University of Exeter researcher instrumental to new civil service AI training programme
An Exeter academic expert has co-created an innovative AI training programme to upskill analysts in the Cabinet Office.
The Cabinet Office’s Government Social Research (GSR) AI Accelerator Programme is designed to equip civil service social researchers with the skills to harness artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively in their work, with a view to improving the productivity of the Civil Service.
Professor Oliver Hauser, Deputy Director of the Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (IDSAI) and Professor of Economics at the University of Exeter Business School, is collaborating on this GSR Profession initiative with Dr Siobhan Dickens and Miriam Light, Co-Heads of the GSR Profession in No 10, the Cabinet Office, and HM Treasury.
The GSR AI Accelerator Programme, which runs over 12 months, has been specifically designed to meet the interests and needs of social researchers across No. 10, the Cabinet Office, and HM Treasury.
In addition to leading many sessions in the workshop series, Professor Hauser has invited experts from leading universities to co-teach and facilitate the programme. With the support of IDSAI, guest facilitators from across the world have been able to share their expertise, including:
• AI in Quantitative Research, with Professor Iavor Bojinov from Harvard Business School
• AI in Qualitative Research, with Professor Henri Schildt from Aalto University
• AI in Literature Review and Evidence Synthesis, with Professor James Thomas from UCL
• AI for Commissioned Research and Managing People, with Dr. Ben Walker from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
• AI and ethics, with a panel discussion including Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo (Oxford), Dr Carissa Véliz (Oxford) and Elliott Jones (AI Security Institute).
Professor Hauser commented: “This initiative demonstrates the civil service’s commitment to staying at the forefront of evidence-based policymaking. By drawing on global expertise and IDSAI’s world-class impact agenda, we are helping to build a more innovative and capable civil service research community for the future.”
Ms Light said: “We are proud to co-develop this with IDSAI and world-leading scholars. By investing in our people and embracing new tools like AI responsibly, we can deliver more robust evidence and better policy outcomes for the public.”
Dr Dickens added: “This programme shows what’s possible when we combine the best of government research expertise with cutting-edge academic insights. It’s an exciting step forward in helping our teams across Whitehall use AI confidently and responsibly.”
In addition to his involvement with the GSR AI Accelerator Programme, Professor Hauser serves as a senior advisor in the Cabinet Office’s Evaluation Task Force, alongside additional appointments on advisory boards for the use and evaluation of AI across the UK government.
