UK government to test AI procurement guidelines – Government & civil service news

The UK will be the first government to test a new set of artificial intelligence (AI) procurement guidelines, which have been developed by global public-private cooperation body the World Economic Forum (WEF). AI Procurement Guidelines for Governments sets out the requirements civil servants should address before acquiring and deploying AI software and services; provides questions they should ask companies about their products, and how they use and process data; and makes recommendations for the implementation of AI. According to WEF – which co-designed the guidelines as part of its Unlocking Public Sector AI project – civil servants often lack experience in acquiring emerging technologies, and many public institutions are cautious about harnessing AI at a time when "we are only beginning to understand the risks as well as the opportunities". It said growing public concerns around bias, privacy, accountability and transparency in the use of AI have added an extra layer of complexity to its roll-out at a national level, and that the guidelines have been designed to help civil servants keep up with the rapidly-developing technology and mitigate the associated risks. The aim is to help governments make efficiencies through the responsible use of AI and prepare for future risks, while enabling established companies and start-ups to compete on a level playing field for government contracts.