Policy area: Technology

Reports

Smart prescribing

This report from UK think tank Reform looks harnessing technology in the fight against AMR. The UK has been a world-leader in the fight against AMR, but further action is needed if we are to slow its spread. One of the key levers in tackling the growth of AMR lies in prescribing: antibiotics are often...

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Pension power

This report from UK think tank Onward explores why the UK pension system under-invests in the tech sector and what can be done to address this. The UK has a chronic pension investment problem, leaving British innovators cash-strapped and preventing savers from cashing in on successful start-ups. Britons’ retirement savings make up a mere 10%...

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Mapping the supply of surveillance technologies to Africa

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Development Studies documents which companies are supplying which types of surveillance technology to African governments. African governments are spending over 1US$bn per year on digital surveillance technologies which are being used without adequate legal protections in ways that regularly violate citizens’ fundamental human rights. This report...

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Artificial intelligence for public value creation

This report from UK think tank IPPR suggests that governments could outline a positive vision for how AI can help create public value. The eyes of the world will be on this increasingly powerful technology as the UK holds a global AI safety summit in November. However, early signs indicate the discussions will lack ambition....

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From missed chances to green advances: the case for a green industrial strategy

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at the case for a green industrial strategy. The transition to net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century. But claims of UK leadership in capturing the economic benefits of the transition to a green economy are wide of the mark. While the UK has...

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Tipping point: on the edge of superintelligence

This report by UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute makes the case for thinking ahead when it comes to artificial superintelligence. In this groundbreaking discussion paper, authors Connor Axiotes and Eddie Bolland, make the case for thinking ahead when it comes to artificial superintelligence, recommending we spur innovation, research, and investment into AI companies,...

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Powering up the UK battery industry

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance canvasses industry leaders to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the market. As the UK’s car manufacturing sector gears up to produce electric vehicles, attention is turning to the battery supply chains needed for the car industry to thrive. We surveyed and spoke to industry leaders to...

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How Europe can make the most of AI

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at the low take-up of AI technology in Europe. As it finalises the AI Act, many EU politicians are fretting about the risks and dangers of AI. But the EU faces a bigger problem: low take-up of the technology. China and the US,...

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Digitalisation of defence in NATO and the EU

This report from UK think tank IISS looks at making European defence fit for the digital age. NATO and the EU have embarked on a process of digital transformation of defence. This research paper outlines the principal tenets of related initiatives, provides a brief overview of the level of digitalisation of defence in selected European...

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Wired for success

This report from UK think tank Onward looks at reforming Whitehall to support science and technology. In the first half of 2023 the UK Government transformed its approach to science, creating a new Science Department, setting out a series of new strategies, and establishing an AI-focussed Foundation Models Taskforce backed by £100 million. But our...

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Towards better science

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at ways policy can address falling research productivity and the trustworthiness of findings.  The productivity of scientists has been stalling, risking economic growth with it. This SMF briefing explores ways in which government policy can address two great challenges facing academic science: falling research...

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The generative AI revolution: Opportunities, shocks, and risks

This report from UK think tank Onward looks at how the UK must develop “Great British GPT” to stay ahead in the AI race. Artificial Intelligence will be the transformational technology of our generation. In recent months the pace of change has accelerated, with the phenomenon of generative AI creating new applications that have exploded...

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Recalibrating assumptions on AI

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks towards an evidence-based and inclusive AI policy discourse. Many assumptions about artificial intelligence (AI) have become entrenched despite the lack of evidence to support them. Basing policies on these assumptions is likely to increase the risk of negative impacts for certain demographic groups. These dominant assumptions...

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AI governance and human rights

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at the principal importance of human rights for AI governance. Governments and companies are already deploying AI to assist in making decisions that can have major consequences for the lives of individual citizens and societies. AI offers far-reaching benefits for human development but also presents risks....

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Vacci-nation: A case study in health and prosperity

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at how the UK can move ahead on vaccines, by harnessing the role of innovation and a wider range of public institutions. The Covid-19 vaccination has again demonstrated the value of vaccines – to lives, livelihoods, and national prosperity. Despite that success, it is imperative that the...

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Related Events

12 December 2023

Location: Central Westminster

Think tank: Onward

Maximum impact

This event hosted by UK think tank Onward will discuss the metrics by which success will be measured and how they are defined.  Science and technology underpin the Government’s plans to deliver growth, prosperity and opportunity across the country. This has led the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to start translating these commitments into...