Finding new uses of AI: how to spot opportunities

Join us as we share insights and valuable lessons learned from experiences building innovative public-sector AI-enabled services. We will present two talks about the things to consider when looking for new opportunities to use AI:

• Exploring uses of AI: can PDFs be transformed?
• Building AI services: when and how should you use AI?

Invaluable Expertise: Gain access to knowledge and honest analysis of when and how AI should be deployed and maintained from experts in engineering, user research, and UX service design.

Best Practices: Learn from those who have already navigated the complex terrain of AI implementation at every stage of implementation.

Inclusive Learning: Our talks cater to a diverse audience, ensuring that even those without a technical background, from decision-makers to those with limited understanding, can extract valuable insights from our technical sessions
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AGENDA

17:30
Drinks & networking

18.00
Welcome

18:05
Exploring uses of AI: can PDFs be transformed?
Tim Paul, Head of Interaction Design at GDS
Tim will talk about a personal project he worked on last year, exploring whether Large Language Models could be used to take a PDF form and generate an accessible, multi-page HTML version (spoiler: they can), and what the implications of tools like this might be.

18:45
Building AI services: when and how should you use AI?
Ali Salaman, Head of Engineering at Caution Your Blast
In this talk, Caution Your Blast’s Head of Engineering Ali Salaman will discuss the importance of knowing when, not just how, to use AI, and how your use case will determine how AI is deployed. Ali will draw on CYB’s experience of leveraging Large Language Model technology in a government setting.

19:25
Wrap-up

19.30
Pizza, drinks, and more networking

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Speakers

Tim Paul, Head of Interaction Design, GDS
Tim is an experienced design leader in the UK public sector. He’s led the design of multiple high-profile public services and of the platforms used to build them, such as the GOV.UK Design System. His background is in AI and Linguistics, and he’ll soon be joining the UK Incubator for AI (i.AI) as their Head of Creative and Design.

Ali Salaman, Head of Engineering, Caution Your Blast
Ali has extensive hands-on experience in leading engineering teams and navigating the complexities of building public-facing AI services, addressing a range of challenges from hallucinations and performance to data, privacy, and security. Ali’s expert-written evidence on behalf of CYB to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee Inquiry on Large Language Models was recently published by the UK Parliament.

Event host

Christine Fent, Head of Design, Caution Your Blast
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About this group
This is an open forum where we can share learning with each other. The group will become a regular session, so we are keen to hear from people interested in talking about AI in the public sector – particularly from a research, design, and usability perspective, and how we see AI supporting end-to-end services.
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