The prime minister has appeared before his fellow MPs to discuss his plans for the use of new technology, in a conversation that touched on the dangers and the opportunities
Keir Starmer has acknowledged that there are risks with the government’s plans to roll out artificial intelligence but has claimed that the technology “releases individuals to be more human”.
The prime minister this week told a meeting of parliament’s Liaison Committee – which brings together the chairs of select committees – that it is crucial to seize the opportunities offered by increased digitisation. Starmer’s comments this week follow a package of announcements in January alongside the publication of the State of Digital Government Review, which touted the prospect of £45bn in annual savings for the public sector from “full potential digitisation”.
The PM was asked directly about the risks of AI by Public Accounts Committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown. He told Starmer that the Department for Work and Pensions had dropped two AI tools because they had been deemed to be discriminatory against certain claimants and suggested that ethics needed to play a role in government’s use of AI.
“Absolutely,” Starmer replied. “There are huge opportunities and risks, and we need to marry the two.”
The prime minister said he believed it was important to be receptive to the use of new digital tools to improve the delivery of public services.
“In the end, I think your stance matters,” he said. “Are you forward-leaning, seeing the opportunity, or leaning back, seeing the risk and not wanting to move? I’m in the first camp, but I absolutely accept that’s got to be within a framework that means AI can be used for good purpose and safely. I believe it can. But we need to bear that in mind all the time.”
Clifton-Brown said that, while replacing legacy systems would be part of the way government could become more efficient through the better use of technology, “changing the way the civil service works” would be the “biggest issue”.
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He said a theme that had emerged at recent PAC sessions was embedding digital and cyber-information officers at senior management levels, and on senior boards, in every department of the civil service. Clifton-Brown asked Starmer if that was something he might consider.
“Yes,” the PM replied. “I think it’s really vital. We want to double the number of civil servants working in data and digital roles by 2030, so we increase the volume. There will be incentives for that. We’ve got 2,000 Tech Track apprentices in place for that very reason. I think this can be transformative, not just for the services that are externally delivered, but to the heart of government in relation to some of the tasks that are being done.”
Starmer said he believed planning and probation services were two areas where staff could benefit from using AI to collate required information, allowing officials, as decision-makers, to spend more time on their professional judgment.
“I think it will be transformative of what we can do, how we can do it, and it releases individuals to be more human,” he said. “I’m certainly pushing this forward from the centre. I think this sort of transformation only really happens if No.10 is absolutely full-square behind it. So, I’m personally pushing this.”
He added: “I think this is going to be a game changer if we can get it right. We need to push it through.”
