The UK government will run a 12-week accelerator programme to upskill its data scientists into “AI specialists.”

The AI Accelerator Programme will train machine learning engineers through hackathons, where coders will help them address some of the challenges that the government faces.

Technical experts from justice, health and transport authorities will join the programme, with the government saying the move will enable them to return to their departments with new skills to build AI tools that can help reduce backlogs, save money, and stop officials and the public from wasting time on “bulky processes.”

Participants from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Welsh Government, Scottish Government, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), DVLA, will join the programme, which will include a major component focused on the ethics of AI.

The government said learners will explore the frameworks needed to ensure that AI technologies are used responsibly and ethically within public services. This includes tackling issues like transparency, accountability and bias.

The AI Accelerator Programme is being delivered with Decoded, a training company that specialises in building AI skills.

As part of its plans to make the UK a global leader in AI, the government said it would double the number of digital experts in its departments to transform public services, using AI and digital technology, making around £45 billion in productivity savings.

“We have started to build generative AI chatbots to change how people interact with the state, AI helpers to put an end to the mindless hours we spend on hold waiting for someone to pick up the phone, and tools to help get the views of citizens on policy proposals much more quickly – but AI can help with so much more,” said AI and digital government minister Feryal Clark. “There is no reason people shouldn’t expect the same experience from public services, as they get from the most innovative businesses.”

Earlier this week a new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found that the UK government’s plan to increase the use of AI across the public sector is being held back by outdated legacy technology and poor quality data.

The committee highlighted a lack of transparency in how AI is used by government departments, warning that this threatens public trust in its use which is key to AI adoption.

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