More clarity and data needed on use of AI in kids' care

摘要

More transparency and information about the effectiveness of councils' use of artificial intelligence to identify risky cases in children's social care is needed, an expert has said. Writing for The MJ, executive director of the What Works Centre for Children's Social Care, Michael Sanders, said he believed about 10 local authorities were 'making use of systems and tools that use machine learning to identify risky cases and to recommend action is taken'. Mr Sanders, who was previously chief scientist at the Behavioural Insights Team - also known as the partly Cabinet Office-owned Nudge Unit - said some councils were using in-house tools for this, but 'many are using tools developed by private companies'. He said: T struggle with this for two reasons. First, because the lack of transparency about how these tools are being used makes it hard for the children and families potentially affected by them as well as society at large to know what is happening or why.