Blog: Friday 14 February 2025 - Iken, Corporate Partner

Be my v-AI-lentine: Your Guide to the UK Government’s AI Playbook

On Monday, 10th February, the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) launched the UK Government’s AI Playbook. This guide is designed to help public sector organisations explore AI use cases and successfully implement AI-driven solutions. 

Understanding AI in the Public Sector

The Playbook usefully includes a breakdown of all the different fields within AI and their corresponding abbreviations – you too can learn the nuances between machine learning and deep learning.

It also outlines 10 key principles for AI adoption in government and public sector organisations. One that stands out is Principle 2: "You use AI lawfully, ethically, and responsibly", which states:

"Your use of AI tools must be lawful and responsible. You should seek legal advice on the development and use of AI and engage with compliance, legal, and data protection experts in your organisation early in your journey, including during product development. You may, for example, seek advice on equalities implications, fairness, intellectual property, and other legal issues. 

You should seek data protection advice on your use of AI. This may be from your lawyers or your data protection officer."

I’m pleased to see that this principle appears so high up the list, reinforcing the importance of legal oversight in AI adoption, ensuring compliance with data protection laws and ethical considerations from the outset.

Policy: Setting the Foundation for AI Adoption

As with other major change initiatives such as Digital Transformation, an overarching AI Policy at an organisational level helps set the direction and the tone of innovation, whilst acknowledging the privacy, data protection, security, and risk management measures that need to sit alongside the technological initiatives. 

As local government lawyers, you can help shape the direction and the adoption framework within your organisations, ensuring that AI is implemented responsibly and ethically. 

Purpose: AI Should Solve Real Problems

Don’t start your AI journey with what is technically possible—AI adoption works best when there is a tangible and very real problem to solve. The Playbook also provides guidance on how to determine if AI is the best route forward.

For business cases, it’s good to understand the time/effort continuum, ensuring that AI solutions align with the real needs of your organisation. Microsoft also does a lot of work on showcasing how AI can be used safely within organisations and how to build an AI roadmap (Microsoft AI Solutions).

Privacy: Addressing Data Protection Concerns

Whilst data protection and privacy concerns can limit our organisational risk appetite, The ICO is on hand to provide updated guidance and policy. Their January blog post Debunking data protection myths about AI is well worth a read, providing useful links to their recent consultations on generative AI.

Ensuring that AI aligns with existing legal frameworks is key to avoiding compliance risks and safeguarding public trust. 

People: Keeping AI Human-Centric

People are right at the heart of all AI discussions—use cases, policymaking, and ethical decisions. The human touch is here to stay. 

It’s impossible to ignore the positive impact that utilising the right AI tools can have at an organisational level, especially with budgets getting ever tighter. AI adoption should always prioritise transparency, trust, and privacy, ensuring that the tools developed are used to empower individuals, organisations, and communities rather than replace essential human decision-making. 

About Iken: See You at the Spring Conference

We’re delighted that the Spring Conference will be held in our hometown, Bristol, this year. Stay tuned for more news on our rebrand, our products, and exciting conversations about legal tech. We look forward to talking all things technology with you soon.

Explore Our New Brand

Discover how Iken is evolving to support the future of legal and case management technology. Learn more about our new brand and offerings at explore.iken.cloud.

Tanya Corsie, CEO, Iken