International Expertmeeting: How can Governments become A.I. Proof?

The Hague, The Netherlands

2 december 2020

Report of the Expertmeeting

Slides Nick Hart, CeO, Data Coalition, USA

Slides Barbara Ubaldi, Digital Government Lead, OECD

Background

Please read this position paper on the meeting.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a complex process which needs substantial specialized knowledge to understand how it works. Caused by this lack of transparency, AI - and its included algorithms – gained increased concern among policymakers who have to deal with this phenomenon and feel obliged to protect their citizens.

No matter how righteous these concerns are, we see a rapidly growing gap between the potential to use algorithms for the public good (e.g. Security, Covid-19, Environmental monitoring) and the pace with which they are applied (it could be argued China is excluded from this). We see an understand-able focus within western governments on the risks of bias and failing algorithms, therewith giving less priority to prepare themselves internally and technically for well substantiated applications. Opportunities to implement the fundamental contributions of AI are currently being missed.

New chances for linking AI with innovative policymaking

Several developments in the past year have created opportunities to bring together AI-expertise and public ambitions to better apply its AI potential for the public good:

In the USA the “Foundations for Evidence Based Policy Act” (in short Evidence Act) has been passed in 2019; the US Data Coalition is the main organization to implement this Act.
In the Netherlands, all ministries are involved in a process to make its policies more effective through Evidence and Data in the so called “Insight into Quality” process.
In both countries national AI and Data Alliances have been created to stimulate the thorough process of using AI and Big Data for better policymaking
Supra-national entities are seeking for international standards how to cope with these issues

At December 2 an international expert meeting with speakers from Washington DC, Brussels and the OECD will investigate the current conditions on how the current AI potential in the public arena can be realized.

The meeting will be used as input for the conference “Evidence for Policymakers” (December 15-18, The Hague) and will be exclusively accessible – in persona - for a small dedicated group of max. eight governmental bodies.

Opportunities to be discussed

The preliminary subjects of this expert meeting may address the following:

How can governments and politics better prepare themselves for applying AI in policymaking?
Which are the conditions for governments for more structured and responsible implementation of Algorithms?
How does AI contribute to evidence informed policymaking?
What can the USA and European countries learn from each other in designing this

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