As it releases a new national AI strategy, the devolved administration’s public finance minister has said that public services need to ‘confront some of the long-term issues and common challenges’
An “uneven” data maturity landscape is limiting the Scottish public sector’s ability to adopt new technologies, according to a senior minister.
Speaking at the recent Public Sector Data & AI Summit hosted by PublicTechnology sister publication Holyrood, Scottish Government public finance minister Ivan McKee said: “If we’re to unlock the long-term potential, we must confront some of the long-term issues and common challenges – issues that will be familiar to many in the room. Mature, well-managed, interoperable, high-quality data is the cornerstone of AI, and without this, we can’t take advantage of the huge opportunities that are available to us right now. The public sector’s data maturity landscape is, it has to be said, uneven. Some organisations are doing well, others not so much, and we have a shared responsibility to address this.”
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McKee added that the Scottish Government’s new AI strategy will provide clear deliverable actions on AI, adoption, research, innovation, and infrastructure.
“It will ensure that AI is developed and deployed in a way that is ethical, transparent, and inclusive, strengthening public services and driving economic growth,” he said. “Of course, this is a collective challenge; if we all play our part in raising our collective capabilities, skills and confidence, by working together and sharing that load and moving in the same direction, we can improve lives, strengthen communities, and deliver better outcomes for the people of Scotland.”
A version of this story originally appeared on PublicTechnology sister publication Holyrood
