Local authorities are being left without adequate support to procure AI in the public interest, according to new research.
The Ada Lovelace Institute has found that despite a ‘proliferation’ of government guidance, local government has no ‘clear, comprehensive or consistent account’ on how to procure AI.
The research body said the procurement process was essential to assess the effectiveness of an AI solution, anticipate risks, and check that using the AI would be proportionate and in line with broader public sector duties.
But it warned that a robust and ethical procurement process was a significant challenge for councils facing financial pressures.
The institute found that across 16 pieces of government guidance and legislation, there was not enough clarity about applying concepts like fairness, defining public benefit, or making the use of AI transparent and understandable to affected people.
Associate director Imogen Parker said: ‘Local authorities face the unenviable task of having to navigate unclear, overlapping and sometimes conflicting guidance.
‘It's essential that the procurers in the public sector are confident about the products they are buying in – and neither they nor the public are put at risk.’
The institute advised that there must be clearer guidance, definitions, and responsibilities, more public participation, and that impact assessments should be piloted.
