More than a quarter (26%) of workers are worried that artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to job losses, according to a new survey.
Workplace expert Acas commissioned YouGov to ask employees in Britian what their biggest concerns about the use of AI were.
The poll also found that just under a fifth (17%) were worried about AI making errors, while 15% were concerned about a lack of regulation.
Acas Interim Chief Executive, Dan Ellis, said: ““Some employers may be looking to embrace new technologies as a way to cut costs, increase productivity or make workers’ jobs easier.
“There can be concerns from staff when new technologies are introduced at work and it’s clear from our study that their biggest worry is that AI will result in job losses.
“Bosses should have clear policies on the use of AI at work, remember that it is not a perfect technology and have open conversations with employees around its use.”
Some top tips for employers from Acas on the use of AI at work include:
· Employers should develop clear policies regarding the use of AI in the workplace and should consult employees and any representatives on its introduction. If there is an expectation that certain roles begin using AI, that could mean a change of terms and conditions.
· Employers investing in AI should highlight how it can improve employees’ roles and reassure staff that human involvement will still be needed.
· Organisations should remember that AI is not perfect, so outputs should be checked for accuracy, tone and bias. AI should be cited when used and staff may require training on how to get the best outputs.
· A company’s data privacy policies will apply for the use of AI, and it is wise to check with your IT team for approved platforms. Employees should be careful entering any information that is business sensitive or personal into public tools. Any information that you do enter could be made public or used by others, so check company policies on the use of AI in the workplace and be aware of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
Acas is holding a special conference next month with experts that will debate the introduction of AI in workplaces. For more information please visit here.
Interim trial data shows revolutionary tech has dramatically reduced admin
Westminster Government drives forward use of innovative artificial intelligence in hospitals to improve patient care
New government guidance set out today will encourage its use across health service while protecting patient data and privacy
Trials show dramatic reduction in admin and more time for direct patient care, as Plan for Change delivers ‘seismic shift’ in care to digital
NHS clinicians in England will be supported to use groundbreaking artificial intelligence tools that bulldoze bureaucracy and take notes to free up staff time and deliver better care to patients thanks to guidance published today.
Interim trial data shows that the revolutionary tech has dramatically reduced admin, and meant more people could be seen in A&E, clinicians could spend more time during an appointment focusing on the patient, and appointments were shorter.
Through its Plan for Change the UK government is getting the NHS back on its feet and slashing waiting lists. Guidance published today will encourage the use of these products – which use speech technologies and generative AI to convert spoken words into structured medical notes and letters – across a range of primary and secondary care settings, including hospitals and GP surgeries.
The government’s mission-led approach is driving forward the use of innovative tech and new approaches to reform the health system and improve care for patients – offering them quicker and smarter care.
One of the tools – ambient voice technologies (AVTs) – can transcribe patient-clinician conversations, create structured medical notes, and even draft patient letters.
Patient safety and privacy will be paramount. This is why the guidance will focus on data compliance and security, risk identification and assessment, while ensuring that staff are properly trained before using the technology.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “AI is the catalyst that will revolutionise healthcare and drive efficiencies across the NHS, as we deliver our Plan for Change and shift care from analogue to digital.
“I am determined we embrace this kind of technology, so clinicians don’t have to spend so much time pushing pens and can focus on their patients.
“This government made the difficult but necessary decision at the Budget to put a record £26 billion into our NHS and social care including cash to roll out more pioneering tech.”
The NHS England funded, London-wide AVT work, led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, has evaluated AVT capabilities across a range of clinical settings – Adult Outpatients, Primary Care, Paediatrics, Mental Health, Community care, A+E and across London Ambulance Service.
This multi-site evaluation involving over 7000 patients has demonstrated widespread benefits. Interim data shows:
Increase in direct care – clinicians spending more time spent with patients rather than typing on a computer
Increase in productivity in A&E – the technology has supported more patients to be seen in emergency departments by carrying out admin for A&E staff
At GOSH, AVTs have listened to consultations and drafted clinic notes and letters. These were then edited and authorised by the clinician before being uploaded to the secure electronic health record system and sent on to patients and their families. Clinicians agreed the AI helped them offer more attention to their patients without affecting the quality of the clinic note or letter.
Dr Maaike Kusters, Paediatric Immunology Consultant at GOSH, says: “The patients I see in my clinics have very complex medical conditions and it’s so important to make sure I capture what we discuss in our appointments accurately, but often this means I am typing rather than looking directly at my patient and their family.
“Using the AI tool during the trial meant I could sit closer to them face-to-face and really focus on what they were sharing with me, without compromising on the quality of documentation.”
As it stands, clinicians in hospitals and GP surgeries are forced to spend much of their consultations recording information into a computer instead of focusing on the patient in front of them.
Once the patient has left, they are often required to take that information and summarise it in documents like referral letters. The government is determined to reform these outdated ways of working and revolutionise care, and this innovative tech will do that work for them, so they can see their next patient.
The Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in East Hull (part of City Health Care Partnership) has introduced an ambient scribing product to make their documentation process faster and better support their work to care for people living with frailty.
By converting a conversation with a patient into a clinical note, the ambient scribing product is freeing up time for a range of staff including GPs, consultants, nurses, and physiotherapists.
Thanks to government action, GP surgeries delivered 31.4 million appointments last month– a 6.1% increase on the previous year – and waiting lists have fallen by 219,000 patients. This technology will help consolidate this progress.
The government is already using AI to speed up diagnosis and treatment for a range of health issues – spotting pain levels for people who can’t speak, diagnosing breast cancer quicker, and getting people discharged quicker.
New era of global instability means Government must go further and faster in delivering missions.
PM to take on ‘cottage industry of checkers and blockers slowing down delivery for working people’.
Digital revolution underpins moves to a more agile, effective and active state – refocused on delivering Plan for Change.
Tech and AI teams will drive improvement and efficiency in public services with 2,000 new TechTrack apprentices.
Taxpayer’s money saved by slashing waste on pricey contractors.
Costs of regulation to be slashed for businesses to boost growth that puts more money in working people’s pockets.
The Prime Minister will today set out how he will “go further and faster in reshaping the state to make it work for working people.”
Reflecting on international events of the last few weeks, he will say that national security is economic security, and therefore “the fundamental task of politics right now is to take the decisions needed on national security, to deliver security for people at home.”
The Prime Minister will set out his belief in the power of “an active government that takes care of the big questions, so people can get on with their lives.”
He will share his diagnosis that the state has become bigger, but weaker and isn’t delivering on its core purpose, before outlining his mission to reshape it. He will say that the new global “era of instability” means that the Government must double down in delivering security for working people and renewing our nation.
The intervention follows the Government’s step change in approach to regulation and regulators, following the abolition of the Payments Systems Regulator as the Prime Minister commits to a government wide target to cut administrative costs of regulation by 25%.
New plans announced to support delivery will include new AI and tech teams sent into public sector departments to drive improvements and efficiency in public services. One in 10 civil servants will work in tech and digital roles within the next five years with 2,000 tech apprenticeships turbo charging the transformation.
The moves come as the Government slashes the costs of red tape by a quarter for businesses.
It is expected the Prime Minister will say: “The great forces buffeting the lives of working people, and an era of instability driving in their lives, the need for greater urgency now could not be any clearer. We must move further and faster on security and renewal.
“Every pound spent, every regulation, every decision must deliver for working people…If we push forward with the digitisation of government services. There are up to £45bn worth of savings and productivity benefits, ready to be realised.
“And that’s before we even consider the golden opportunity of artificial intelligence. An opportunity I am determined to seize.”
Fundamentally reshaping the way the British state delivers and serves working people by becoming more tech-driven, productive, agile and Mission focused will be set out alongside further detail on the digitalisation of public services and the wider British state.
The approach will be underpinned by the mantra that “No person’s substantive time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker and to the same high quality and standard.”
The digitisation will include the sweeping modernisations, a new apprenticeship scheme, TechTrack, will bring 2,000 apprentices into public sector departments by 2030, making sure the UK Government has the skills needed to overhaul public services using tech – creating new opportunities across the country and delivering on the Plan for Change.
DSIT unveiled this week that initial tests of an AI helper for call centre workers included in the bundle, built in partnership with Citizens’ Advice, showed that it could halve the amount of time it takes call handlers to give responses to complex questions on anything from consumer rights to legal support.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “There is a £45 billion jackpot to secure if we use technology properly across our public sector – but we can’t hope to come close to securing that if we don’t have the right technical talent with us in government.
“Not only will these changes help fix our public services, but it will save taxpayer cash by slashing the need for thousands of expensive contractors and create opportunities across the country across the country as part of our Plan for Change.”
The Prime Minister will be focused on delivering prosperity and security for the British people, when he meets President Trump today in Washington D.C – but what Mr Trump will be focused on is anyone’s guess
Prosperity and security for working people focus of Prime Minister’s meeting with President Trump.
Special relationship between UK and US critical to deliver growth and security, with further collaboration on AI and tech.
Prime Minister to reiterate shared US-UK commitment to reaching a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine, and the need for Europe to step up to the challenge.
The Prime Minister will be focused on delivering prosperity and security for the British people, when he meets President Trump today (Thursday 27 February) in Washington D.C.
The UK and the US share a unique and historic relationship, based on shared values and a mutual commitment to economic and defence cooperation.
The UK and the US have one of the biggest trading relationships of any two countries in the world, worth around 400 billion dollars and supporting over 2.5 million jobs across both countries.
This visit comes just days after the third anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister and President Trump share a commitment to delivering lasting peace in Ukraine, and the Prime Minister will reiterate the UK’s commitment to securing a just and enduring peace, bringing an end to Russia’s illegal war.
The Prime Minister will be clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine, without Ukraine and will recognise the need for Europe to play its part on global defence and step up for the good of collective European security.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced that defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament. This will drive economic growth and create jobs across the UK, while bolstering national security and protecting borders.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The world is becoming ever more dangerous, and it is more important than ever that we are united with our allies.
“A stable economy, secure borders and national security are the foundations of my Plan for Change, and the US-UK relationship is integral to delivering them. These principles will be at the heart of discussions with President Trump today.
“There are huge opportunities for us to deepen our special relationship, deliver growth and security, and improve the lives of working people in both our great nations.”
Both countries are world leaders in AI and advanced technologies, and the Prime Minister will be looking to build on these strong foundations to create jobs and economic growth.
The discussion will have a particular focus on the opportunities that further technology and AI partnerships could deliver. These include a proposal of high-ambition shared moonshot missions across top technologies including quantum and AI, and a deeper partnership on space.
The US and UK are the only two allied countries with trillion-dollar technology eco-systems, and the Prime Minister will make the case for further integration between the two countries’ tech sectors to make them the most efficient, ambitious technology sectors in the world.
In October, US tech firms announced a £6.3 billion package of investment to support UK data centres – a central pillar of the government’s plan to ramp up the country’s AI capacity. In January a further £12 billion investment from Vantage Data Centers created over 11,500 jobs as the government published its AI Opportunities Action Plan.
These investments represent just one facet of the deepening science, innovation, and technology collaboration between both countries. In AI, researchers from both sides of the Atlantic have dedicated research exchange programmes to share knowledge and expertise in delivering the next wave of cutting-edge innovations that improve people’s lives in areas such as personalised care, autonomous surgeries, and cancer diagnosis – on top of a broader AI partnership which has also been signed by the AI Institutes of both countries.
On a visit to the West Coast at the end of last year Technology Secretary Peter Kyle met a range of companies to bang the drum for further investment in the UK’s technology sector. Just two weeks ago, he also put pen to paper on a new partnership with leading AI firm Anthropic which will explore how the technology can be put to work to transform the public services that UK citizens rely on, and deliver on the government’s Plan for Change.
The Prime Minister will join President Trump at the White House today, where he will be greeted by the President before signing the White House Guest Book and a tete a tete at the Oval Office. This will be followed by a bilateral lunch, and a joint press conference. He will also carry out a defence-focused visit.
On arrival on Wednesday night, he met a select group of CEOs from large US businesses to discuss their existing and growing presence in the UK, and the importance of UK-US trade and investment (above).
He will outline the strength of the UK offer to investors: policy stability; an active partnership with government; an open, trading economy; and a reform agenda focused on making it easier to do business.
The Prime Minister is accompanied by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who will join the Prime Minister’s programme at the White House (pictured above with ‘Lord’ Peter Mandelson, who welcomed the UK delegation to Washington).
Scotland and the United Arab Emirates are collaborating to launch the first Robotarium in the Middle East, driving innovation in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).
The new UAE Robotarium is being created through a strategic partnership between Heriot-Watt University Dubai and Expo City Dubai, an innovation-driven, people-centric community and a platform for groundbreaking ideas that benefit both people and the planet.
Inspired by the successful model of the UK’s National Robotarium, located at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, the UAE facility will unite leaders from academia, industry, and government. Together, they will accelerate breakthroughs in robotics and AI, incubate startups, develop and commercialise cutting-edge technologies, and demonstrate the practical applications and benefits of automation in urban life.
A major focus of the collaboration is talent development. To support this, Expo City Dubai will sponsor new PhD research positions at Heriot-Watt’s Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
To formalise the partnership, Heriot-Watt University and Expo City Dubai have agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish UAE Robotarium. The agreement was signed by Najeeb Mohamed Al-Ali, Executive Director, Expo City Dubai Authority, and by Professor Dame Heather McGregor, Provost and Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai.
Najeeb Mohamed Al-Ali, said: “We are delighted to collaborate again with Heriot-Watt University to establish the UAE’s first Robotarium, cementing Expo City Dubai’s position as an incubator for innovation, a testbed for solutions and a platform for groundbreaking ideas.
“This world-class research centre will attract the best talent to drive transformative solutions that benefit communities and improve the quality of urban living, fully supporting Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33) and the UAE’s position as a global innovation pioneer.”
Following the signing ceremony, Professor Dame Heather McGregor said: “We look forward to working with Expo City Dubai to drive AI and robotics research.
“For 20 years, Heriot-Watt University has been a leading British higher education institution in the UAE, emphasising our commitment to academic excellence and research. We are proud to support the UAE’s bold vision and contribute to strengthening the country’s leadership in automation and advanced technologies.”
The signing ceremony was attended by His Excellency Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade; Richard Lochhead MSP, Scotland’s Minister for Business; Edward Hobart, British Ambassador to the UAE, and Professor Gillian Murray, Deputy Principal for Business and Enterprise at Heriot-Watt University.
Commenting on the new partnership, Professor Gillian Murray, Deputy Principal for Business and Enterprise at Heriot-Watt University, said: “The success of the UK’s National Robotarium has demonstrated the immense impact that a dedicated centre for robotics and AI can have in accelerating innovation, fostering enterprise, and driving economic growth.
“The UAE Robotarium will build on this proven model, creating a world-class hub where cutting-edge research translates into real-world applications. Through this partnership with Expo City Dubai, we will empower startups, scale businesses, and support industry in developing and commercialising transformative technologies.”
“This initiative will not only strengthen the UAE’s position as a global leader in AI and automation but also forge deeper collaboration between the UK and the UAE.”
In 2023, the UAE Government and Scottish Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two regions aimed at enhancing non-oil bilateral trade and promoting collaboration in advanced technology, innovation, education and research. Plans to replicate the UK Robotarium in the UAE are a result of continued engagement between the UAE and Scottish Government after Expo 2020 Dubai.
Following the signing ceremony, Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “This is a milestone moment for Heriot-Watt and recognition of its global reputation for scientific excellence.
“Scotland is well-known for its skills in innovation and tech development and our academic institutions are respected around the world.
“This development is a great example of how Scottish expertise can make a global difference and deepens our economic relations with an important international partner.”
By 2031, the UAE aims to become one of the world’s leading nations in artificial intelligence, as set out in the government’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031. The country’s National Innovation Strategy also aims to establish the Emirates as a global hub for research and innovation, while the UAE Industrial Strategy – known as Operation 300bn – is focused on developing the country’s industrial sector.
The partners said the UAE Robotarium will further these ambitions by advancing the nation’s knowledge-based economy and promoting global competitiveness in AI and robotics.
A formal NHS Scotland partner has welcomed the prospect of eyecare waiting times being cut thanks to new artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, calling it ‘a real showcase of homegrown expertise’.
Edinburgh-based Eye to the Future’s clinical software support tools are designed to help optometrists optimise referrals to hospital eye services during a critical period which has seen NHS ophthalmology waiting lists grow by 138% since 2012.
The company’s innovative, collaboration-driven technology – incorporating background technology developed by the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee – analyses images from routine eye examinations to help identify early signs of conditions like glaucoma and reduce blindness.
It has also commanded widespread interest which has led to strong support – from universities and eye care professionals to Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Edge, Innovate UK, and more.
InnoScot Health’s Innovation Manager Frances Ramsay believes that Eye to the Future, a culmination of 20 years of collaborative research, represents an important Scottish success story.
She said: “Harnessing the potential of software like this could be a game-changer for both NHS Scotland staff and patients by optimising existing resources and adopting a more efficient approach to tackling backlogs.
“Eye to the Future has benefited from a package of support to transform academic research into commercial technology. This very much mirrors our approach at InnoScot Health – tapping into the vast knowledge and expertise across NHS Scotland, before collaborating further to turn ideas into commercial reality, and importantly, improving patient outcomes.
“It shows how just one individual’s moment of inspiration can lead to a big impact when the knowledge and support of others is drawn upon to catalyse great ideas, echoing our own assistance for pressured ophthalmology through the encouragement of Scotland’s next generation of clinical entrepreneurs.”
Professor Emanuele Trucco, co-founder of Eye to the Future said: “Only 24% of NHS eye units currently believe they have enough consultants to meet demand.
“By using sophisticated analytics tools to help optometrists make more accurate referral decisions, we can ensure the right patients get specialist care at the right time, while reducing unnecessary hospital appointments. This is crucial as every delay risks worsening eye conditions and ultimately irreversible sight loss.”
Eye to the Future was named runner-up in the Converge Challenge category of the 2022 Converge Awards, which works in close partnership with universities to encourage academic entrepreneurs.
Through Converge, the company received funding – part of a broader package of support – to help accelerate, what Professor Trucco called, “academic research towards real commercial impact,” while benefitting from “valuable insights into how our technology could make a meaningful difference to patients and clinicians”.
Frances continued: “We wish Eye to the Future well as it prepares to launch its product this year, with a pilot currently underway at Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Optometry.”
More innovative solutions are needed to tackle growing pressure on NHS eye care across Scotland with ideas welcomed through InnoScot Health’s ophthalmology innovation call. It offers a package of support for NHS Scotland staff including advice and guidance in areas of intellectual property protection, regulation, funding, project management, and commercialisation.
The organisation has supported and worked with innovators on solutions including Peekaboo Vision, an app created by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and the iGrading platform, a diabetic retinopathy screening tool developed alongside NHS Grampian and the University of Aberdeen.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is to be harnessed to develop technologies to address issues such as cancer risk amongst rescue workers.
The latest round of the Scottish Government’s CivTech programme has awarded up to £9 million to 14 companies developing AI products to tackle challenges faced by charities and public sector organisations. CivTech 10 is the first round of the programme to focus on AI.
Products being developed include:
a software to help identify toxic contaminants to address the risk of cancer for firefighters.
an AI system which can help teachers with administrative tasks.
using drones and an automated mapping system to monitor puffin populations in a less invasive way.
an AI support system to enable entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
Previous rounds of CivTech have seen £20 million invested into 90 companies and entrepreneurs since 2016. These include software company Volunteero which developed a mobile app to help charities manage administrative tasks.
Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Scotland is well-placed to harness the advantages of artificial intelligence with its rich history of innovation and high concentration of world-leading universities and colleges.
“The rapidly growing AI sector offers opportunities for Scotland, from helping to detect health issues such as lung cancer earlier, to enabling businesses to work more efficiently.
“Through CivTech, we are revolutionising how public sector organisations work by collaborating with businesses to develop products which improve lives.”
Rebekah MacLeod, Lead Project Liaison Officer at White Ribbon Scotland, a charity tackling violence against women which uses Volunteero’s app, said: “Working with Volunteero through the CivTech programme has completely changed how we work as a charity.
“The app means we spend less time worrying about paperwork and more time working with men and boys to directly address violence against women and girls.
“This includes encouraging more men and boys to speak out about violence against women and girls.”
CivTech companies have created more than 400 jobs and attracted more than £126 million of private sector investment. Nearly 80% of products developed in past rounds of CivTech are still in use.
Products being developed in CivTech 10 are:
Technology developed by Rowden to help firefighters improve their situational awareness in emergency situations.
A system to detect and monitor firefighters’ exposure to toxins created by FireHazResearch.
Drones and an automated mapping system from EOLAS and The University of Edinburgh to monitor puffin colonies in a less invasive way.
Sensors developed by Arctech Innovation to monitor breeding success, seasonal changes and harmful disease in puffins.
Technology for public sector organisations to use data securely, developed by Verifoxx.
A platform for citizens and policy makers to understand how AI and other emerging technologies could be used in the public sector, developed by CrownShy.
A programme created by Talent Engine to provide detailed labour market insights to target skills and development training in Glasgow.
An AI tool from Rethink Carbon to document woodland and peatland projects.
A new approach to monitoring carbon balances from woodland and peatland projects from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Sylvera are developing advanced remote-sensing capabilities to enhance monitoring of carbon projects.
An AI programme to forecast pharmaceutical demand by postcode area to help reduce waste, developed by PharmovoAI.
A planning tool created by Looper to help NHS Scotland reduce waste and emissions.
An AI system to support teachers with administrative tasks, developed by SupportEd.
A software from BobbAI to help entrepreneurs to access business growth resources and support services.
Polling shows 77% of the public in Scotland would opt for child safety checks on new generative AI products, even if this causes delays in releasing products.
This comes as new NSPCC-commissioned research identifies seven key safety risks to children including sexual grooming and harassment, bullying, sextortion and the proliferation of harmful content.
NSPCC calls on Government to slow down artificial intelligence action plans until they have embedded a statutory duty of care for children.
New research commissioned by the NSPCC highlights the different ways that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to groom, harass and manipulate children and young people.
This comes as polling shows that the UK public are concerned about the rollout of AI. Savanta surveyed 217 people from across Scotland and found that most of the public (86%) have some level of concern that “this type of technology may be unsafe for children”.
The majority of the public (77%) said they would prefer to have safety checks on new generative AI products, even if this caused delays in releasing products over a speedy roll-out without safety checks.
The new NSPCC paper shares key findings from research conducted by AWO, a legal and technology consultancy. The research Viewing Generative AI and children’s safety in the round identifies seven key safety risks associated with generative AI; sexual grooming, sexual harassment, bullying, financially motivated extortion, child sexual abuse & exploitation material, harmful content, and harmful ads & recommendations.
Generative AI is currently being used to generate sexual abuse images of children, enable perpetrators to more effectively commit sexual extortion, groom children and provide misinformation or harmful advice to young people.
From as early as 2019, the NSPCC have been receiving contacts from children via Childline about AI.
One boy aged 14 told the service*: “I’m so ashamed of what I’ve done, I didn’t mean for it to go this far. A girl I was talking to was asking for pictures and I didn’t want to share my true identity, so I sent a picture of my friend’s face on an AI body. Now she’s put that face on a naked body and is saying she’ll post it online if I don’t pay her £50. I don’t even have a way to send money online, I can’t tell my parents, I don’t know what to do.”
One girl, aged 12 asked Childline*: “Can I ask questions about ChatGPT? Like how accurate is it? I was having a conversation with it and asking questions, and it told me I might have anxiety or depression. It’s made me start thinking that I might?”
The NSPCC paper outlines a range of different solutions to address these concerns including stripping out child sexual abuse material from AI training data and doing robust risk assessments on models to ensure they are safe before they are rolled out
A member of the NSPCC Voice of Online Youth, a group of young people aged 13-17 from across the UK, said: “A lot of the problems with Generative AI could potentially be solved if the information [that] tech companies and inventors give [to] the Gen AI was filtered and known to be correct.”
The Government is currently considering new legislation to help regulate AI and there will be a global summit in Paris this February where policy makers, tech companies and third sector organisations, including the NSPCC and their Voice of Online Youth, will come together to discuss the benefits and risks of using AI.
The NSPCC is calling on the Government to adopt specific safeguards for children in its legislation. The charity says four urgent actions are needed by Government to ensure generative AI is safe for children:
Adopt a Duty of Care for Children’s Safety
Gen AI companies must prioritise the safety, protection, and rights of children in the design and development of their products and services.
Embed a Duty of Care in Legislation
It is imperative that the Government enacts legislation that places a statutory duty of care on Gen AI companies, ensuring that they are held accountable for the safety of children.
Place Children at the Heart of Gen AI Decisions
The needs and experiences of children and young people must be central to the design, development, and deployment of Gen AI technologies.
Develop the Research and Evidence Base on Gen AI and Child Safety
The Government, academia, and relevant regulatory bodies should invest in building capacity to study these risks and support the development of evidence-based policies.
Chris Sherwood, CEO at the NSPCC, said:“Generative AI is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it provides opportunities for innovation, creativity and productivity that young people can benefit from; on the other it is having a devastating and corrosive impact on their lives.
“We can’t continue with the status quo where tech platforms ‘move fast and break things’ instead of prioritising children’s safety. For too long, unregulated social media platforms have exposed children to appalling harms that could have been prevented. Now, the Government must learn from these mistakes, move quickly to put safeguards in place and regulate generative AI, before it spirals out of control and damages more young lives.
“The NSPCC and the majority of the public want tech companies to do the right thing for children and make sure the development of AI doesn’t race ahead of child safety. We have the blueprints needed to ensure this technology has children’s wellbeing at its heart, now both Government and tech companies must take the urgent action needed to make Generative AI safe for children and young people.”
You can read Viewing Generative AI and children’s safety in the round on the NSPCC website.
Artificial intelligence ‘will deliver a decade of national renewal’ as part of a new plan announced today
AI to drive the Plan for Change, helping turbocharge growth and boost living standards
public sector to spend less time doing admin and more time delivering the services working people rely on
dedicated AI Growth Zones to speed up planning for AI infrastructure
£14 billion and 13,250 jobs committed by private tech firms following AI Action Plan
Artificial intelligence will be ‘unleashed across the UK to deliver a decade of national renewal’, under a new plan announced today (13 January 2025).
In a marked move from the previous government’s approach, the Prime Minister is throwing the full weight of Whitehall behind this industry by agreeing to take forward all 50 recommendations set out by Matt Clifford in his game-changing AI Opportunities Action Plan.
AI is already being used across the UK. It is being used in hospitals up and down the country to deliver better, faster, and smarter care: spotting pain levels for people who can’t speak, diagnosing breast cancer quicker, and getting people discharged quicker. This is already helping deliver the government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future.
Unveiling details of the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan today, the Prime Minister will say AI can transform the lives of working people – it has the potential to speed up planning consultations to get Britain building, help drive down admin for teachers so they can get on with teaching our children, and feed AI through cameras to spot potholes and help improve roads.
Backing AI to the hilt can also lead to more money in the pockets of working people. The IMF estimates that – if AI is fully embraced – it can boost productivity by as much as 1.5 percentage points a year. If fully realised, these gains could be worth up to an average £47 billion to the UK each year over a decade.
Today’s plan mainlines AI into the veins of this enterprising nation – revolutionising our public services and putting more money in people’s back pockets. Because for too long we have allowed blockers to control the public discourse and get in the way of growth in this sector.
The plan puts an end to that by introducing new measures that will create dedicated AI Growth Zones that speed up planning permission and give them the energy connections they need to power up AI.
The UK occupies a unique place in the world. We can learn from the US’s and EU’s approach – delivering the dynamism, flexibility and long-term stability that we know businesses want.
The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: “Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people.
“But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race.
“Our plan will make Britain the world leader. It will give the industry the foundation it needs and will turbocharge the Plan for Change. That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets, and transformed public services.
“That’s the change this government is delivering.”
It comes as three major tech companies – Vantage Data Centres, Nscale and Kyndryl – have committed to £14 billion investment in the UK to build the AI infrastructure the UK needs to harness the potential of this technology and deliver 13,250 jobs across the UK. That’s on top of the £25 billion in AI investment announced at the International Investment Summit.
Vantage Data Centres – which is working to build one of Europe’s largest data centre campuses in Wales – plans to invest over £12 billion in data centres across the UK – creating over 11,500 jobs in the process.
Kyndryl – the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider and a leading IT consultancy – announces plans to create up to 1,000 AI-related jobs in Liverpool over the next three years. This new tech hub will share the Government’s ambition to roll AI out across the country to help grow the economy and foster the next generation of talent.
Nscale – one of the UK’s leading AI companies – has announced a $2.5 billion investment to support the UK’s data centre infrastructure over the next three years. They have also signed a contract to build the largest UK sovereign AI data centre in Loughton, Essex by 2026.
The plan includes initiatives that will help make the UK the number one place for AI firms to invest, which is vital if Britain is to be at the forefront of this industry and be a changemaker rather than a change-taker.
The key changes include:
forging new AI Growth Zones to speed up planning proposals and build more AI infrastructure. The first of these will be in Culham, Oxfordshire
increasing the public compute capacity by twentyfold to give us the processing power we need to fully embrace this new technology – this starts immediately with work starting on a brand new supercomputer
a new team will be set up to seize the opportunities of AI and build the UK’s sovereign capabilities
creating a new National Data Library to safely and securely unlock the value of public data and support AI development
a dedicated AI Energy Council chaired by the Science and Energy Secretaries will also be established, working with energy companies to understand the energy demands and challenges which will fuel the technology’s development – this will directly support the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower by tapping into technologies like small modular reactors.
Taken together, the 50 measures will make the UK irresistible to AI firms looking to start, scale, or grow their business. It builds on recent progress in AI that saw £25 billion of new investment in data centres announced since the government took office last July.
This Action Plan is also at the heart of the government’s Industrial Strategy and the first plank of the upcoming Digital and Technology Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.
Science, Innovation, and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle said: ”AI has the potential to change all of our lives but for too long, we have been curious and often cautious bystanders to the change unfolding around us. With this plan, we become agents of that change.
“We already have remarkable strengths we can tap into when it comes to AI – building our status as the cradle of computer science and intelligent machines and establishing ourselves as the third largest AI market in the world.
“This government is determined that the UK is not left behind in the global race for AI, that’s why the actions we commit to will ensure that the benefits are spread throughout the UK so all citizens will reap the rewards of the bet we make today. This is how we’re putting our Plan for Change in motion.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP said: “AI is a powerful tool that will help grow our economy, make our public services more efficient and open up new opportunities to help improve living standards.
“This action plan is the government’s modern industrial strategy in action. Attracting AI businesses to the UK, binging in new investment, creating new jobs and turbocharging our Plan for Change. This means better living standards in every part of the United Kingdom and working people have more money in their pocket.”
Matt Clifford CBE said: ”This is a plan which puts us all-in – backing the potential of AI to grow our economy, improve lives for citizens, and make us a global hub for AI investment and innovation.
“AI offers opportunities we can’t let slip through our fingers, and these steps put us on the strongest possible footing to ensure AI delivers in all corners of the country, from building skills and talent to revolutionising our infrastructure and compute power.”
Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith will offer guests the chance to co-create their own one-of-a kind Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle with Scottish Artist
Naismith, renowned for his bold, colourful abstractions of Scottish skies, coasts and landscapes, has a long-standing relationship with Diageo, creating works for the ‘Four Corners’ distilleries and Johnnie Walker Princes Street
The AI system has been custom trained to deliver this generative experience and features the use of cutting edge digital direct to bottle print technology
Johnnie Walker Princes Street, the World’s Leading Spirit Tourism Experience*, is inviting guests to discover Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith, harnessing cutting-edge, purpose-built AI-technology to co-design their very own unique bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Only available at the Edinburgh venue, the experience is set to run from August 1-31 2024, and is believed to be the first ever to combine world-class Scotch whisky, art, and AI.
The journey will invite visitors to shape their co-creation by answering simple prompts that will influence key themes in Scott Naismith’s work and ultimately their bottle design. Guests will answer up to three questions across four categories influencing the specially developed AI’s generation of colour, location, artistic style and even time of day.
This will then determine the eventual look of their one-of-a-kind bottle, which is then processed real time, colour managed and printed in a matter of minutes using cutting edge digital direct to shape print technology.
The Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience will be available for a limited time, and guests will be able to access it with every purchase of Johnnie Walker Blue Label in the venue’s retail store throughout August.
The bottle design element can be complimented at no extra charge by a bookable expert-led tasting of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, as well as a guided tasting of the incredibly special limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label ‘Elusive Umami’, in the rooftop Explorers’ Bothy bar. In addition to stunning views, the tasting will offer guests an up-close look at some of Scott’s previous work, which was created for Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s opening.
Naismith’s striking artwork includes the stunning Scottish landscapes surrounding the four key distilleries which contribute to the world’s number one Scotch Whisky brand1; Cardhu in Speyside, Clynelish in the Highlands, Glenkinchie in the Lowlands and Caol Ila on Islay. The Johnnie Walker brand has well established connections with the artistic community itself, through partnerships with the likes of James Jean and graphic designer Kushiaania.
Johnnie Walker Princes Street keeps pushing boldly into the future of whisky experiences. Opening its doors in 2021, the highly anticipated attraction quickly became known for utilising modern technology to carve pathways for guests into whisky flavours and sharing the fascinating history of Johnnie Walker through immersive tours and tastings.
Most notably, its signature Journey of Flavour experience has successfully used innovative AI technology to map out flavour preferences for visitors based on their specific palates, helping whisky lovers and novices alike explore the versatility of Scotland’s national drink.
Working closely with Johnnie Walker Princes Street and Diageo’s Breakthrough Innovation team in partnership with full service Creative & Technology agency, Phantom, Scott Naismith is excited to be at the forefront of such a pioneering take on art and whisky.
He said: “I believe creativity takes courage and boldness in risk taking. The project at Johnnie Walker Princes Street shows this throughout and as a consequence has been an honour to be a part of.
“With a brave exploration into the cutting-edge world of AI, this latest project is bound to surprise and impress in equal measure. I am excited to be part of it and am again impressed at the continued creative vision from the team at Johnnie Walker.”
Rob Maxwell, Head of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “Since opening, Johnnie Walker Princes Street has striven to become a leader in using the power of AI to personalise guests’ experiences.
“Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith is an exciting new step in our commitment to offering those with various tastes and interests something completely different to what’s available in the whisky experience market.
“This partnership is a true one-of-a-kind, and we can’t wait to see the designs our guests will print on their bottles.”
Will Harvey, Senior Global Innovation Manager at Diageo, added:“This is the first pilot in a wider platform that the Breakthrough Innovation team is exploring, looking at how we can use AI responsibly to enable co-collaboration between fans and artists.
“Demand for personalisation shows no signs of slowing down, so we’re delighted to offer the chance to create one-of-a-kind AI-enabled designs with Scott. With Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s previous experience of using AI to enhance customer experiences, it’s the perfect place for us to launch this innovative offer to the world.”
Book the Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience now to co-create a one-of-a-kind personalised bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label and guided tasting (£240): https://bit.ly/3W5R12v
The Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith co-creation journey is also available as a standalone experience at Johnnie Walker Princes Street with every bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label purchased (£240).
Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a premier eight-floor visitor experience in Edinburgh. It is the centrepiece of Diageo’s £185 million investment in Scotch Whisky tourism.
Offering a range of immersive tours and tastings, it has received numerous accolades, including Europe’s Leading Spirit Tourism Experience 2024* and a Green Tourism Gold Award in 2023. Since opening on 6th September 2021, Johnnie Walker Princes Street has attracted guests from 130 countries, from Andorra, to Zimbabwe and everywhere in between, welcoming 359,000 visitors in 2023 alone.
