Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the legal framework governing the role of automation in public decision-making, and if not why; and what assessment they have made of whether people subject to decisions by public bodies should be informed if decisions have been taken, in whole or in part, using automated decision-making mechanisms.

The government is committed to the safe and ethical adoption of AI, including automated decision-making (ADM). We offer relevant guidance in, for example, the AI Playbook. Additionally, government has been working with the Information Commissioner’s Office to explore responsible adoption of ADM.

Given ADM-related changes in the Data (Use and Access) Act, which have widened the circumstances in which ADM can be used but only with stringent safeguards, it is not the most appropriate time for government to review the legal framework governing automation in public decision-making. We will first implement and observe the impact of our reforms.