Bennett Institute for Public Policy

Join us for the keynote lecture at our Annual Conference on Friday 28 March 2025. Hear Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge and author of FOOLPROOF, discuss "Psychological Inoculation Against Misinformation". He'll show that it is possible to pre-emptively “immunize” people against disinformation by pre-exposing them to severely weakened doses of the techniques that underlie its production. Sander will showcase several interventions he has developed and evaluated—with public health authorities and social media companies—to help citizens around the world recognise and resist unwanted attempts to manipulate and mislead. 📅Friday 28 March 2025 🕔17:15-18:15 📍Churchill College, Cambridge / Online Book your keynote lecture ticket: https://lnkd.in/dqnhFA4i

Working time in the public sector: opportunities for AI? The UK government is placing high hopes on the potential for AI to improve productivity in public services. But how big is this potential? As Nghi Nguyen explains in a new blog, new data on how public sector employees use their time and which tasks they consider unimportant suggests significant scope for improving both their productivity and their job satisfaction. https://lnkd.in/eUnAswbc #CivilService #AI

Cambridge University is looking for two Assistant Professors in Public Policy to work in the Faculty of Human, Social, & Political Science, starting August 2025. Scholars with research & teaching experience in public policy and digital policy are encouraged to apply by 10 March 2025. We look forward to hearing from you: https://lnkd.in/e-uZTgKT

New blog: UK Government's new approach to collaborative governance The UK Government's December 2024 white paper "English Devolution, Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth" signals a significant shift in how central and local governments collaborate. With three pages dedicated to restructuring England's county and district council system, the paper emphasizes joint working between the Government and mayors on specific policy initiatives. In a new blog, Mark Sandford of the House of Commons Library suggests this new collaborative governance approach could be transformative within the traditional Westminster model. He notes that this shift could potentially evolve toward the 'embedded autonomy' seen in central-local government relationships in other countries. He notes there are encouraging signs that UK government behaviours are changing, with increased willingness to focus on specific initiatives including inward investment attraction, infrastructure development, and place-based regeneration. The effectiveness of place leadership depends on successfully combining national expertise with local knowledge and networks. Consistent engagement between central and local officials builds trust and mutual understanding of challenges faced by both parties. The newly established Council of the Nations and Regions and the Mayoral Council could serve as important mechanisms to evaluate whether these collaborative initiatives are changing the nature of central-local relationships. These councils, which have so far been limited to general discussions, could take on a more substantive role in monitoring and assessing government collaboration. Regular assessment of these collaborative governance efforts would help determine if this approach is truly having the transformative effects envisioned for English mayors and local governance structures. This collaborative governance approach aligns with the Labour Party's 2024 manifesto emphasis on partnership and the concept of mission-driven government, suggesting potential for cross-party support for this new direction in English devolution. Read the full blog: https://lnkd.in/ehKZD6PY

Today, artists are calling on Government to protect Britain’s creative industries from AI. It aligns with our latest research with Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy & ai@cam which urges caution against an opt-out approach to copyright and Generative AI. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d_aEzgX3

A new report from Cambridge experts warns that the UK government should resist allowing AI companies to scrape copyrighted works unless creators opt out, as it unfairly burdens emerging talents. The report, from the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, and ai@cam, argues that unregulated use of generative AI could harm the UK’s creative sector and not necessarily drive economic growth. AI could benefit the creative industries, but the current lack of clear copyright regulations hampers this potential. Researchers stress that only human authors should hold copyright and advocate for mandatory transparency in AI data training and standardised licensing agreements. They also call for stronger protection of performers’ rights, particularly in AI-generated content, and for the government to adopt the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performance. The report warns that the proposed ‘opt-out’ model for AI data mining could allow foreign companies to exploit UK content without fair compensation for creators. To foster growth, the government must prioritise policies that ensure fair compensation for creatives and support both the creative and tech industries. Read the feature story on the University of Cambridge news page: https://lnkd.in/ev4aKwXS #publicpolicy #AI #copyright #CambridgeUniversity

Researchers at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, & ai@cam have published a new report – AI, Copyright, and Productivity in the Creative Industries – investigating the impact of generative AI (GenAI) on the UK’s creative industries. The report is written by Ann Kristin Glenster, Ph.D., FRSA, Lucy Hampton, Gina Neff and Thomas Lacey. The report argues that the unregulated use of Generative AI in the UK economy will not necessarily lead to economic growth, and risks damaging the UK’s thriving creative sector. Unresolved questions concerning copyright and AI are creating uncertainty for the future of several creative professions, and the UK Government’s proposed ‘opt-out’ solution is unlikely to protect creatives or inspire confidence that AI can be developed to benefit all. A viable copyright regime that is fit for the AI era must centre creators; providing stronger transparency requirements for tech companies, guidelines that afford copyright only to human authors, and procedures for how AI companies vying for British copyrighted content will compensate creators. Government must come up with a more human-centric copyright regime that ensures GenAI benefits the economy but does not compromise the rights and livelihoods of creators. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e9EHTcSH #AI #Copyright #Cambridge #PublicPolicy

Annual Conference session: What does it take to build a productive and healthy society? The nature of work is undergoing profound changes, driven by technological advances, shifting societal values and the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet the UK’s longstanding productivity challenge remains unresolved. How we can balance productivity, fairness, and wellbeing to create work that is sustainable, meaningful, and productive for individuals, organisations, and society? Hear from: - Kate Bell, Trade Union Congress (TUC) - Prof Brendan Burchell, Faculty of Human, Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge - Sarah O’Connor, Financial Times - Chair: Dr Nina M. Jörden, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge Join us in person at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, or online. Book your ticket: https://lnkd.in/dqnhFA4i

New research will examine what inclusive innovation looks like in Cambridge. Andrew Limb, Assistant Chief Executive of Cambridge City Council, will work with stakeholders to identify what drives success and what hinders progress in enabling, unlocking and amplifying inclusive innovation. In the coming months, Andrew will engage with a range of stakeholders within the Cambridge innovation ecosystem to explore their perspectives and ideas regarding innovation in the region. Andrew will gather their ideas and suggestions on what interventions might further enable, unlock or amplify inclusive innovation. He’ll also suggest which might be most scalable and replicable in other cities and contexts. This research aims to complement the work of the Innovate Cambridge partnership and its ambitious strategy for the Cambridge innovation ecosystem. To contribute to the research, such as providing data, insights or case studies of successful inclusive innovation, please email: office@bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk Read more about the research and get involved: https://lnkd.in/eYsBHqhp #Cambridge #Innovation

We're excited to be co-hosting an event with ai@cam at this year's hashtag #CamFest Understanding ourselves in the age of AI – Neil Lawrence in conversation with Diane Coyle 🕕18:00-19:30 📅27 March 2025 📍Cambridge Union Hear Diane Coyle, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, chair a conversation with Neil Lawrence, DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge, about what AI means for our identity. They'll delve into Neil’s new book "The Atomic Human: Understanding ourselves in the age of AI" to explore how and why our fears of being displaced by AI might be misplaced. Neil will explain how AI can and should be used by everyone, not just experts, by comparing it to our own evolved intelligence and its technical limitations. A drinks reception and book signing will follow. Book your free ticket: https://lu.ma/y9kw5wk3