Understanding generative artificial intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence (or Gen AI) is a rapidly evolving field within artificial intelligence. 

The Alan Turing Institute defines Gen AI as:

“A type of artificial intelligence that involves creating new and original data or content. Unlike traditional AI models that rely on large datasets and algorithms to classify or predict outcomes, generative AI models are designed to learn the underlying patterns and structure of the data and generate novel outputs that mimic human creativity.”

Popular Gen AI tools include:

• ChatGPT
• Claude
• Microsoft CoPilot
• Google Gemini
• Dall-E
• Midjourney

Gen AI could transform how we deliver public services by helping to: 

• deliver services faster: quickly finding the right information to answer user questions or direct emails to the right departments
• reduce staff workload: drafting routine email responses or writing computer code to give staff more time to focus on important tasks
• handle complex tasks: reviewing and summarising large amounts of information to help with decision-making
• make information more accessible: improving the readability and usability of web pages and reports
• do specialist tasks cheaper: summarising documents with technical terms or translating texts into multiple languages

Gen AI can help:

• streamline and automate some elements of the delivery of services
• reduce demand on stretched public services
• improve the public’s satisfaction with services

The challenges and risks that Gen AI tools and services bring to the public sector include:

• reliability: Gen AI can create content and simplify tasks but the results are not always accurate, which can lead to wrong information
• bias: AI tools learn from large datasets which can contain biases, leading to unfair treatment or discrimination to certain groups
• privacy: AI systems must comply with data protection laws and maintain people’s data safe
• intellectual property (IP): Gen AI tools create content that raises questions about legal ownership and copyright

It’s important to address these challenges and risks to make sure that the use of Gen AI is responsible, ethical, and beneficial. 

Strong frameworks, principles, and guidelines can help the public sector navigate these complexities, such as the Gen AI Framework developed by the UK Government.