GPSJ Autumn 2024 ONLINE - Flipbook - Page 37
IT & IT SECURITY
However, such legislation isn’t
without its critics.
Some circles argue that the
EU AI Act is too strict, serving
to dissuade investments into AI
development due to excessive
compliance demands. In the
private sector, frictions have
already begun to emerge, with
both Apple and Meta having
refused to sign the EU’s AI pact.
Further, in June 2023, the former
of these tech giants announced
delays to the release of three new
key AI features in Europe, citing
“regulatory uncertainties”.
PDS: An example for others
to follow?
Clearly the challenge for AI
regulators is to strike the right
balance between sustaining
public safety without impeding
the potential merits that these
technologies can provide.
For this reason, in the case of
the UK, the PDS’s exploration of
AI tools is particularly interesting.
Given that it is the responsibility
of the government to strike
this balance, parliament’s own
approach to AI adoption will
be closely watched, setting an
example which others may follow.
Scrutiny or not, the PDS will
have much to consider to get
this right, with some of the key
priorities likely to include:
- Ensuring that important
government and public data is
protected.
- Ensuring that it adheres to
GDPR alongside other relevant
legislation.
- Ensuring that AI tools are
driven by transparent,
auditable decision-making
processes so that constituents
can understand how AI is
being used to serve them.
- Ensure that algorithmic biases
are avoided in critical publicsector applications.
Data privacy and compliance
are incredibly sensitive issues,
yet ticking each of these vital
boxes will not be easy. In e昀昀ort
to do so, it would be wise for the
PDS to lean heavily on establish
frameworks that have been
speci昀椀cally designed to guide
organisations in achieving best AI
practices.
Looking to key standards:
ISO 42001
Enter ISO 42001 – the latest
standard for AI management
systems that aims to help ensure
their responsible development,
deployment and operation.
Placing signi昀椀cant emphasis
on factors such as transparency,
accountability, bias identi昀椀cation
and mitigation, safety and
privacy, its goal is to ensure
that AI systems are built and
implemented safely and ethically.
For the PDS, ISO 42001 could
provide a roadmap that may be
used to identify, evaluate and
mitigate the risks associated
with AI, ensuring that they can
properly protect important
government information and
constituent data. Equally, it
can provide a pathway through
GPSJ
which the PDS can streamline
its AI processes, identify and
rectify vulnerabilities earlier, and
reduce the potential 昀椀nancial and
reputational costs associated
with AI failures.
At ISMS.online, we recommend
leaning heavily on ISO 42001
for good reason: it is likely to
become a key benchmark for
AI management systems in the
future, and so leveraging it now
will enable organisations and
departments of all shapes and
sizes to embrace best practices
from the outset, rather than
playing catch up or taking action
only in the wake of a crisis.
By adhering to these
compliance standards and
addressing ethical considerations
properly, parliament will be well
placed to get this right and set
a benchmark for responsible AI
adoption that other government
departments and organisations
across the country can in turn
follow.
Matrix Increases Scope on the G-Cloud
14 Framework
Workforce Management
Solutions, Matrix is proud to
announce increased scope on
the G-Cloud 14 framework,
further cementing their
position as a leading provider
of workforce solutions to the
public sector. This milestone
underscores Matrix’s
dedication to delivering
innovative, reliable and
e昀케cient services to meet
the dynamic needs of public
sector organisations.
Through the G-Cloud 14
framework, Matrix will be able to
o昀昀er streamlined access to their
existing solutions plus the addition
of pre-employment screening
through Matrix Security Watchdog
- empowering public sector
organisations to source their
services quickly and con昀椀dently.
Matrix service o昀昀erings are tailored
to meet both foundational and
advanced requirements, ensuring
昀氀exibility and compliance with the
highest industry standards.
The G-Cloud framework
simpli昀椀es public sector
procurement, enabling
organisations to contract with
proven suppliers more e昀케ciently.
With G-Cloud 14, enhancements
such as a 36-month contract
duration, updated compliance
measures and a rigorous
application process strengthen
its value for both clients and
suppliers. For Matrix, this
achievement highlights their
consistent delivery of quality
solutions and positions them to
support even more organisations
across the UK.
Robert Priest, Business
Development Manager at Matrix,
said: “Expanding our o昀昀ering
on the G-Cloud 14 framework
is a signi昀椀cant achievement
for Matrix, re昀氀ecting our
commitment to innovation and
excellence in workforce solutions.
This framework allows us to
better serve the public sector,
streamlining the procurement
process and providing our
clients with con昀椀dence in the
quality, security and reliability
of our services. We’re excited
to collaborate with more public
sector organisations to help them
achieve their goals and deliver
exceptional outcomes.”
Priest goes on to say, “Public
sector organisations can bene昀椀t
signi昀椀cantly from the inclusion
of pre-employment screening
on the G-Cloud 14 framework.
The streamlined procurement
process makes it faster and
more e昀케cient for public sector
bodies to access our workforce
solutions. Our compliance with
stringent security and regulatory
standards highlights our credibility
and reliability as a trusted supplier.
Additionally, our adaptable
solutions are designed to support
evolving workforce needs,
seamlessly aligning with modern
practices such as remote and
hybrid working models”.
Robert Priest,
Business
Development
Manager, Matrix
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL WINTER 2024/2025
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