UK Government AI plans unrealistic, committee says

Skills shortages, legacy IT systems and poor-quality data are threatening the UK Government’s plans for an AI-powered overhaul of the public sector, a committee has warned.

The Public Accounts Committee found the government is falling behind in its commitment to improve digital infrastructure. In 2022, the government pledged to have remediation plans in place for the highest-risk legacy systems by 2025, yet PAC revealed more than 20 are still lacking the funding to carry out the change.  

In its report, PAC also cited research by the government that found more than a quarter of its systems remained out of date as of 2024.

“Any promises of sudden transformation are for the birds”, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, chair of the committee, said.

In January, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his government’s AI action plan, placing the technology at the heart of economic recovery and public sector reform. In his speech, Starmer described AI as “the defining opportunity of our generation”.

However, experts have since suggested his proposals may be challenging to implement, citing extensive investment and data privacy concerns.

Clifton-Brown said: “The AI industry needs a government that is on its side, while making sure that any opportunities for improvement are seized in a safe and ethical way. Transparency is key here, as public trust that AI will work for them is central to any successful use of it. We still have a long way to go in this area.”

The PAC’s report found slow progress in transparency on how AI is used in government is putting public trust at risk. It outlined less than 35 records have been published on the government website dedicated to providing greater transparency on how public organisations use algorithmic tools.

The PAC also warned the AI market is at risk of being monopolised by a handful of large technology suppliers, “stifling competition and innovation”. It called on the government to review its procurement process, claiming it currently may risk an over-reliance on certain companies for specific service.

The monopolisation of the tech market has been a key challenge across the world over the past year. Last November, the US Government's Department of Justice called for Google to sell off its Chrome browser in a bid to break up the company’s illegal monopoly over the search engine market.

The committee also called for the government to appoint senior digital officers on the boards of each department and agencies to ensure a successful delivery of AI policy. This duty currently falls under the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) portfolio, but Clifton-Brown said he had “serious concerns” the department “does not have the authority over the rest of government to bring about the scale and pace of change that’s needed.”

The report also pointed to a “persistent” digital skills gap as a barrier to “the safe and effective” adoption of AI, adding the committee is “sceptical” the DSIT’s digital reform plans will fix the issue.

Clifton-Brown continued: “The government has said it wants to mainline AI into the veins of the nation, but our report raises questions over whether the public sector is ready for such a procedure. The ambition to harness the potential of one of the most significant technological developments of modern times is of course to be welcomed. Unfortunately, those familiar with our committee’s past scrutiny of the government’s frankly sclerotic digital architecture will know that any promises of sudden transformation are for the birds. “

The report follows on from similar findings by the National Audit Office. Earlier this year the agency had already sounded a note of caution on the number of outdated government systems, highlighting the cyber threat to Whitehall was “severe and advancing quickly”.