Public Sector Innovation Conference 2024 | Digital Leaders | 12 March 2024 | RSA House, 8 John Adam Street London WC2N 6EZ UK

This year's Conference will look at interesting ways in which people are using AI to innovate in our public services. A new conference format will alternate thoughtful keynotes and panel discussions with lots of quick-fire examples of early “lighthouse” projects, as we ask, ‘what are the challenges specific to using AI to deliver public services?’ and, ‘what are the lessons learnt so far in the journey from procurement to delivery?’

This conference will be scrutinising the potential to use AI to make our public services much smarter, efficient and more productive. A particular focus will be on exemplar, ‘lighthouse’ projects already leading the way across different departments.

During the day, we will consider the opportunities such technologies present for the way in which our public services are currently organised and run. Can departmental structures and traditional organisational silos be modernised so we could potentially create a public sector LLM as well as cross-departmental data lakes? The benefits, if achieved, could free up resources and staff to deliver more valuable frontline tasks as well as reduce costs.

The conference day is in three parts with interlocking themes. Each session will comprise a keynote, a panel to discuss the topic in detail, and then 5 lighthouse examples of projects already underway to inspire the audience. We intend that our audience will feel informed about how the public sector should engage with AI, and leave with a good understanding of the ethics and risks as well as benefits of using AI to deliver public services.

Themes for the day:

• Session One - Is AI Innovation?

AI has already led to the creation of intelligent systems, algorithms, and applications that can automate processes, improve efficiency, and generate insights from vast amounts of data and solve complex problems. Could AI allow us to rethink our public service delivery models - not just speeding up what we do, but fundamentally allowing us to change how we design and deliver services? We will look at the government’s policy, think about the relationship between AI and Innovation as look at examples of AI already being used in the public sector.

• Session Two - Ethics and AI in the Public Sector

After coffee we will consider Ethics and AI in the Public Sector. When the public sector uses AI, serious ethical questions arise that prompt careful consideration. For example: fairness and bias; transparency and explainability; employment and social impact; and security and safety. The session will consider these ethical questions and discuss how trust, fairness, and accountability can be built into the deployment of these technologies.

• Session Three - AI for good and bad

After lunch we will broaden the discussion to the topic ‘AI for good and bad’.

How do we strike the balance between AI being used for bad (e.g. lowering the barrier to entry to criminality, or for cyber attacks) and AI being used for good (e.g. allowing otherwise marginalised societies in the global South access to technologies, or advancements in health research).

So far the global narrative around AI has been largely a negative one, reinforcing how AI is being used for bad, and is not exploring enough the positive opportunities that come from AI.

• Session Four - Procuring AI

Finally we will look at how the Public Sector Procurement rules can allow the Public Sector to engage with this new rapidly developing technology. Has the 2023 Procurement Act sufficiently laid the way forward to allow experimentation, risk taking and procurement of services where the ultimate outcome, methodology and delivery mechanism is uncertain?

We will consider how to mitigate the risks associated with AI for bad and to foster AI for good. We will think about robust regulations, ethical guidelines, and transparency in the design and deployment of AI systems. We will hear about collaboration between policymakers, technologists, and thought leaders to ensure that AI is harnessed for positive impact while actively addressing potential risks and minimising harm.

2024 Speakers

Imeh Akpan
Advisor Nesta’s Civic, AI Observatory

Seb Barker
COO, Beam Kingston work

Geoff Connell
Director of Digital Services, Norfolk

Yvonne Gallacher
Digital Director, NAO

Sabby Gill
CEO, DEXT

Jack Greenhalgh
CTO, Skin Analytics

Andrew Grill
The Actionable Futurist

Oliver Ilott
Director, AI Safety Institute

Dan Klein
Head of AI and Data, Zuhlke

Maria Luciana Axente
Head of AI Public Policy, PwC

Alison McKenzie-Folan
CEO, Wigan City Council

Niamh McKenna
CIO, NHS Resolution

Professor Mark Thompson
Professor in Digital Economy, University of Exeter Business School

Sarah Peña
Head of Emerging Technology, Swindon Borough Council

Rebecca Rees
Head of Public Procurement, Trowers & Hamlins

Tremaine Richard-Noel
Head of Emerging Technology, Northampton General Hospital.

Rikesh Shah
CEO, IPEC

Ollie Whitehouse
CTO, National Cyber Security Centre