According to a new European study from Accenture, UK government organisations are leading on artificial intelligence investment.
Accenture surveyed 300 government executives and IT decision-makers in five European countries —Finland, France, Germany, Norway and the UK — to gather their views on AI and the impact of AI technologies on their organisations.
The study found that the UK is significantly ahead on current and anticipated AI spending. One-fifth (20%) of UK respondents said their organisation is investing more than £40 million in AI annually, and nearly half (47%) said their organisation is investing between £12 million and £40 million in AI — the highest figures reported among the five-countries surveyed.
Despite the support and enthusiasm for AI deployments, respondents said their organisations are experiencing systemic challenges to delivering successful AI projects. Nearly six in seven (83%) cited difficulties in procuring the right AI building blocks — most notably security concerns (52%) as a top barrier to achieving scale. Below this, 37% are finding duplication of AI efforts and coordinating or planning AI implementation a challenge. Ethical or data privacy concerns (35%), cost and expense (33%) and limited knowledge about AI applications and their potential are also concerns.
Mark Jennings, who leads Accenture’s Health & Public Service offering in Europe “The findings of our research indicate a healthy appetite and investment in AI technologies. In fact, the government has recently announced considerable investment in education and skills for AI, which is a very welcome move.”
“In terms of practical deployment today, intent shouldn’t be misconstrued for ability and change is likely to happen at a slower pace than the government anticipates. A clearer understanding of the potential of AI and a readiness to think more holistically about outcomes will empower public sector leaders to deliver successful AI deployments and integrate the technology into their operations. To deliver success, an organisation-wide approach must be taken to AI projects, with a focus on ensuring data integrity, practical considerations and employee support for an understanding of the transformative power of AI.”
The research found differences in respondents’ perceptions of, approaches to and spending on AI across the countries and sector studied. For instance respondents from Norway cited the lowest levels of investment in AI, with less than one-quarter (22%) saying that they’re investing between £12 million and £40 million annually — whereas nearly half (47%) of U.K. respondents said their organisation is investing that amount.
