Artificial intelligence can help rebuild trust in politics, David Lammy claims
David Lammy said the use of artificial intelligence could increase trust in government and tackle problems with a “bloated” public sector.
The Deputy Prime Minister has said the AI “revolution” will cut through Whitehall bureaucracy.
He said parts of the public sector had become “too expensive” and productivity still lagged behind pre-pandemic levels, but artificial intelligence had the potential to change that.
Speaking at OpenAI’s Frontiers conference in London, Mr Lammy said: “Governments and companies that take on AI faster and more powerfully will come to the fore, and those that hesitate will very quickly be left behind.
“I also believe that when used well – with an emphasis on good use – AI can help rebuild trust in government, provide much-needed trust in our politics, deliver what people really want: shorter wait times, fewer errors, lower costs and better outcomes.”
He added: “Parts of our bureaucracy have become bloated, too expensive, too inefficient, so much so that they often fail to meet the needs of the people they are supposed to serve.
“And let’s be clear, public sector productivity is still lagging, particularly behind pre-pandemic levels, and that’s not good for anyone. It’s certainly not good for the people of our country.”
He said AI was already being used to transform public services, from analyzing responses to consultations and helping triage cancer patients.
“If we get this right, if we embed AI into government, into every system, into every service, I believe we can revitalize 150 years of British state enterprise within the next 15 years, probably even sooner,” he said.
Mr Lammy said more than 1,000 probation officers will now be equipped with an in-house AI tool that records and transcribes conversations with offenders to reduce administrative work.
ChatGPT maker OpenAI will store data on British soil for the first time under a new Government deal aimed at improving the security of businesses in the face of growing global cyber threats.
The government hopes the deal will help unlock investment by giving companies confidence that their data is being managed securely in the UK.
It follows a wave of cyber attacks last year targeting major businesses in the UK, including Jaguar Land Rover and retailers such as Marks & Spencer and the Co-op.
