National guidance cautions Scottish public sector on AI use

AI cannot be held responsible for public service decisions, Scottish leaders have been warned.

New national guidance published by the government’s Digital Directorate warns that “people, not AI systems, remain responsible for decisions” and the tech should not be used “where decisions cannot be explained or properly reviewed”.

The warning follows the March publication of Scotland’s five-year AI strategy and states that “choosing not to use AI can be the right decision” for communications, data analysis and other tasks.

The guidance states: “AI can help improve services, automate tasks and support decision-making. But it is not always the right solution.

“Start by understanding the problem you're trying to solve. If a simpler solution meets your users' needs, use that instead.”

In a blog post about the guidance, Becca Fairless, head of digital citizen policy at the Scottish Government, said: “Decisions about AI use should involve policy teams, operational colleagues, service designers, programme managers and senior leaders. Everyone has a role to play in making sure AI is used responsibly.”

The country’s AI strategy was launched before the election by then-DFM Kate Forbes and Richard Lochhead, who was the business minister. It runs until 2031.