Large language models

This is our response to the Large Language Models consultation.

Since its inception, the Open Data Institute has been committed to our mission: to work with companies and governments to build an open, trustworthy data ecosystem. As our chair, Sir Nigel Shadbolt told the Commons Science and Technology Committee in February: “Although we are talking a lot about AI, for the algorithms, their feedstock—their absolute requirement—is data.” This means that, as the Open Data Institute has argued since its creation, ‘the need to build a trustworthy data ecosystem is paramount’.

If we want to make the most of the opportunities presented by AI and LLMs, while ensuring that we do all we can to mitigate the risks, we need to think about data. We need to ensure that, as much as possible, the data used is open-accessible, available and assured. We need to ensure that the data that needs to be protected is protected; that we have the right data infrastructure to do that properly; and that we have the data literacy, the right governance (including participatory data governance) and a sufficient grasp of data ethics to build public trust in data use and prevent its abuse.