Committee on Standards in Public Life: Artificial Intelligence and Public Standards: report
R20-1
Response position Accepted
Published February 2020
Response position and delivery status are recorded separately. Acceptance does not establish implementation.
Recommendation (the Committee's words)
There are currently three different sets of ethical principles intended to guide the use of AI in the public sector – the FAST SUM Principles, the OECD AI Principles, and the Data Ethics Framework. It is unclear how these work together and public bodies may be uncertain over which principles to follow. a. The public needs to understand the high level ethical principles that govern the use of AI in the public sector. The government should identify, endorse and promote these principles and outline the purpose, scope of application and respective standing of each of the three sets currently in use. b. The guidance by the Office for AI, the Government Digital Service and the Alan Turing Institute on using AI in the public sector should be made easier to use and understand, and promoted extensively.
From: Committee on Standards in Public Life, Artificial Intelligence and Public Standards: report, February 2020
Government response
Government response (the government's words)
We understand and agree that the number and variety of principles on AI may lead to confusion when AI solutions are implemented in the public sector. The principles themselves, have different histories and arose to fulfil a particular role at the international or national level. These principles fall into a small number of categories that apply in different contexts as set out below, and we have begun to signpost these to bring greater clarity.
International Norms:
The UK government has signed up to multilateral principles on AI, including the OECD principles, and is committed to implementing these through its involvement as a founding member of the Global Partnership on AI. Agreement on high-level international principles are important to establish international norms, and the principles referred to in your report are joined at the international level by the UK being a signatory to a joint statement on AI and Human Rights.
Public Sector Procurement: – both internationally and nationally
AI Procurement Guidelines – Our framework for procurement of AI in the public sector, conducted by the UK Office for AI in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and developed in consistency with the Data Ethics Framework, is another vehicle for outlining principles (drawn from OECD and FAST SUM principles) at an international level – but has also led to UK-specific AI Procurement Guide and Crown Commercial Services AI Marketplace at the national level.
Ethical Principles:
In order to ensure more clarity on ethical principles and guidance, the Government has published an online resource – the Data ethics and AI guidance landscape – with a list of various data ethics-related resources intended for use by civil and public servants. The aim is for the landing page to become a repository of data ethics papers, principles, and practical case studies. Included in this are a number of practical non-regulatory pieces of guidance as the default ways of working with AI and data across government.
• The Data Ethics Framework (launched in 2016 and most recently refreshed in 2020, widely adopted by departments and public sector)
• OAI/GDS ‘Guide for using AI in the public sector’ (how to best use AI; assess whether AI meets user needs; and ethical, fair and safe implementation of AI)
• Open Government Playbook (guidance for policymakers on being more transparent, participatory, and accountable in their work)
We acknowledge that more work is needed to keep our existing data and AI ethics guidance relevant, up to date, and user-centred, as demonstrated by our recent evidence-based process to refresh the Data Ethics Framework.
Furthermore, to bring greater cohesiveness to policy around AI and data technologies in Government, a Central Digital and Data Office has been established. On 12 January, Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office, announced the appointment of three senior Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) leaders by the Government: Paul Willmott will Chair a new Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) for the Government; Joanna Davinson has been appointed the Executive Director of CDDO and Tom Read has been appointed as CEO of the Government Digital Service.
The new leadership officially joined in February 2021 and are reviewing the overall digital and data programme for government. Refreshed DDaT governance structures will be considered as part of this, to ensure appropriate leadership and accountability of the government's work on data.
International Norms:
The UK government has signed up to multilateral principles on AI, including the OECD principles, and is committed to implementing these through its involvement as a founding member of the Global Partnership on AI. Agreement on high-level international principles are important to establish international norms, and the principles referred to in your report are joined at the international level by the UK being a signatory to a joint statement on AI and Human Rights.
Public Sector Procurement: – both internationally and nationally
AI Procurement Guidelines – Our framework for procurement of AI in the public sector, conducted by the UK Office for AI in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and developed in consistency with the Data Ethics Framework, is another vehicle for outlining principles (drawn from OECD and FAST SUM principles) at an international level – but has also led to UK-specific AI Procurement Guide and Crown Commercial Services AI Marketplace at the national level.
Ethical Principles:
In order to ensure more clarity on ethical principles and guidance, the Government has published an online resource – the Data ethics and AI guidance landscape – with a list of various data ethics-related resources intended for use by civil and public servants. The aim is for the landing page to become a repository of data ethics papers, principles, and practical case studies. Included in this are a number of practical non-regulatory pieces of guidance as the default ways of working with AI and data across government.
• The Data Ethics Framework (launched in 2016 and most recently refreshed in 2020, widely adopted by departments and public sector)
• OAI/GDS ‘Guide for using AI in the public sector’ (how to best use AI; assess whether AI meets user needs; and ethical, fair and safe implementation of AI)
• Open Government Playbook (guidance for policymakers on being more transparent, participatory, and accountable in their work)
We acknowledge that more work is needed to keep our existing data and AI ethics guidance relevant, up to date, and user-centred, as demonstrated by our recent evidence-based process to refresh the Data Ethics Framework.
Furthermore, to bring greater cohesiveness to policy around AI and data technologies in Government, a Central Digital and Data Office has been established. On 12 January, Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office, announced the appointment of three senior Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) leaders by the Government: Paul Willmott will Chair a new Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) for the Government; Joanna Davinson has been appointed the Executive Director of CDDO and Tom Read has been appointed as CEO of the Government Digital Service.
The new leadership officially joined in February 2021 and are reviewing the overall digital and data programme for government. Refreshed DDaT governance structures will be considered as part of this, to ensure appropriate leadership and accountability of the government's work on data.
From: HM Government. Source document ↗