Public Programs Are Only as Good as Their Data

Data scientists will have a bumper year in 2023 as governments invest heavily in applying AI and algorithms to public policy. The European Commission has committed €1.3 billion ($1.38 billion) to research and innovation under the Digital Europe Programme. The UK government is funding £117 million ($143.6 million) for PhDs in AI, and it's already on the second year of its 10-year plan to "make Britain a global AI superpower." Examples of ongoing initiatives include the National Health Service's use of AI to identify abnormalities in CT scans and the Department for Work and Pensions' efforts to detect fraud in universal credit applications. This story is from the WIRED World in 2023, our annual trends briefing.