Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Finance for her assessment of the (i) opportunities; and (ii) challenges for her Department in relation to the development of Artificial Intelligence.
Minister of Finance: (i) The adoption and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the Department of Finance offers significant opportunities to examine how processes and procedures could be improved to drive efficiencies and effectiveness across the Department.
To investigate this new technology, while being cognisant of the risks, my Department is running a few small scale Proof of Value (PoV) projects to examine the use of AI in a controlled and measured way to understand how this technology can deliver value in the public sector.
One of these PoVs is to investigate how a chatbot can reduce complexity, save time, and make interactions with a government service simpler and faster. The technology responds to user questions using existing published information. Another PoV involves using data analysis techniques such as statistical models to identify patterns in data, and to apply this to building occupancy to inform decisions on energy consumption, building usage etc.
(ii) However, these opportunities must be considered in the light of the challenges such as the availability and suitability of data, data protection, data privacy and cyber security alongside the wider issues with AI such as usage monitoring, bias, incorrect information, and incorrect predictions.
All civil servants and those working in government organisations should follow the Generative AI Framework provided by Cabinet Office, which contains detailed guidance on using generative AI safely and securely.
ENDS
Your MLA 