenda. The survey specifically requests your perspectives on the WSIS Action Lines, global internet governance, and strategic imperatives for civil society at this critical juncture. Both civil society organisations and individual activists. https://lnkd.in/gDFf5Y_z

2

Lancet Countdown Health and Climate Change in Europe @LCDEurope just launched their 2024 report! By understanding better what the current and future climate–health risks are, this partnership with WHO Regional Office for Europe enables us to better support climate resilience in our Member States. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dsNW8-gu

14

2025 will be an interesting one for AI and the #UK. As we are entering the new year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces a blueprint to turbocharge #AI 👋 https://lnkd.in/e-_csdiA

5

Great article IF the government really wants to use ADMs. However, rather than spending yet other tens of millions (if not hundreds of millions) on yet another digital transformation which promises a lot, we need to start thinking how governments can improve productivity and service quality based on what the organisations already have. What I have observed through the years is this mentality around buying new ideas/systems/digital transformation and then ZERO follow ups on change and benefit realisation, which often takes years. Our effort and discussion should come back to leverage tools (whether it is AI or not) to 1). improve service delivery 2). provide more tailored services 3). improve efficiency 4). improve capabilities of the sector. #automation #AI #govtech #usethetool #change #benefits

4

An excellent initiative. A research partnership with Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh & GoLLM Limited. The survey takes around 15/20 minutes to complete but this research will inform local AI journeys. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

5

1 Comment

Fascinating read on how alignment/misalignment, especially in language and cultural aspects lead to potential & unfortunate (unintended) biases in LLMs https://buff.ly/3Ax5XQ3 #ai #llm #bias #humancenteredAI

After reading some of Richard Pope's (formerly of gov.uk) writing and working around digital state / government service topics in one way or another for years, it seems to become really obvious that: a) digitizing analog processes isn't enough, and usually not what it's about (this has been acknowledged for quite some time, I think) b) digital transformation requires some level of administrational reform, which is much, much harder than setting up digital processes and the hardest and newest part of the puzzle... c) a right that isn't known or hard to exercise isn't worth a damn. Governments don't just need to make exercising rights easier, and using/claiming government services easier. They need to go above and beyond to explain to citizens (and other users of these services online) what rights they have in this context and make it easy for them to exercise them. The best child care system isn't worth it if a single parent doesn't know about what it entails and how to use it; even a completely online tax filing system isn't useful if it's so complex that only those with a tax advisor know how to claim all their legal tax benefits, etc. That last part, that's where a state's legitimacy and trust is reinforced or lost.

1