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AI and Public Services

This week we’re looking at AI and public services…

An episode of the UCL Minds podcast, hosted by UCL, titled "AI and Public Services" was published on June 24, 2025 and runs 42 minutes.

June 24, 2025 ·42m · UCL Minds

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Summary

This week we’re looking at AI and public services. How far could AI tools help to tackle stagnant public sector productivity? What dangers are associated with AI adoption? And how can these dangers be addressed? Artificial intelligence is increasingly being touted as a game-changer across various sectors, including public services. But while AI presents significant opportunities for improving efficiency and effectiveness, concerns about fairness, equity, and past failures in public sector IT transformations loom large. And, of course, the idea of tech moguls like Elon Musk wielding immense influence over our daily lives is unsettling for many. So, what are the real opportunities AI offers for public services? What risks need to be managed? And how well are governments—particularly in the UK—rising to the challenge? In this episode, we dive into these questions with three expert guests who have recently published an article in The Political Quarterly on the subject: Helen Margetts – Professor of Society and the Internet at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, and Director of the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute. Previously, she was Director of the School of Public Policy at UCL. Cosmina Dorobantu – Co-director of the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute. Jonathan Bright – Head of Public Services and AI Safety at The Alan Turing Institute. Mentioned in this episode: Margetts, H., Dorobantu, C. and Bright, J. (2024), How to Build Progressive Public Services with Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. The Political Quarterly. Transcription link: https://uncoveringpolitics.com/episodes/ai-and-public-services/transcript Date of episode recording: 2025-02-13T00:00:00Z Duration: 00:42:48 Language of episode: English (UK) TAGS: AI, government, politics, bureaucracy, political quarterly, efficiency Presenter:Alan Renwick Guests: Helen Margettes, Cosmina Dorobantu, Jonathan Bright Producer: Eleanor Kingwell-Banham

Episode Description

This week we’re looking at AI and public services. How far could AI tools help to tackle stagnant public sector productivity? What dangers are associated with AI adoption? And how can these dangers be addressed? Artificial intelligence is increasingly being touted as a game-changer across various sectors, including public services. But while AI presents significant opportunities for improving efficiency and effectiveness, concerns about fairness, equity, and past failures in public sector IT transformations loom large. And, of course, the idea of tech moguls like Elon Musk wielding immense influence over our daily lives is unsettling for many. So, what are the real opportunities AI offers for public services? What risks need to be managed? And how well are governments—particularly in the UK—rising to the challenge? In this episode, we dive into these questions with three expert guests who have recently published an article in The Political Quarterly on the subject: Helen Margetts – Professor of Society and the Internet at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, and Director of the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute. Previously, she was Director of the School of Public Policy at UCL. Cosmina Dorobantu – Co-director of the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute. Jonathan Bright – Head of Public Services and AI Safety at The Alan Turing Institute. Mentioned in this episode: Margetts, H., Dorobantu, C. and Bright, J. (2024), How to Build Progressive Public Services with Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. The Political Quarterly. Transcription link: https://uncoveringpolitics.com/episodes/ai-and-public-services/transcript Date of episode recording: 2025-02-13T00:00:00Z Duration: 00:42:48 Language of episode: English (UK) TAGS: AI, government, politics, bureaucracy, political quarterly, efficiency Presenter:Alan Renwick Guests: Helen Margettes, Cosmina Dorobantu, Jonathan Bright Producer: Eleanor Kingwell-Banham

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