The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) has published its survey of nearly 1,000 businesses which reveals how AI and data is being used across the UK and the barriers to its adoption.

The research revealed significant variation in the use of data-driven tech across different industries.

While there is comparatively lower adoption of data-driven technologies in healthcare businesses at 12 per cent, the industry has the highest proportion of extensive AI use at 10 per cent.

This contrasts with digital and communications businesses, where one-in-five – 21 per cent – businesses use data-driven technologies, but only one-in-20 – 5 per cent – extensively use these technologies.

The Centre said that the key barriers to adoption relate to the access and sharing of data.

Over two thirds – 70 per cent – of businesses said they desired more information to help them navigate the often complex legal requirements around data collection, use, and sharing.

Nearly a quarter – 23 per cent – of businesses cited difficulty accessing quality data as a barrier to innovation, while almost half of businesses – 43 per cent – highlighted limited technological capabilities.

The CDEI also published the second edition of its AI Barometer, an analysis of the most pressing opportunities and risks associated with AI and data use.

The Barometer draws on the insight of more than 80 expert panellists and identifies areas where there are “untapped opportunities for innovation” across three key sectors that have been particularly impacted by the pandemic.

• In transport and logistics, these include opportunities to improve energy efficiency, drive down emissions, and yield better environmental outcomes, as well as smooth trade flows at borders.

• In recruitment and employment contexts, data-driven innovation has the potential to improve talent pipelines, enable greater access to job opportunities and reduce bias and discrimination.

• In education, data-driven innovation was seen to have the potential to reduce the administrative burden on teachers and increase social mobility.

“Data and AI can help tackle some of the greatest challenges of our time,” said Edwina Dunn, interim chair of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI.) “In order to achieve this, we need to overcome barriers to innovation, such as poor quality data, and address risks such as algorithmic bias.

“The CDEI is working in partnership with a range of organisations to help them overcome these barriers, mitigate risk and put high-level ethical principles - such as accountability and transparency - into practice. It’s practical work like this that will enable us to build greater public trust in how data and AI are used.”

Chris Philp MP, minister for technology and the digital economy at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: "Data and AI can be harnessed to support both our economic and social recovery as we look to build back better. Understanding how we can best use technologies to address major shifts in labour markets and the ways that we work, deliver education or decarbonise our transport infrastructure, will be crucial to this mission. I look forward to working with organisations across the UK to address the barriers to innovation highlighted in the CDEI’s analysis, so that the UK can unlock the full potential of data and AI.”

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