It often feels as though artificial intelligence (AI) is a new creation as it's only captured the public's attention since the introduction of chatbots like ChatGPT in 2022. But its origins can be traced back decades to the widespread adoption of computers.
AI is increasingly around us as it is integrated into many of the technologies that we use, such as self-driving cars and digital assistants like Siri that use AI to learn and answer questions.
These incredibly smart devices have encyclopedic memories but can make mistakes and be subject to the same biases in society as everyone else – because AI is effectively a mirror that reflects the wider world around us.
AI has the potential to transform public services and the government anticipates it delivering billions of pounds of savings. It is already being used in the public sector, including to improve internal processes; support operational decision-making; for research and monitoring; and to directly engage with or provide services to the public.
For children's services it is being used to speed up administrative tasks such as document translation and summarising notes. In some areas it is being used to analyse complex data including care records, but the sector in general is still at the foothills.
CYP Now's special report on artificial intelligence summarises key policies shaping the use and adoption of AI in the public sector and children's services, hears from experts about the opportunities and risks this presents and showcases good practice in organisations delivering services for children and young people.
- Key policy developments
- Debate on the responsible use of AI
- Expert view: Embrace the potential of AI
Examples of good practice:
