Assuring a Responsible future for AI
On the 6th of November 2024, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology issued its research report titled “Assuring a Responsible future for AI.”
With the UK AI Market predicted to reach over 1 trillion by 2035, the United Kingdom has recognised its enormous economic potential and therefore looking into the future economic potential of the “AI Assurance Market”, setting goals to innovate this area further and enhance developments across industries.
AI Assurance Market in the UK
The following research paper has devoted its focus to the explanation and analysis of the UK AI Assurance Market. This market looks into checking and verifying AI systems to ensure their safe deployment and use throughout society. The paper states that the governments vision is as follows: “Assurance is critical to mitigate the risks associated with AI and government has an important role to play in catalysing the development of a world leading AI Assurance Ecosystem”
From this, we can observe that the Government is planning on growing the AI Assurance Market to expand this area further and devote specific action plans to provide organisations with actionable tools to tackle the AI Assurance field. Furthermore, ensuring any AI system deployed is fully safe, secure and transparent.
Today, there are over 524 firms supplying AI Assurance goods and services, which are generating over £1.01 billion in Gross Value-Added (GVA) for the UK economy. When comparing this to other countries the paper evidences that figures show that the UK’s Assurance Market is much bigger than those in the US and Germany. With this in mind, the UK may be able to capitalise off of this growing industry to lead them on the way to AI power. The following actions, represent the measures and steps the DSIT are taking to grow this industry further.
Actions
1- AI Assurance Platform
The goal in this action is to increase the number of AI assurance tools and services to overall ensure AI is governed responsibly. However organisations are struggling to navigate this area and understand the regulations due to its complexity. Therefore with the establishment of an AI Assurance Platform, this could be accessed by AI developers and deployers to navigate this area. This platform will have all the tools, services and frameworks necessary to understand this complex industry.
The first tool currently being developed is AI Management Essentials. This is set to include a range of pre-established government frameworks and provide a baseline for organisational good practice. This tool will act as a self assessment tool to allow SME’s and other organisations to check their AI Assurance against key government frameworks.
2- Roadmap to trusted third party AI assurance
The goal of this action is to “increase the supply of independent, high quality assurance. The Department for Science, innovation and technology will work with industries to develop a roadmap to trusted third party ai assurance by the end of this year.”
The DSIT, will therefore connect with other AI Assurance service providers to develop this roadmap and learn the needs from organisations directly within the field. This roadmap will then allow them to explore all avenues, this roadmap will also no doubt involve a collective action amongst stakeholders to help drive third party assurance.
3- Collaboration with the AI Safety Institute to enhance Assurance research, development and adoption
As AI is continuing to develop, new techniques are continuously required to ensure these systems are developed and deployed safely.
Research units such as; the AI safety institute and the Responsible Technology Adoption Unit are set to work together to advance research within this area. Funding will be granted to these programmes. The main aim of these opportunities are to enhance this industry and exploit its opportunities. Furthermore with the primary aim of AI Assurance being centred around “Trustworthiness” the government is hoping for a shared understanding amongst this ecosystem.
4- Terminology Tool for Responsible AI
Previous research within the AI Assurance Market has highlighted that there are notable differences in the way AI assurance is understood across different sectors.
The creation of this Terminology Tool is to define key terminology in the UK and other jurisdictions and the note the relationship between these jurisdictions. This would provide interoperability across different jurisdictions frameworks. Interoperability across different jurisdictions would mean the UK could strengthen its ambition and take advantage of other countries AI Markets, for example the US.
For organisatons, this trminology tool could act as a global point of reference
I think from this report, it is clear the DSIT are looking to exploit the opportunities this market has offered up to now and provide further funding and research to this area.
At the centre of this market is compliance and trust. This Assurance Market is devoted to ensuring safety and compliance for AI systems, w