Downing Street's AI productivity revolution
Up to 200 times return on investment for ministers, says source
Dear Reader
Welcome back to BN Edition: concise analysis on the stories that offer us hints at our unfolding future. Fresh from the desks of the Brilliant Noise team.
Each edition takes a handful of stories from recent weeks and asks three things:
What? The story in a few sentences.
So what? Why do I need to know?
What next? What do I need to do or watch out for?
This week, find out more about:
Let’s get into it.
UK Government reports 200 times ROI on some AI tools
What?
The UK government is currently experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) tools, dubbed "red box" AI, aimed at boosting the efficiency of ministers and streamlining their decision-making processes.
The FT reported:
Laura Gilbert, chief analyst and data science director at Downing Street, said the government had found a lot of “low-hanging fruit” where AI could drive significant efficiencies. While there was a general target for a 3.55 times return on investment on AI, she said “some of the early tools are more like a 200 times return on the investment”.
These AI tools are in the pilot phase for analysing government consultation responses, drafting parliamentary question answers, and summarising content from official sources such as Hansard and government speeches. The overarching goal is to use technology, specifically AI, to increase productivity within Whitehall, especially under financial constraints.
These AI tools are designed to handle routine policy tasks, with human civil servants overseeing and reviewing the generated drafts.
The government is considering the expansion of these successful AI pilots to other areas as a means to save costs and enhance public services. This reflects a wider ambition to integrate AI across different sectors, including healthcare, with anticipated significant cost savings if broadly adopted.
So what?
For business and marketing leaders, the UK government's foray into "red box" AI trials represents a pivotal moment in the public sector's adoption of AI technologies. This initiative highlights the growing recognition of AI's potential to transform traditional operations, not just in the corporate world but also within governmental processes.
The drive towards AI in public services underscores the technology's capacity for fostering significant efficiencies and enhancing decision-making processes. This development signals a broader trend of AI integration across various sectors, indicating substantial opportunities for businesses in AI and tech industries to contribute to and benefit from public sector innovations. Moreover, it serves as an example for organisations looking to leverage AI for process optimisation and cost savings, emphasising the importance of technological adaptability in contemporary governance and business strategies.
What Next?
Investing in capability and relatively low cost tools can bring huge benefits quickly to workers in every field.
Innovation and Development Focus: Companies should prioritise innovation and the development of AI capabilities that can cater to the unique needs of public services, including scalability, security, and ethical considerations. Tailoring solutions to meet these requirements can position firms favourably within an emerging market.
Prepare for Broader AI Adoption: The government's AI trials could herald wider adoption of AI technologies across various sectors. Businesses should prepare for this shift by investing in AI capabilities and considering how their operations can benefit from or complement AI-driven public services.
Don’t miss Brilliant Noise CEO Antony Mayfield’s webinar for the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) on the impact of generative AI on the marketing sector.
Monday 4th March, at 13:00 - Free registration here.
Google's Gemini AI Image Generator controversy
What?
Google's Gemini AI model, specifically its image generator function, recently faced backlash due to producing images with inaccuracies and biases, including racially diverse Nazis and misrepresented historical figures. The issues prompted Google to temporarily halt the creation of images depicting people. The controversy spotlighted the challenges of creating
So what?
Google’s stumbles with its ChatGPT competitor show how early we are in the competition to offer people and businesses generative AI tools. Culture warriors love an AI bot. Getting them to offend someone, anyone, will always be a feature of launches.
Risks of Generative AI bots include:
Accuracy issues due to biased training data, damaging brand reputation.
Difficulty understanding context, leading to inappropriate or confusing responses.
Lack of control over output, posing reputational risks.
Ethical concerns include job displacement, privacy issues, and misinformation.
Evolving regulatory landscape requires legal and compliance awareness.
What Next?
It’s important to be cautious about public-facing generative AI bots because even Google, with its vast resources and expertise, has faced challenges in creating an error-free and universally pleasing model. This raises concerns about the ability of brands to effectively utilise AI bots in public-facing scenarios.
To mitigate these risks, brands should approach the use of generative AI bots with caution and take the following steps:
Thorough Testing and Evaluation: Conduct rigorous testing and evaluation of generative AI bots before deploying them in public-facing scenarios. This includes assessing the bot's accuracy, bias, and ability to handle different types of interactions.
Human Oversight: Ensure that generative AI bots are used along with human oversight to mitigate risks and provide a safety net for customers.
Transparency and Education: Be transparent with customers about the use of generative AI bots and educate them about the limitations and potential risks of the technology.
Microsoft invests in an OpenAI competitor
What?
Microsoft has invested in French-based Mistral, a formidable OpenAI competitor. Mistral’s adaptation of open source generative AI (Gen AI) models are impressive and reportedly better than ChatGPT for some use cases.
So what?
For Microsoft there are multiple strategic benefits: hedging its OpenAI bet, staying ahead of other big tech investors, a foothold in Europe diversity in the models that can power its Microsoft365 suite of AI-enhanced tools For the rest of us it is another reminder that the Gen AI race is still in its early phase. Despite OpenAI having the best model available to general users and making dazzling progress, open source and rival big tech models (Google Gemini) are evolving fast.
What next?
Invest in capability over tech.
While investing in tech platforms has been the norm, the advent of Generative AI (Gen AI) necessitates a shift in strategy. Gen AI represents a groundbreaking advancement that is evolving at an unprecedented rate, making it crucial for companies to remain adaptable and keep their options open.
What may seem like a secure choice today could quickly become obsolete in the face of the rapid pace of technological progress. To stay competitive, businesses need to prioritise capability development over relying solely on specific tech platforms. Capability refers to the human expertise and skills required to effectively leverage Gen AI within the organisation.
Integrating Gen AI seamlessly into business operations and workflows requires a workforce that is well-versed in the nuances of the technology. This includes not only basic prompting skills but also the ability to reimagine workflows, processes, and business models to fully harness the potential of Gen AI.
Investing in capability rather than tech platforms offers several key advantages. Firstly, it provides a more flexible and adaptable approach, allowing businesses to quickly pivot and adopt new technologies as they emerge. Secondly, it empowers employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to maximise the value of AI, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
Thank you for reading.
The Brilliant Noise team