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The UK government has published draft guidance, developed with The Alan Turing Institute and the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme, to help businesses make the most of emerging AI technology and ensure its safe adoption in the workplace
The guidance’s purpose is to help employees increase their understanding of AI, so that they can use it safely and effectively to enhance their performance.
The guidance is focused on expanding employee knowledge in five key areas: Privacy and Stewardship; Specification, acquisition, engineering, architecture, storage, and curation; problem definition and communication; problem solving, analysis, modelling, and visualisation; and Evaluation and Reflection.
Combined, focussing on these five AI topics will help to equip workforces with the right knowledge to use AI safely, including how to use artificial intelligence tools effectively such as Large Language Models and the safe and secure management of sensitive data.
Naturally, depending on an employee’s role, a greater or lesser understanding of AI will be required. As a result, the framework is designed with four different ‘personas’, each of which will require a different level of understanding of the five AI topics above.
- AI Citizens: All employees and customers that require a rudimentary understanding of AI
- AI Workers: Workers whose primary role is outside of AI or data but may make use of AI to assist in their role.
- AI Professionals: Workers whose core responsibilities within the company are AI and data.
- AI Leaders: Workers in senior position with significant decision-making powers within their organisation concerning AI.
Today, (Thursday 30 November), the new guidance will be discussed by the UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, and Microsoft UK CEO Clare Barclay at a visit to the Microsoft Data Centre.
The publication of the draft will be followed by a consultation period, after which employers interesting in implementing AI solutions into their workplaces will be invited to provide feedback.
“Making sure workers up and down the country have the skills they need for their jobs with and in AI is a key part of our strategy in making the UK an AI powerhouse and ensuring the skills of our workforce keep pace with this rapidly developing technology,” said Minister for AI Viscount Camrose in a statement on the UK government site.
“Having a workforce which is equipped to work alongside AI will drive growth for businesses and allow us to realise the enormous opportunities AI presents in every sector of our economy,” he continued.
The announcement follows Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announcing that taxpayer spending on AI is set to increase to £400 million, as part of the government’s plan to make the UK a global player in the field.
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