Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has issued guidance to government Departments on the (a) procurement and (b) use of non-deterministic AI models in public service delivery.

DSIT has issued detailed guidance via the AI Playbook for the UK Government on both (a) procurement and (b) use of AI, including forms of non-deterministic AI such as Generative AI.

The Buying AI section outlines best practices on engaging commercial teams, specifying requirements, and aligning procurement with ethics and regulation.

The Playbook stresses that such AI systems produce probabilistic, non-deterministic outputs and require continuous monitoring, ethical safeguards, and clear understanding of their limitations. It provides guidance on managing the risks of generative AI—including hallucination, bias, and misinformation—while emphasising human oversight, data protection, and responsible deployment.