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Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that artificial intelligence (AI) presents a “vast potential” for boosting public services and is the “defining opportunity” for our generation. In our latest post we delve into what the renewed focus on AI is likely to mean.
Before looking at some of the ways in which it is proposed AI will be used to benefit our economy, boost growth and support our public services its worth addressing a few basic questions.
Artificial intelligence is computer technology that enables these ubiquitous machines to do intelligent things. Computing technology is now built into almost everything from our automobiles to domestic essentials like refrigerators and washing machines. AI technology enables computers to understand human language, recognise objects, process and recognise images and make decisions based on vast amounts of data. The ability to derive valuable insight from huge datasets is one of the key strengths of AI.
There are currently three classifications or types of AI.
Software algorithms are the brains of AI. These clever programmes can recognise and process data and then perform specific tasks based on programmed rules. A good example is speech to text AI, also known as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). This technology transcribes spoken language into written text. The process involves:
This process demonstrates a widely used example of weak or narrow AI, specialised to one primary assistive function, accurately transcribing speech into text.
The previously outlined application of AI for automatic speech recognition (ASR) is just one example of where AI is already immensely useful.
AI technology is particularly useful for saving time, streamlining and efficiency. AI can help businesses and organisations streamline processes, making them more efficient, less prone to errors and cheaper. AI can also be effectively used to automate repetitive tasks such as data entry or verifying submitted information. Importantly, AI can totally avoid the potential for bias, which is difficult where humans are involved. AI can also improve safety by minimising the potential for human error.
As previously noted, AI is particularly good at deriving valuable insight from huge datasets. This capability can help in analysing trends, predicting outcomes and providing actionable forecasts. These capabilities are already being used in a wide variety of beneficial AI tools, some of which we briefly cover in this post.
The potential business benefits of AI are extensive. Improved efficiency is a primary benefit, enabling enterprises to make savings while deploying staff to focus on more complex, creative tasks. A good example is the proliferation of chatbots that are now commonly used to successfully deal with customer queries 24/7.
The automatic analysis of huge volumes of business data is another key benefit, identifying trends and patterns that would not be easily recognised by a human analyst. This valuable insight can help organisations optimise supply chains and improve their products and services.
Key benefits from using AI in business include:
While AI clearly offers many benefits, people are rightly concerned about potential dangers. Chatbots, for example, can be used to emotionally engage people and influence their opinions as well as their actions. Crimes have been committed, as well as suicides, by people influenced by their interactions with chatbots. Using chatbots to criminally influence susceptible people, such as youngsters, is a significant concern.
AI is also a powerful tool used by cyber-criminals, to automate tasks and implement large-scale cyber attacks. These attacks can result in significant damage to infrastructure systems, the loss of private data and high recovery costs.
It is inevitable that the proliferation of AI will mean increased use of this technology for criminal and nefarious purposes.
The question of whether AI will ever replace humans is a widely debated topic. The many applications of AI we see today effectively complement and assist human activity and don’t entirely replace what people do. It`s inevitable that AI automation of laborious, repetitive tasks, will replace some roles. But staff will be freed up to focus on more complex, creative aspects of their work and gain new skills.
While AI can perform very specific, mundane, repetitive tasks extremely well it is not yet capable of adapting quickly or rapidly learning new skills. Humans are very good at both adaptation and learning, so AI has a long way to go before it can match those capabilities.
The increased proliferation of AI based systems brings with it many opportunities including jobs in the development, management and regulation of these emerging technologies. The new AI Opportunities Action Plan by Matt Clifford CBE defines three primary goals:
A central aspect of this ambitious action plan should see the government making a commitment to the development of a new AI infrastructure and expanding the UK’s “sovereign” compute capacity, to keep pace with global development. This will be achieved by delivering a new, state-of-the-art supercomputing facility that will double the country’s existing AI research resource. The plan recommends a 20 fold increase in the amount of AI computing power under public control by 2030.
The plan also highlights the need for data to support the AI systems. It says the government should establish a national data library of state-controlled data that will be made securely available to researchers and companies. An example of these ‘datasets’ is a proposed cultural data library called a “British media asset training dataset”. This will be a copyright-cleared compendium of data from which the government can potentially derive revenue.
Planned AI Growth Zones are described as designated areas where the Government will partner with the private sector to deliver large amounts of computing power that will support key national priorities, as well as creating valuable employment opportunities in those regions. Streamlined planning processes will enable the establishment of essential datacentres and accelerate the provision of “clean” energy to power these computer systems.
Another important aspect of the plan is the Government’s commitment to the recruitment and training of top AI talent. Enticing top AI talent to relocate to the UK in order to work with UK based enterprises is also mentioned. The plan suggests the migration system should be used to encourage more graduates with AI skills, from abroad, to come and work in Britain.
There are number of ways in which the new AI plan will be experienced by the general public. Those who work in the public sector are expected to see AI taking over some of their routine administrative work, freeing them up to improve their service delivery. And its anticipated that AI based systems will be used with camera technologies to inspect roads and spot potholes where repairs are urgently needed.
AI technology is also expected to benefit both the education sector and small businesses. AI should reduce the administrative burden on teachers and help small businesses with their admin and record keeping.
AI technologies in education have developed rapidly over recent years. A key advancement has been in generative AI which is now capable of producing realistic, useful content such as text, images, audio and video. AI tools in education have the potential to support the variety of ways in which students learn and aid educators in their lesson planning.
Smaller businesses will benefit from AI chatbots for automatically responding to customer queries, tools to analyse business data and generative AI to create content. As previously described, ASR tools are already commonly used to transcribe spoken language into text. There are also some popular diary management tools that use AI to create optimised daily schedules. And AI is now being used in accounting and finance departments to create invoices, analyse financial data and collate employee expenses.
Healthcare is one of the sectors in which increased use of effective AI is anticipated to bring benefits to everyone. Patients are already experiencing improved outcomes due to the use of AI in diagnostics and care delivery. For example, the NHS is using AI to predict patients who are at risk of becoming frequent users of emergency services, enabling staff to get them the care they need at an earlier stage. This reduces the demand on highly pressured A&E accident and emergency departments and benefits the patients.
AI tools are also already being effectively used for essential healthcare and hospital administrative purposes including the production of nursing staff rosters that recognise working hours, staff availability constraints and operational requirements.
AI based bots are increasingly used to improve health service delivery. AI based apps, bots and wearable devices can interact directly with patients to delivery therapies, provide health information and encourage patients to stick to their treatment programmes.
AI technology is being used to analyse medical images with extremely high levels of accuracy. This is aiding radiologists in accurately diagnosing conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. And AI technology can analyse large-scale biomedical data to identify existing drugs that may have therapeutic potential for different diseases. By repurposing approved drugs for additional applications, AI accelerates the drug discovery process and reduces costs.
AI based digital tools are also anticipated to have a significant impact on crime. A European project called PRESERVE aims to improve the preventative and investigative work carried out by Law Enforcement Authorities, as well as enhancing proactive threat detection and providing a regulatory framework for the use of AI in crime detection and prevention.
Over the forthcoming three years the project will develop a solution to tackle critical challenges in public safety. Efficiently and securely collecting and processing vast amounts of data from a variety of sources is a key aspect of this development and this is precisely where AI can excel.
Cyber-security is possibly the area in which AI transformation is happening the fastest. Over the past 20 years cyber-security professionals have predominantly been focused on perimeter security and responding to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. Today’s security operations centres (SOCs) have evolved into armies of professional analysts, continuously monitoring for signs of attack or weakness. These SOCs are essential for ensuring the overall health and resilience of critical systems in business, infrastructure and government.
Malicious AI is one of the challenges they are now facing. Generative AI can be used by an attacker to create perfect social engineering attacks, mimicking genuine interactions, accurately impersonating real people and gaining access to sensitive, valuable data.
AI powered threats, like those which are emerging today, need AI powered weapons to effectively combat them. SOC analysts are now using powerful AI tools to support their work, automatically analysing vast amounts of data in real time and alerting SOC professionals to any anomalies that require detailed human investigation. And when AI tools identify malicious activity, they can effectively take rapid, immediate action to prevent attacks from reaching a target’s inbox and engaging them in an exploit.
AI-powered cyber-security enables continuous, real-time cyber-defence and monitoring that can thwart increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.
AI is not just a tool for the future, it is already rapidly changing our lives as the technology develops at an exponential rate. There is no doubt that AI is and will continue to be enormously beneficial. There are many challenges that need to be overcome, not least the costs involved. But it is predicted by some that within five or six years AI will be at the heart of everything from financial systems to healthcare, entertainment, communications, education, manufacturing, travel and much more.
If you have any questions about your security needs, or if you have any special requirements, remember we are here to help. Give us a ca ll on 01273 475500 and we’ll provide you with free, expert advice.
This message was added on Thursday 16th January 2025