Starmer's vision quest

[Electric_Andy]

I have a boss just like Keir Starmer. They see another country/organisation doing something and think we have to do it, and start shouting about it to everyone (AI in this case). But they have no clue how it works or more importanly the implications of what could happen if it works too well or not well enough or is not properly regulated.

It's the equivalent of seeing your neighbour hanging bananas from their washing line, and thinking "we must keep up, keep in the game, roll with the latest inovations" and then blindly hanging bananas from your own washing line.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

It's the equivalent of seeing your neighbour hanging bananas from their washing line, and thinking "we must keep up, keep in the game, roll with the latest inovations" and then blindly hanging bananas from your own washing line.

We need to be world beating at banana hanging.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Your link didn't work for me, Bob, but this is the same article I think.

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...ns-labour-announces-huge-public-rollout-of-ai

Sounds like a plan based less on making the UK a centre of innovation and more on getting buckets of cash for all that lovely NHS medical data. A regulators job should be to safeguard how that data is used not facilitate the using of it.

I'm not entirely against releasing the data if I thought it would genuinely help in the development of new drugs but I suspect it will mostly be used for less noble purposes.

 

[multitool]

I have a boss just like Keir Starmer. They see another country/organisation doing something and think we have to do it, and start shouting about it to everyone (AI in this case). But they have no clue how it works or more importanly the implications of what could happen if it works too well or not well enough or is not properly regulated.

It's the equivalent of seeing your neighbour hanging bananas from their washing line, and thinking "we must keep up, keep in the game, roll with the latest inovations" and then blindly hanging bananas from your own washing line.

Is it? Or is it just that you aren't aware of what their plans might be?

Take medicine as an example. There are already diagnostic technologies in development around the world, including the UK. It carries the potential to vastly improve healthcare and reduce waiting times. But this technology with not find its way into state services unless the state makes it happen.

It's easy to be cynical.

 

[Psamathe]

Sounds like a plan based less on making the UK a centre of innovation and more on getting buckets of cash for all that lovely NHS medical data. A regulators job should be to safeguard how that data is used not facilitate the using of it.

I'm not entirely against releasing the data if I thought it would genuinely help in the development of new drugs but I suspect it will mostly be used for less noble purposes.

I would agree except maybe I qualify the "development of new drugs" in that the development must be for the treatment of people rather than the profits for the wealthy. Too often pharmaceuticals are developed and availability constrained to increase pharma profitability. Changing the subject a bit but I increasingly consider the pharma industry not fit for purpose as we need pharma to development treatments for improving health whereas they develop treatments for improving their profits and the two motives are not compatible.

I was participating in several long term medical research trials (dementia) but ended-up withdrawing at the genetic DNA test stage as the analyser/storage of the DNA data has in the past decided to release their data to insurance companies despite having given participants reassurances they never would. I withdrew from the trials rather than have (some of) my data stored and potentially released to companies I would not approve of having my data - which I felt was a real shame.

Ian

 

[Psamathe]

I have a boss just like Keir Starmer. They see another country/organisation doing something and think we have to do it, and start shouting about it to everyone (AI in this case).

Having listened to Labour ministers "doing the rounds" I think Starmer sees this as a way to regain support and trust from the farming community. Giving them the ability to turn out lots of cattle without the need of the overhead of keeping a bull ... none of the grief of having to put bull in with cows and hope they are so motivated, just call vet, book appointment and profitable and sorted.

Having worked in the IT industry much of my career (software development) and in a position having to recruit of portion of that time, Ministers doing the rounds highlighted to me how they really just don't understand the industry. They were talking about us [UK] having all these computer undergraduate getting qualified in UK Universities ... when I was recruiting new Computer Science graduates were "difficult" in that it would be a couple of years before they gained the experience to contribute to significant projects. And AI a highly technical discipline wont be making a lot of productive use from new graduates in the short term. Of course they can be recruited but net contribution to add to the project would be a few years (in effect post-graduate apprenticeship). To me Minister doing rounds highlighted how they just see number of paper and don't actually understand.

Ian

 

[Electric_Andy]

Or is it just that you aren't aware of what their plans might be?

So why shout about now it if they can't tell us what it's going to be used for? Probably because they do not know themselves. I do know about "diagnostic technologies" because I work in that field.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

Sounds like a plan based less on making the UK a centre of innovation and more on getting buckets of cash for all that lovely NHS medical data. A regulators job should be to safeguard how that data is used not facilitate the using of it.

It's easy to be cynical.

It surely is. Here's a quote from the man himself.

'Britain shouldn’t just be excited about AI – it should be confident. We don’t need to walk down a US or an EU path on AI regulation – we can go our own way, taking a distinctively British approach that will test AI long before we regulate, so that everything we do will be proportionate and grounded in the science. And alongside that, an offer to investors of stability, pragmatism and the good sense they would expect from democratic British values'.

 

[BoldonLad]

Is this the big reveal we've all been waiting for?
AI mainlined into our veins. Does anyone know what this actually means?

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...ns-labour-announces-huge-public-rollout-of-ai

My guess would be “no”, including Sir Keir

 

[Psamathe]

So why shout about now it if they can't tell us what it's going to be used for? Probably because they do not know themselves. I do know about "diagnostic technologies" because I work in that field.

They have been saying what it's going to be used for. It's going to generate lots and lots of growth in the economy. And that is going to mean no need for NHS waiting lists, no more need for austerity, etc. Simples.

Ian

 

[cookiemonster]

It surely is. Here's a quote from the man himself.

'Britain shouldn’t just be excited about AI – it should be confident. We don’t need to walk down a US or an EU path on AI regulation – we can go our own way, taking a distinctively British approach that will test AI long before we regulate, so that everything we do will be proportionate and grounded in the science. And alongside that, an offer to investors of stability, pragmatism and the good sense they would expect from democratic British values'.

Why does that statement send shivers down my spine? That kind of pronouncement has never ended well.

See Brexit as an example.

 

[Psamathe]

For me I think it's [political AI push] being used as a distraction. At a time when bond markets gone the wrong way, £ at a long time low, prospect for more austerity, etc. suddently we are presented with this technology most of the public have no idea about that is going to save us all.

If it's such an amazing rescue, does anybody think other countries wont also be making the same moves, achieving similar benefits. Does anybody think that other countries don't highly rate their own University Computing graduates as "excellent" and their means to achieve AI dominance across the world.

And UK has some challenges eg energy needed to power the data centres needed for AI systems and the costs of that energy. Similarly those developing such systems can readily move anywhere in the world on very short notice, so prove their worth and get offered massive salary boost from eg US and 1 month later UK no longer has the expertise. Other countries (eg US) already have those data centres and infrastructure.

Ian

 

[multitool]

Now that I've had the time to read the Giardian article I can say that there is plenty of detail in it...but it's a long article and the detail is towards the end of it and that may have been a bit too much to ask of one or two people's attention spans.

 

[Psamathe]

Back in August Starmer & Labour have already demonstrated their commitment to computing and AI

UK government shelves £1.3bn of tech and AI projects; scraps plans for first exascale supercomputer in Edinburgh
...
Projects impacted include the exascale supercomputer that was set to be built at the University of Edinburgh and the AI Research Resource (AIRR).
...
(from https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/...or-first-exascale-supercomputer-in-edinburgh/)

Ian

 

[multitool]

Back in August Starmer & Labour have already demonstrated their commitment to computing and AI

Ian

Did they?

Or was it that they cancelled unfunded plans made by the previous government...