Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to ensure AI used in public services operates on the same principles of responsibility, transparency, and security as other local government activities.

Local Government’s use of AI and Algorithms is currently not that widespread; in the few cases where the technology is used, it is used to aid decision making and not make decisions.

We are aware of the emerging importance of AI and algorithms, and we encourage local government to use the government guidance document ‘A guide to using artificial intelligence in the public sector’, when utilising this technology.