January 28, 2026
The United Kingdom is Building AI for the Public Good
Why it Matters: As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more common in government operations worldwide, sharing what works—and what doesn’t—is essential. The following discussion underscores the importance of collaboration and exchanging lessons learned to help governments accelerate their own AI efforts while strengthening their governance to deliver better public services.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – At the November 20 Artificial Intelligence Community meeting, CDT hosted Liam Wilkinson, head of AI Incubation at the Incubator for AI in the United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. His presentation focused on how the UK is applying AI to government data for the public good.
Vera Zakem, California’s State Chief Technology Innovation Officer, set the stage by emphasizing the importance of adopting and scaling AI in ways that are effective, responsible, and focused on improving the lives of Californians. She noted that governments worldwide are testing AI approaches that are both effective and beneficial, offering lessons California can use to strengthen governance, trust, and public services.
Wilkinson described the context in which the UK created the Incubator for AI, noting that public sector worldwide is being asked to do more with less while operating in low-risk environments that leave little room for experimentation. The Incubator was established to bring strong technical talent directly into government, take an experimental but responsible approach to AI, and translate advances in the field into practical tools that help civil servants deliver better outcomes for residents.
Wilkinson presented three flagship projects that show how the Incubator is applying AI to core government data and processes:
- Parlex, a specialized interface that lets civil servants search and navigate parliamentary debates and speeches to understand legislative history and perspectives.
- Extract, a service that uses AI to convert legacy planning maps and documents into structured geospatial data to speed up housing and planning decisions.
- The AI Knowledge Hub, an open resource that catalogs AI use cases, prompts, and open-source code to share lessons learned and support reuse across government.
Following the presentation, Zakem and Wilkinson discussed practical lessons from the UK and other governments that could spur California’s AI policy, guardrails, and use-case development. Wilkinson highlighted the importance of investing in in-house technical talent, supporting grassroots experimentation, and creating space for civil servants to learn and iterate. Their exchange also underscored the value of transparency and rigorous evaluation, drawing on approaches used in Singapore, France, and Ukraine to strengthen governance and improve public services.
The ensuing Q&A session included questions like evaluation and bias, safeguards for sensitive data, energy use, and how to handle “shadow” AI tools in the workplace.
In closing, Wilkinson thanked participants and invited them to “steal our code with pride” and share what they learn. He encouraged ongoing collaboration and direct engagement as governments experiment with AI for the public good.
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