Join our expert panel as they discuss how generative AI can support trustworthy, effective interactions between citizens and government. Under discussion will be the Open Data Institute’s work on assessing how well popular chatbots respond to common citizen queries. As more and more people use these tools to search for essential information or access public services, the research looks at how accurate and complete their answers are, and what this means for building government AI systems that people can rely on. This session will share findings and practical considerations for improving reliability in AI-driven services.
Speakers
Richard Pope, author, consultant and public speaker
Richard Pope was part of the founding team of the UK Government Digital Service and the first product manager for GOV.UK. He created many of the initial design concepts for both GOV.UK and the digital account for Universal Credit (the UK’s social security service). He was a senior fellow at Harvard in 2018/2019, researching and lecturing on ‘Government as a Platform’. In 2024 Richard published the highly influential Platformland.
Professor Elena Simperl, Director of Research, ODI
Elena Simperl is one of the UK’s leading advocates for AI that is transparent, trustworthy, and truly human-centred. As the ODI’s Director of Research and co-Director of King’s College London’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI), she is in the AMiner top 2000 most influential scholars in AI in the world, and is the UK’s expert on building AI that works ‘for’ people, rather than just ‘on’ them. She is on Stanford University's list of "World's Top 2%" scientists.
Andy Dudfield, Head of AI at Full Fact
Andy Dudfield is Head of AI at Full Fact, the UK’s independent fact-checking charity. He has led Full Fact’s artificial intelligence team since 2019, developing technology to tackle misinformation at internet scale by serving the needs of fact checkers around the world. Andy has more than 15 years’ experience in senior digital and product leadership roles across civic tech, the public sector and media, including the Office for National Statistics and the BBC. He brings a practical, delivery-focused perspective on how AI can be deployed responsibly in high-stakes information environments.
Chair: Emer Coleman, digital leader and business coach
Emer Coleman is an experienced digital leader with a background in the public and private sector. Emer now works as a Leadership and Business Coach with a focus on both early stage company leaders and mid career professionals. As a woman who has held challenging and senior roles from an early age Emer is passionate about encouraging and supporting other women in business to achieve their ambitions and goals. This is particularly necessary for women in technology who face challenges in both entering and thriving in the sector.