FOI/25/352
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| Reference | FOI/25/352 |
|---|---|
| Description | AI Readiness in the UK Public Sector |
| Date requested | 19/01/2025 |
| Attachments | N/A |
Request
Response
AI Strategy and Planning
1. To what extent does your department have a clearly defined and documented AI strategy? Please select one of the following options that applies.
.B. Initial discussions or ideas about AI, but no concrete plan.
2. To what extent does your AI strategy or goals align with the AI opportunities action plan? Please select one of the following options that applies.
B. General awareness of the AI opportunities action plan, but no specific efforts to align.
3. What is the likelihood that your department's AI strategy will be fully implemented within the next two years? Please select one of the following options that applies.
Given the answer to Q1, this is N/A.
4. How confident is your department that current AI governance structures are adequate for managing AI risks? Please select one of the following options that applies.
Given the answer to Q1, this is N/A.
5. What percentage of your department's total budget is allocated to AI-related projects this fiscal year? How much is this? N/A
6. How does your department or agency assess the economic impact or cost-effectiveness of AI technologies? Please select one of the following options that applies and provide any relevant data or reports on AI’s economic benefits.
D. Comprehensive evaluation: Includes both qualitative and quantitative assessments, considering a wide range of economic factors and potential impacts.
AI Deployment and Use Cases
7. What is your department's current stage of AI deployment? Please select one of the following options that applies.
B. Exploring opportunities
8. For your most significant AI use case, how confident are you that the expected benefits will be realised? Please select one of the following options that applies.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
Risk Management and Ethics
9. How thoroughly has your department assessed the risks associated with AI deployment? Please select one of the following options that applies.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
10. How confident are you that your department is compliant with relevant data protection laws when using AI? Please select one of the following options that applies.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
11. How well does your department ensure transparency in the use of AI in public services? Please select one of the following options that applies.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
Data Residency and Sovereign Infrastructure
12. How does your department or public body ensure that its data storage complies with UK sovereignty and data residency requirements? Please outline any policies or regulations guiding data storage within UK borders.
We only use NHS England approved storage, guidance and regulations: NHS and social care data: off-shoring and the use of public cloud services - NHS England Digital
13. Can you provide the proportion of data stored within UK-based infrastructure versus foreign cloud services (e.g., US-based providers) within your department/agency?
100% UK
14. What measures are in place to ensure that your data storage solutions meet national security standards? Please provide details of relevant frameworks or protocols currently implemented.
As per Q12.
Energy Consumption and Efficiency of AI
15. What is the estimated carbon footprint of your department or agency’s AI operations (e.g., training, deployment) over the past year? Please include energy consumption figures if available.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
16. How do you track the energy usage of AI workloads, and are there any reporting mechanisms in place for sustainability goals? Please provide relevant metrics or guidelines.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
Data and Infrastructure
17. How would you rate the quality of data used for your AI systems? Please select one of the following options that applies.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
18. What is the level of confidence in your department's digital infrastructure's ability to support current and future AI initiatives? Please select one of the following options that applies.
E. Strong confidence in the infrastructure's ability to support ambitious AI projects.
19. Does your department or agency currently use a hybrid infrastructure (i.e., a mix of on-premises and cloud services) for its digital operations, including AI applications? Please specify the proportion of services hosted on each type of infrastructure.
60/40 Cloud/On-Prem mix of infrastructure, application, and storage.
20. What factors influence your department’s decision-making process when choosing between public cloud, private cloud, or on-premises infrastructure for AI-related projects or services?
NHS and social care data: off-shoring and the use of public cloud services - NHS England Digital
21. What plans or initiatives are in place to ensure your department’s digital infrastructure is scalable enough to meet future demands for AI-powered services or technologies over the next 5–10 years?
https://clch.nhs.uk/download_file/view/2139/3272/786
22. How does your department or agency ensure the quality of data used in AI-driven projects or services? Please provide any metrics, guidelines, or standards employed for data validation.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
Skills and Training
23. How effectively is your department upskilling employees to use AI? Please select one of the following options that applies.
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
24. Will you be relying on in-house skills for AI strategy development and implementation or seeking third-party services/consultancy?
Given the answer to Q7, this is N/A.
Future Ambitions
25. How confident are you that your department will reach its AI ambitions? Please select one of the following options that applies.
C. Moderate confidence in achieving some AI ambitions.