New paper released on quality data and artificial intelligence

nima has been developing its position on artificial intelligence, and has shared a draft position paper to stimulate further discussion across the nima networks.

Particularly since the November 2022 launch of ChatGPT, there has been a surge in interest in artificial intelligence (AI).

The new Labour Government has also been moving to support appropriate adoption and use of AI alongside other digital initiatives. This has prompted nima to start creating its own position on AI, detailed in a draft position paper.

The nima paper argues that AI requires good quality information – if we put rubbish in, we will get rubbish out. This is a long-held view, both in UK government thinking and in advice from leading data scientists. For example, Open Data Institute co-founder Sir Nigel Shadbolt has called for “a trustworthy data infrastructure for AI because the feedstock of high-quality AI is high-quality data”.

After discussing what do we mean by high-quality data, nima says organisations, before they deploy and use AI solutions, will need to ensure that their underlying source data has the quality characteristics necessary to meet its intended purposes. Some organisations are already well advanced in this respect, with strong data governance structures, processes and standards. Steps are also being taken to develop national industry standards and rules that will enable and govern inter-organisational sharing of high-quality data.

AI may be the latest industry buzzword, but nima believes its successful future deployment and exploitation will depend on establishing strong foundations: high-quality data managed through effective data governance structures, processes and standards. This is key to the information management outcomes nima is striving for. And, building on its current work with government and industry in refreshing the ‘Information Management Mandate’, nima will be aiming to help define and develop these foundations.