Ministers have been urged to establish a national taskforce to ‘urgently’ reform the procurement of AI in local government.
The Ada Lovelace Institute said it had identified ‘significant’ problems affecting councils’ ability to buy AI technologies, including confusing guidance and legislation, data challenges, and uncertainty about how AI works and can be used.
The research body said a fixed-term body could bring together public and private sector experts and ensure ‘holistic, joined-up reforms’.
The institute recommended the taskforce started by ensuring that regulatory and legislative documents were clear, consistent and practicable, and setting metrics of success for procuring and using AI in local government.
Associate director Imogen Parker said: ‘Private sector technologies are rapidly being rolled out across the public sector, but without a joined-up approach and with little oversight or transparency.
‘This is why we’re calling for a national taskforce to bring together a broad cross-section of perspectives and expertise to help deliver urgent reforms that will ensure local government procurement is fit for the AI era.’
