Ask, Listen, Reflect, Act: Public consultation & engagements reports published
Just over a year ago, the Scottish Government set out its commitment to developing an AI strategy for Scotland. The strategy was due to have been published this month, but the impact of Covid-19 on the development process means that it will now be published in spring 2021.
A major part of the process has been to ask questions, listen to the responses and reflect on these as the strategy takes shape.
Back in January, the steering committee published a scoping document setting out proposals for the strategy, including a vision for and approach to fostering AI in Scotland.
The Public Consultation Report
A consultation on these proposals ran from February to May, and attracted over 80 responses from a wide range of individuals and organisations from across Scotland and beyond. We’re now pleased to publish the report which summarises the analysis of these responses. View the Public Consultation Report
Alongside broad support for the proposals, the desire for more dialogue and case studies on AI, skills and training, people-centeredness and the need for an ethical approach were highlighted. We’ll consider these and other issues that emerged as we move forward.
But the consultation is not the only way we asked people what they thought about AI, and the opportunities and challenges that it presents for Scotland.
The Public Engagement Report
Over June and July, the Democratic Society ran a series of online workshops with a range of people – families, individuals, young, old, experts, newbies, urban, rural – from across Scotland. The report of the rich and insightful conversations in these workshops, in which participants shared their hopes, concerns, and aspirations for AI in Scotland, has also just been published. View the Public Engagement Report
Encouragingly, participants were largely optimistic about AI’s potential to deliver benefits. However, they also raised issues that accompany its use, which we’ll consider going forward.
These include the distinct, exciting and stimulating opportunity for Scotland to become a global leader in ethical AI, with an emphasis on public good.
Ethical and regulatory frameworks was one of five strategic themes to be explored in detail by a working group that met several times over the summer. A report of the outputs from all of the groups – which also explored development and use of AI, skills, data infrastructure and joining the dots – will be published shortly.
The groups noted the strong foundations on which we can build a strategy that harnesses the social and economic potential offered by the development, adoption and use of AI in a way that puts people first.
We’re drawing on all of the valuable insights from the consultation, engagement activities and working groups as we move towards the next phase of the strategy development process.
We hope you find the reports as interesting and useful as we do, and that you will continue to follow our progress. Watch out for more details of how you might be able to get involved!
