Summarising the case for the investment in and adoption of AI to enhance citizens’ lives and discussing the practical application of this technology as it approaches critical mass, Digital Vision for AI offers a range of expert views from within Atos and other leaders in the field, including industry body techUK and thinktank Onward.

AI is at the centre of the UK’s digital tech sector worth £184bn¹ and offers the UK economy an opportunity worth 10 per cent of GDP by 2030². And while the economic case is clear, the paper supports continuous examination of this evolving technology and its appropriate ethical governance and use.

Speaking ahead of the paper’s launch at AI panel event as part of the Conservative Party Conference Fringe in Birmingham, Julien Bensaid, Global Head of Codex, Atos, said:

“As AI continues to evolve, we have been able to move beyond the realms of research, making the technology a viable accelerator in all manner of ways.  AI promises to be a critical means to address challenges we face in the workplace, in communities, and even in the environment. We firmly believe AI will help to positively transform our world and assist the human performance; we must maximise its value by investing for the future.”

AI encompasses a range of technologies and capabilities and will come with great benefits; Atos also argues that self-regulation for the sector has its natural limits and the Government’s new Office for AI is a welcome step to address this issue.  

Sue Daley, Head of Programme: Cloud, Data, Analytics and AI at techUK, said: “We see the huge economic potential and value of AI through its ability to increase productivity across all industries and it is very welcome that the UK Government has continued to show its support for the sector. We believe that AI can be a power for good and a significant tool to help drive social and personal well-being.”

This latest paper in the Digital Vision programme follows the announcement earlier this year of Atos’ new global partnership with Google Cloud, which includes the creation of three R&D centres and Innovation Labs to focus on AI and Machine Learning, while Atos is shortlisted in the AI Pioneer of the Year category at the National Business Awards 2018.