“The UK is the most data literate it has ever been”

Here's the top talking points from UKAuthority’s recent Innovation and Data4Good 2021 webinar.

In this blog, we highlight key talking points from the first event in UKAuthority’s three day webinar series, Innovation & Data4Good 2021. Four speakers offered insights into the potential of data for the public good, including looking at how the public’s understanding and discussion of Covid-19 has improved data literacy in the UK.

Bill Mitchell (Director of Policy, BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT) discussed:

• The “scary side” of AI, e.g. in filtering CVs while recruiting, firing someone due to electronically monitored performance, determining one’s sexuality from an image, scanning a phone for illegal sexual images, and more.
• A BCS survey that concluded that ‘over half (53%) of UK adults have no faith in any organisation to use algorithms when making judgements about them, in issues ranging from education to welfare decisions’.
• How “people want supportive rather than judgemental AI”, e.g. in identifying skills gaps in CVs, spotting when someone’s struggling with work and finding support, helping people to reach a good work life balance.

Bethan Charnley (Head of Data Strategy Implementation, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport) discussed:

• The National Data Strategy, including outlining the missions of the project, the Smart Data Working Group: Spring 2021 report, and the impending National Security and Investment Act, due to come into force on 4 January 2022.
• The importance of data adequacy, trade agreements and data free flow as part of the UK’s G7 Presidency.
• The National Data Strategy Forum, which was ‘created to ensure that a diverse range of perspectives continue to inform the implementation of the National Data Strategy’.

Dionne Lowndes (Chief Digital & Technology Officer, London Borough of Southwark) discussed:

• The need to reset digital channels for a ‘new normal’ and that collaboration is the new “target operating model”.
• How partnering with Hitachi provided different strategy and investment opportunities, leading to the creation of a Vulnerability Hub that ‘protected and support the most vulnerable and at-risk citizens impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic in the most efficient, consistent and structured way possible’.

Freddie Saunders (Data & Power Platform Specialist – Public Sector, Hitachi Solutions) discussed:

• “The UK is the most data literate it has ever been”. During Covid for example, people have been discussing which data is most illustrative of how countries are coping with the crisis, e.g. R rate, death rate, hospitalisation rates, and so on. The Public Health England website has seen 11 redesigns for example due to public demand and that “even today 300,000 people visit the PHE website daily”.
• The opportunity such data literacy presents in light of the public sector’s new responsibilities, such as the Building Safety Bill due in 2023, which will utilise data across housing, finance, maintenance and so on, and in recording/sharing information about bed availability in the NHS.

The recording and slides from the event are available at UKAuthority.