UK’s Technology Secretary announces new suite of AI Exemplar products for government departments

The UK’s Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has announced a new suite of AI products to be used in sectors including education, justice and the NHS, aiming to make the best use of emerging AI technologies.

Sponsored by the Prime Minister, the AI Exemplars Programme aims to improve services in practical, measurable ways by scaling AI opportunities that provide real value.

In the Department for Education, AI Exemplar projects include the Education Content Store, which provides infrastructure to create quality AI tools aligned with education standards and evidence-based practice. 

Tools developed under the project aim to save educators time, allowing them to focus on face-to-face teaching and support for their students.

The Exemplar portfolio aims to allow government departments to:

• progress multiple use cases simultaneously

• learn quickly from both successes and failures

• adopt responsibility while maximising potential return on investment

• allow teams across the public sector to share learnings  on AI adoption

• create opportunities to scale AI rapidly across the public sector.

The project follows the “Scan > Pilot > Scale” approach outlined in the government’s AI Opportunities Plan. It aims to identify AI technologies, test viable solutions and scale successful initiatives across the government.

Insights from all Exemplars will be documented, whether or not they succeed. The government helps to identify patterns in which approaches work best and create networks across the public sector to share best practices. 

The Government’s Digital Service says: “The Prime Minister’s AI Exemplars Programme doesn't promise that every project will succeed. Instead, it promises something more valuable: that we will learn quickly, adapt accordingly, and progressively build our collective ability to harness AI for public good.”