Bennett Institute for Public Policy

#AI has often struggled to connect technology to widespread social benefit. The result is a growing gap between AI’s technical capabilities and our ability to deploy these capabilities to deliver real-world public benefit. At a time when the UK has an opportunity to refresh its national approach to AI, how can we translate high-level policy ambitions into practical action? In partnership with the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy and the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, our new policy brief takes stock of where further action could help create a world-leading UK AI ecosystem. In the next phase of AI policy development there is an opportunity to: 🔷 Connect to public interests and concerns 🔷 Build regulatory capacity for innovation 🔷 Design our public innovation infrastructure to tackle real-world problems 🔷 Grow the domestic base No matter which path is chosen, success requires a shift in how policy is implemented, so that any new interventions tackle the practical barriers to delivering widespread public benefit from AI. ⬇️ Find out more and read our report https://lnkd.in/dg9eSi4Q #CambridgeUniversity #AIforsociety Gina Neff | Neil Lawrence | Jessica Montgomery | Diane Coyle | University of Cambridge | CRASSH | Cambridge Digital Humanities | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

New policy brief: Refreshing the UK’s strategic approach to AI AI is at risk of focusing on technical advancements rather than addressing real-world challenges. Despite impressive progress over the last decade, public dialogues reveal a clear demand for AI that improves health, wellbeing, community strength, and democratic governance. The next phase of AI policy must centre public interests, strengthen governance, and build infrastructure to support AI innovations that benefit society. To bridge the gap between technology and real-world needs, we need innovative policy development, stakeholder engagement, and a focus on practical barriers to delivering AI solutions. Our new policy brief, co-published with ai@cam and the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, highlights key levers for government action to ensure AI delivers meaningful, tangible benefits for citizens. Read "Refreshing the UK’s strategic approach to AI": https://lnkd.in/dXU9WWhJ

Each year, Prospect Magazine runs a poll showing 25 of the year's Top Thinkers whose ideas are shaping the world in which we live—and included is the Bennett Institute for Public Policy's Diane Coyle. To read more about Diane and to participate in the poll, visit: https://lnkd.in/dcTCxAYT

🎙️ In this month's Crossing Channels podcast, Richard Westcott hosts experts discussing the global decline in democracy. David Runciman (University of Cambridge) sees democracy unravelling, not collapsing. Kristin Michelitch (IAST) examines democracy challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, while @Ahmed Mohamed (Institute for Advanced Study Toulouse) explores cultural factors in the MENA region. 🎧 https://pod.fo/e/28a279

Congratulations to Sarah Rosella, Project and Operations Coordinator at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, for being shortlisted in the "Innovating & Improving" category of the University’s Professional Services Recognition Scheme. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 5 December 2024. We wish Sarah and the other award nominees all the best.

EVENT: Join Prof Neil Lawrence for this year's public policy lecture on Tuesday 3 December, as he explores the gap between AI innovation and societal needs, in health, education, and security. Learn how this disconnect can be addressed to ensure AI serves the public good. Register now: https://lnkd.in/eQrcd48g

New blog: UK Industrial Strategy: what's worked, what hasn't, and what needs to change - by Thomas Aubrey Since the financial crisis, UK industrial strategy has seen numerous changes. Unfortunately, this policy instability has contributed to the UK's poor growth performance. One consistent aspect of industrial policy has been the focus on growing high-value sectors such as aerospace, life sciences, automotive, & energy. But is the current approach enough? The results have been disappointing. Between Q2 2019 and Q2 2024, UK private sector productivity grew just 0.4%, with over half of the private sector contributing negatively. This is a poor outcome, especially compared to countries like the US. The latest productivity data (Q2 2023–Q2 2024) reveals a 1.1% decline, with only a third of the private sector contributing positively. This decline largely reflects a shift in labor from higher to lower-value sectors, rather than stagnation in productivity within sectors. The government’s green paper continues to target high-value sectors, but little is offered in terms of a new approach. Allocating limited funding to each sector hasn't been enough to drive real change. What’s needed is a more strategic, long-term vision. A major issue in the UK’s industrial strategy is the lack of scale in many high-value sectors (except for financial services). For growth to truly take off, sectors must collaborate across entire supply chains and focus on innovation, not just compete for small funding pots. The HealthTech sector provides an example of how a sector-driven, long-term growth plan can work. With a ten-year strategy focusing on exports, supply chain coordination, and net-zero goals, it aims to add 50K jobs and double sector GVA. However, these plans can only succeed if the government creates an open regulatory environment, strengthens partnerships with the NHS, and provides better financial incentives for innovation. The sector needs both industry commitment and government support. A successful industrial strategy needs to be bottom-up, with sector-specific, regionally tailored plans. This is key to ensuring growth is distributed across the UK’s regions, creating jobs and driving GVA where clusters of industry are already forming. The government’s Green Paper response is due in Spring 2025, but action is needed now. A top-down, one-size-fits-all approach won't work. Instead, the focus should be on assessing the quality of sector plans and collaborating with industry to drive GVA and skilled jobs. If the UK truly wants to revitalise productivity growth, it must focus on sector-specific plans that leverage regional strengths, foster collaboration, and ensure long-term sustainability. Only then can we expect to see meaningful change. Read: https://lnkd.in/eC5hy8j6 #UKIndustrialStrategy

Blog: Government’s industrial strategy needs to focus on execution if it is to succeed The government’s newly published green paper on industrial strategy aims to revive the UK's sclerotic rate of productivity growth. Thomas Aubrey critiques its ambition, in the light of previous government strategies to also increase the growth rate. https://lnkd.in/eC5hy8j6

A short letter in today’s Financial Times by Dimitri Zenghelis says the impact of Trump's proposed tariffs on the US trade balance is not the primary concern; it’s what it will do to American exports, jobs and productivity. https://lnkd.in/dXfnfRCy

In a new blog, Owen Garling and Professor Michael Kenny share insights from their ongoing work on 'cultural infrastructure' in relation to Culture Commons' work on developing more inclusive and responsive approaches to mapping both tangible and intangible cultural infrastructures. The concept of "cultural infrastructure" has gained attention as policymakers expand the idea of infrastructure beyond traditional utilities to include spaces and amenities like libraries, parks, and cultural venues such as museums and theaters. This infrastructure supports both social and cultural life, fostering community identity and economic growth, particularly in the creative industries. A new cultural infrastructure map could identify and address cultural deserts, but its creation involves complex decisions about what to include and how to measure. Engaging communities in the process is essential for capturing the diverse values these spaces offer, contributing to healthier, more creative communities. https://lnkd.in/eFkb8P_N