Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Artificial Intelligence: Government

Thursday 23 May 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • National Audit Office has adequate resources to scrutinise AI costs in Government.
  • The Public Accounts Committee was scheduled to take oral evidence on AI issues on 17 June.
  • There is inadequate awareness within Government about potential negatives of AI in defence and other sectors.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Jones Con
Science & Technology Standards & Ethics
Context

MP inquires about adequacy of National Audit Office resources given the growing use and cost implications of artificial intelligence within government.

Question

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of National Audit Office resources to scrutinise the cost of AI in Government. The National Audit Office does have adequate resources, but it is important to evaluate its capacity to handle emerging technologies like AI.

Answer from Richard Bacon

The National Audit Office does have adequate resources to scrutinise the cost of artificial intelligence and, indeed, produced a report in March that found that AI presents Government with significant opportunities to transform public services and that the Government have identified that artificial intelligence could deliver substantial productivity gains, potentially worth billions.

Answered
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Q2 David Jones Con
Science & Technology
Context

MP seeks to urge the next Chair of the Public Accounts Committee to conduct an inquiry into a recent National Audit Office report highlighting challenges associated with artificial intelligence in government.

Question

My hon. Friend has identified the report in which I am interested. That report, as he rightly says, noted the importance of artificial intelligence in delivering transformational public services, but also noted a number of challenges. In the dying embers of this Parliament, would he be willing to leave a message for the next Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, urging that an inquiry be carried out into that report, as I believe its findings are of considerable importance?

Answer from Richard Bacon

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right that it is an important subject, and the Public Accounts Committee was due to take oral evidence on it on 17 June. I will certainly draw his concerns to the attention of the new Chair of the Public Accounts Committee when I know who he or she is.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The hon. Friend acknowledged the importance but did not commit to passing a specific message urging an inquiry.

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Defence Science & Technology
Context

MP queries the government's awareness and plans regarding potential negative consequences of artificial intelligence within the defense sector.

Question

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his response. This is a massive subject and will have to be scrutinised greatly in the next term of government. What assessment has been made of the potential negatives of AI within the defence industry and Government, and what steps will be taken to combat them?

Answer from Richard Bacon

I think the short answer is that there is inadequate awareness inside Government—although there is some awareness—that there are potentially very large negatives with artificial intelligence. Indeed, one of the inventors of artificial intelligence has written a book on precisely that subject. I suspect that it is something the Government will continue to assess.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The hon. Gentleman did not commit to any specific steps or timeline for addressing potential negatives of AI in defence.

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