Government managers will receive many pitches from AI snake oil salespeople in coming years, touting all manner of labour and time saving solutions built on AI.
Longo, 2022, When artificial intelligence meets real public administration, in: Canadian Public Administration, p. 3
Solutions to support the development and implementation of AI: member state authorities and EU Agencies often lack internal capabilities to implement complex solutions requiring computer science skills.
eu-LISA Industry Roundtable – 12-13 November 2024, Artificial intelligence solutions addressing operational needs in the JHA area, p. 3
What are the core skills for AI policymakers?
We cannot yet make a detailed judgement on how the European Commission will answer this question and will have to wait until recruitment to their AI Office (employing “over 140 staff, including Technology Specialists, Administrative Assistants, Lawyers, Policy Specialists, and Economists”).
However, we can make general observations on what skills are appearing in the mix, based on the qualifications and background of individuals asserting ownership over the field, such as:
- Former employees of tech firms
- Lawyers
- Computer scientists
- Officials from other parts of the bureaucracy
- Human rights groups
- Experts with backgrounds in regulation of technology, “regulatory science” and science and technology policy unrelated to AI
From my own analysis and reading relevant literature, I will gradually build a picture of the skills and expertise that are seen as necessary.
We already know quite a lot about implementing and regulating technologies besides AI and how that plays out in terms of expertise, thereby offering further parallels.
Notes:
Science and regulation (bibliography)
EU scientific bureaucracy – how is scientific knowledge translated into regulations?
Please contact me if you would like to know more.
Dr. William Burns PhD MSc
Email: william@resorg.news
Science Think Tank 