Publication
Introduction
AI has huge potential to help government deliver services which are more responsive, efficient and personalised. The AI for Public Services team seeks to improve public services and outcomes for citizens through the responsible and effective adoption of AI by government.
We conduct foundational research investigating the big picture of when and where AI can be applied in government, and carry out technical projects with government on the adoption of AI in specific public sector use cases.
Drawing on our academic expertise, we apply data science methods and reproducible analyses to understand how AI can improve the provision and delivery of public services. Informed by our research programme and sectoral experience, we collaborate with government partners to design and implement AI applications for a particular prediction, detection, or simulation problem. Our expertise is grounded in our knowledge of a range of AI and data science methods, and our understanding of which method is best for a particular government use case.
We aim to support and work alongside government to plan, develop, and deploy data science and AI methods to improve public services. Our interdisciplinary team brings skills in artificial intelligence, data science, social science, regulation and governance, and experience of working in organisations such as NESTA, the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, and the Oxford Internet Institute.
Our current work explores questions of definition, integration, oversight, and techniques through the lens of the unique needs of public services. We are undertaking a wide range of research into AI and machine learning applications for government decision-making support, including:
- mapping decision-making systems
- the potential of the latest generation of language models
- public sector use of satellite imagery
- operational oversight requirements of systems currently in use.
We are available to partner with government organisations and can also offer impartial free advice in this area across the public sector.
