The department for science, innovation and technology's (dsit's) Most Senior Civil Servant has said government must go further in improving transparency Around the roll-of article s throughout the public sector.
Asked by members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 30 January 2025 How Government Can Improve Trust In the Public Sector's Increasing Use of Ai and Algorithmic Decision-Making Tools, DSIT Permanent Secretary Sarah Munby Said ” , Which can help build up Trust in how Automated tools are being used.
Munby said the public sector needs to be clear where, for example, ai have been used in letters or e-mails from government to citizens (Something she said is reflected in government guidance) on how it communicates to people across The count on ai-related issues.
She added that if government fails to be “demonstrably trustworthy”, it will ultimately become a “blocker of progress” for the further roll-out of ai tools.
A Major Aspect of the government's efforts here is the algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS), which was designed in collaboration between dsit and the central digital and data office (CCDO), and rolled out in September 2022 to improve Public sector transparency And provide more information Around the algorithmic tools they are using.
While Dsit Announced in February 2024 that it is intended to make the atrs a mandatory requirement for all government departments during 2024 (as well as expert use to the bruider public sector Over een criticized Over the Lack of engagement With it so far, despite government hashreds of AI-Related Contracts.
In March 2024, The National Audit Office (NaO) highlighted How only Eight of 32 Organizations Responding to Its Ai Deployment Survey Said they were “Always or Usually Compliant with the Standard”. At that point, just seven records was contained in the atrs.
As it stands, there are currently 33 records contained in the atrs10 of which were voluntarily published On 28 January by Local Authorities Not Covered by the Central Department Mandate.
Commenting on the Atrs, Munby Admitted “We need to get more out”, noting that the are “20 or so” are to be published in February, with “Lots more” to Follow Throughout the Year.
“It's absolutely our view that they should all be out and published,” She said. “It takes a bit of time to get them up and get them running. It hasn't been mandatory for that long, but… there's been a significant acceleration in pace recently, and we expect that to continue. “
Munby also highlighted that “geting the law right is an important component” of building trust. “There's Quite an Extensive Set of provisions in the data [Use and Access] Bill Which are about making sure that where automated decision-making takes place, there are really good forms of regres, including the ability to challenge [decisions]”She said.
While The Labor Government Adopted Almost Eoverry Recommendation of the recently published AI Action Plan – Wholy Proposed Increasing Both Trust and Adoption in the Technology through Building Up the UK's AI Assurance Ecosystem – None of the recommendations Mentioned transparency requirements.
'Socially meaningful transparency'
In Written evidence To the pac published on 30 January, A Group of Academics – Including Jo Bats, A Professor of Data and Society at the University of Sheffield, and Halene Kennedy, A Professor of Digital Social Social Shi Iland – said it was key to have “Socially meaningful transparency” Around the use of public sector ai and algorithms.
“Socially meaningful transparency focuses on enhancing public understanding of ai systems for informed use and democratic engine in datafied societies,” “This is important Given the widely evidenceed risks of Ai, Eg.” Algorithmic bias and discrimination, that publics are Increasingly aware about. Socially meaningful transparency priorities the needs and interests of members of the public over that of that of Ai System Developers. “
They added that government should work to “Reduce Information Asymmetries” Around Ai Through the Mandated Registration of Systems, as well as “by fostering discussion and decision and decisions Parties, Including members of the public ”about what ai -Related information is released publicly.
Further Written evidence From Michael Wooldridge, A Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, also highlighted the need to increase public trust in government ai, where transparency work Playncy An Essence
“Some people are excited about ai; But many more are worked about it, “He said. “They are worked about their jobs, about their privacy, and they may even be worried (Wrongly) about existing.
“However Well-Motivated The Use of Ai in Government is, I think it is likely that the government use of ai will there willfore be met by ssspticism (at best), and hostesty and anger at all. “These fears – howyver misplaced – need to be taken serial, and transparency is absolutely essential to build trust.”