A large majority of the public want stricter safeguards around the use of AI and technology in public services – including mandatory professional registration for IT professionals, according to a new poll.
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, commissioned public polling from YouGov, which took place this summer. YouGov received 2,202 responses to the online survey from people across the UK, with the final figures weighted to be representative of all UK adults over the age of 18.
Some 85% of respondents said IT professionals working on systems affecting the public should be on a public register and follow an independent code of conduct, like doctors or lawyers. Three-quarters (75%) said they would trust an IT professional more if they were listed on a public register.
And 82% of respondents said those in high-impact AI roles should hold chartered or professionally-registered status.
Half (50%), meanwhile, said they believe an independent professional body, such as BCS, should oversee standards.
The research also found widespread personal experience of IT problems: 60% of respondents had suffered a major system outage, 43% a data breach or privacy concern, and 45% incorrect or delayed services due to IT failures, which BCS said “further underlines the need for higher standards”.
A new report from BCS containing the survey results says the government has an opportunity to “build a public sector where trust is not a by-product of good technology, but its foundation.
“If we seize it, we will not only shape the future of our own services; but set a global example of how to harness AI and digital innovation for the good of everyone in society,” the report says.
Sharron Gunn, chief executive of BCS, said the survey "provides clear evidence of what the public expects.
"They want the professionals who design and deliver these technologies to be held to the same independent standards as doctors, lawyers and engineers," she said. "They want transparency, accountability, and the reassurance that competence is tested and kept up to date. Above all, they want to know that the people behind critical systems are committed to acting in the public interest."
The report from the professional membership body for IT professionals makes three recommendations:
- Professional registration, underpinned by an accompanying code of conduct, should be an essential condition for all public sector technology roles, including contractors within the supply chain, to ensure accountability and reinforce public trust.
- A public register of IT professionals should be utilised to provide assurance and accountability in high-impact roles, such as automated decision-making or handling special category data
- The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology should continue to lead in bringing UK companies and professional bodies together to set and develop ethical standards. This will be key to building public trust and accountability in AI and digital systems.
Gunn said the report is both a call to action and a practical guide, offering government, employers, and
professionals a "framework for embedding trust at the centre of digital transformation.
"By embedding these principles across the public sector and beyond, we can help ensure that AI and digital services work in a way that earns and keeps people’s trust," she added.
Labour MP Daniel Aldridge, who is chair of the Cyber Innovation All-Party Parliamentary Group, said the government can make the UK "a world leader in trustworthy technology" by working in partnership with professional bodies, industry, and civil society.
“The opportunity before us is to define an approach to AI that is ambitious, responsible, and ethical –one that strengthens our public services while safeguarding the rights and trust of those they serve," he said. "If we get this right, Britain will not only harness the benefits of AI, but set a global example of how to do so with integrity.”