Thus, most public-sector AI systems used today are developed by and acquired from private vendors. A growing number of academic and advocacy efforts have pointed out how AI systems procured in the public sector have predominantly targeted narrowly defined notions of efficiency and performance enhancements, resulting in adverse effects that disparately impact marginalized communities[18, 37, 46, 50, 86, 96]. While such incidents have exposed flaws in individual AI systems, they highlight deeper issues in how AI is acquired, used, and governed in the public sector. The AI procurement process encompasses decisions of which AI tools to ask for, adopt or reject, and the manner in which they are developed and deployed: decisions of critical importance for communities who may be harmed by AI. Such decisions not only influence the performance and risks posed by AI systems, but also play a significant role in shaping broader governance practices and ethical standards by which AI operates in the public sector. Interestingly, there is a long history of governments adapting their public procurement practices to enact social change, e.g., by creating processes that prioritize minority-owned businesses [62],

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly deployed in the public sector. Existing public procurement processes and standards are in urgent need of innovation to address potential risks and harms to citizens. Read our primer based on our research and on input from leading experts in the public sector, data science, civil society, policy, social science, and the law to learn about pathways forward. The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined how biases can manifest in many different aspects of public use technology. For example, federal COVID-19 funding allocation algorithms have favored high-income communities over low-income communities due to historical biases prevalent in the training data. AI solutions that can be implemented fast are typically provided by private companies. As more and more aspects of public service are infused with AI systems and other technologies provided by private companies, we see a growing network of privately owned infrastructure. As government entities outsource critical technological infrastructure (such as data storage and cloud-based systems for data sharing and analysis) to private companies under the guise of modernizing public services, we see a trend towards losing control over critical infrastructure and decreasing accountability to the public that relies on it.

Guidelines for the responsible and effective procurement of artificial intelligence by governments to better meet the needs of citizens and enhance public servicesThe challenge Artificial intelligence (AI) holds the potential to vastly improve government operations and help meet the needs of citizens in new ways, ranging from traffic management to healthcare delivery to processing tax forms. But most public institutions have not yet adopted this powerful technology. While public sector officials are increasingly aware of the transformational impact of data and AI-powered solutions, the data needed for AI solutions to be developed and deployed is often neither accessible nor discoverable. Public sector officials may also lack the appropriate knowledge and expertise to make strategic buying decisions for AI-powered tools. Uncertainty about ethical considerations adds further layers of complexity. As a result, officials tend to delay buying decisions, or reduce perceived risk by concentrating their purchasing on a few known suppliers. The opportunity The World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought together a multistakeholder community to co-design the AI Procurement in a Box toolkit guide for governments to rethink their public procurement processes:  IntroductionGuidelines for AI procurement, presenting the general considerations to be taken when government is procuring AI-powered solutionsWorkbook for policy and procurement officials guiding them through the guidelines ChallengesPilot case studiesThis guidance aims to empower government officials to more confidently make responsible AI purchasing decisions. The tools also improve the experience for AI solutions providers by supporting the creation of transparent and innovative public procurement processes that meet their needs. Impact By co-designing these guidelines with governments, small and large businesses, civil society and academia, the intended impact is the responsible deployment of AI solutions for the public benefit of constituents. Leveraging the significant purchasing power of government in the market, the private-sector adoption of the guidelines can permeate the industry beyond the adoption by public sector organizations. Embedding the principles advocated for in the guidelines into administrative processes will also expand opportunities for new entrants and create a more competitive environment for the ethical development of AI. Further, as industry debates its own standards on these technologies, the government’s influence can help set a baseline for the harmonization of standards-setting. Project accomplishments  March–September 2019: Policy development – the World Economic Forum worked with fellows from the public and private sectors, and a multistakeholder group that also included academia and civil society organizations, to create action-orientated guidelines for government procurement of AI. October–March 2020: Pilot and Iteration – the project team validated guidelines through feedback sessions and a pilot project with the United Kingdom government, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and the Government of Bahrain. June 2020: Publication of the AI Procurement in a Box guide that will allow governments to effectively learn and adopt the best practices developed.Contact information For more information, contact Kay Firth-Butterfield, Head of AI and Machine Learning, World Economic Forum, at Kay.Firth-Butterfield@weforum.org.

Artificial intelligence holds great potential for public-sector institutions around the world to improve government operations as well as service to citizens. But governments don't necessarily have experience in acquiring modern AI solutions and can tend to be cautious about harnessing new technology. By helping to guide the process of procuring AI, we aim to address major AI adoption pain points early in the process and make it easier for governments to implement this advanced technology. Overall, the guidelines aim to assist all parties involved in the procurement life cycle – policy officials, procurement officials and government commercial teams, data practitioners, and AI-solutions providers – in safeguarding public benefit and well-being.

The challenge Artificial intelligence (AI) holds the potential to vastly improve government operations and help meet the needs of citizens in new ways, ranging from traffic management to healthcare delivery to processing tax forms. But most public institutions have not yet adopted this powerful technology. While public sector officials are increasingly aware of the transformational impact of data and AI-powered solutions, the data needed for AI solutions to be developed and deployed is often neither accessible nor discoverable. Public sector officials may also lack the appropriate knowledge and expertise to make strategic buying decisions for AI-powered tools. Uncertainty about ethical considerations adds further layers of complexity. As a result, officials tend to delay buying decisions, or reduce perceived risk by concentrating their purchasing on a few known suppliers. The opportunity The World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought together a multistakeholder community to co-design the AI Procurement in a Box toolkit guide for governments to rethink their public procurement processes:  IntroductionGuidelines for AI procurement, presenting the general considerations to be taken when government is procuring AI-powered solutionsWorkbook for policy and procurement officials guiding them through the guidelines ChallengesPilot case studiesThis guidance aims to empower government officials to more confidently make responsible AI purchasing decisions. The tools also improve the experience for AI solutions providers by supporting the creation of transparent and innovative public procurement processes that meet their needs. Impact By co-designing these guidelines with governments, small and large businesses, civil society and academia, the intended impact is the responsible deployment of AI solutions for the public benefit of constituents. Leveraging the significant purchasing power of government in the market, the private-sector adoption of the guidelines can permeate the industry beyond the adoption by public sector organizations. Embedding the principles advocated for in the guidelines into administrative processes will also expand opportunities for new entrants and create a more competitive environment for the ethical development of AI. Further, as industry debates its own standards on these technologies, the government’s influence can help set a baseline for the harmonization of standards-setting. Project accomplishments  March–September 2019: Policy development – the World Economic Forum worked with fellows from the public and private sectors, and a multistakeholder group that also included academia and civil society organizations, to create action-orientated guidelines for government procurement of AI. October–March 2020: Pilot and Iteration – the project team validated guidelines through feedback sessions and a pilot project with the United Kingdom government, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and the Government of Bahrain. June 2020: Publication of the AI Procurement in a Box guide that will allow governments to effectively learn and adopt the best practices developed. Contact information For more information, contact Kay Firth-Butterfield, Head of AI and Machine Learning, World Economic Forum, at Kay.Firth-Butterfield@weforum.org.

Artificial Intelligence is a technology that has the potential to greatly improve our public services by reducing costs, enhancing quality, and freeing up valuable time of frontline staff. Recognising this, the UK Government published the Data Ethics Framework and A Guide to using AI in the Public Sector to enable public bodies to adopt AI systems in a way that works for everyone in society. These new procurement guidelines will help inform and empower buyers in the public sector, helping them to evaluate suppliers, then confidently and responsibly procure AI technologies for the benefit of citizens.