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Government Develops AI Tool to Mark School Children’s Homework
A new artificial intelligence tool is being developed to mark school children’s homework, using a trove of UK government data. The "content store" was created by UK company Faculty AI with £4mn of government investment and serves as an early prototype for ministers as they draw up broader plans to sell anonymised public data to researchers and businesses within 10 years.
National Data Library in the Making
The program is part of a larger scheme to create a National Data Library, which would aggregate and store troves of government data. Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party set out plans in its manifesto to create such a library, which could eventually be monetised. However, companies, data experts, and government officials have been unclear exactly what form this "library" will take.
Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan
In January, the prime minister announced an "AI Opportunities Action Plan", which recommended making five high-impact public data sets immediately available to the private sector. However, Starmer refused to answer questions about whether national data would be sold and how it would be priced.
Scoping Exercise Underway
The government is currently midway through a six-month scoping exercise for the National Data Library. Science secretary Peter Kyle said he was "very confident" it could be done by the end of the "decade of national renewal" that Starmer pitched when he was elected.
Data Protection and Access
Kyle emphasized that the data would remain in Britain and be used in the UK, though he was open to it being used by overseas researchers and companies. He also stressed that the interaction between the private sector would only happen when the public is reassured it will happen in a safe way and the benefits of doing so are made absolutely clear.
Conclusion
The development of an AI tool to mark school children’s homework is an important step towards creating a National Data Library. While there are concerns about data protection and access, the government’s efforts to create a library that aggregates and stores troves of government data could have significant benefits for researchers and businesses.
FAQs
Q: What is the National Data Library?
A: The National Data Library is a proposed database that would aggregate and store troves of government data.
Q: What is the purpose of the National Data Library?
A: The purpose is to make government data available to researchers and businesses, with the potential to monetise it.
Q: Will the data be sold to third parties?
A: The government has not yet clarified whether the data will be sold to third parties, but science secretary Peter Kyle emphasized that the data would remain in Britain and be used in the UK.
Q: What is the timeline for the National Data Library?
A: The government is currently midway through a six-month scoping exercise, and Kyle is "very confident" it could be done by the end of the "decade of national renewal".
