Five new kickstarter projects have been launched. The Government Digital Service and public sector bodies will test how connecting data across energy, social care, legal records and weather insights can deliver better services to tackle everyday challenges.
One of the projects includes partnering with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to deliver the new Get Adult Social Care Data service. This data platform will gather, analyse and share essential data in clear, accessible formats, while protecting privacy. It will support researchers and organisations like the NHS in planning care for those that need it most.
Data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will be brought together to identify those who need energy bill support and ensure they get it.
Teams will also explore whether closer integration of services can reduce extensive health-related admin for disabled people and those with long term health conditions.
In some of the projects, data held by public bodies is being explored to understand whether AI can boost their effectiveness, such as giving businesses easier access to legal guidance.
Researchers will test how Met Office data could be converted into formats suitable for AI tools and other technology. This will allow organisations to understand how local weather and climate conditions could impact their business like buying in more road grit for the colder months or ice cream when it’s warm.
The final project will explore how streams of authoritative legal data from the National Archives could be made AI-ready to provide small and medium-sized businesses from cafes to shops with easy to access legal support.
Digital Government and Data Minister Ian Murray said: "Technology is at the heart of our mission to build better public services - from making sure vulnerable people get the support they are entitled to without needless admin, to backing businesses with tools they need to grow.
"By taking a common-sense approach to public sector data and investing in our world class AI base, we are seizing the UK’s potential, unlocking opportunities for growth and delivering for working people."
