Foreword State of AI Report 2021 2022

Foreword from Kate Forbes MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy

A year on from the launch of Scotland’s AI Strategy, I am delighted to see the progress being made towards realising its inspiring vision - for Scotland to become a leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical and inclusive AI. So much has already been achieved, with many significant successes.

Key is the creation and growth of the Scottish AI Alliance, which is leading work to deliver the Strategy. It is encouraging – and perhaps reflects how well our ambitions for AI are regarded – to have attracted such a diverse group, all keen to work together in unlocking the potential of AI for Scotland.

It was great to see the Alliance quickly fulfil its remit and establish itself as a focus for dialogue, collaboration and action on all things AI in Scotland. This was likely due to the Leadership Circle, which was convened in June 2021, having set a brisk pace for taking forward delivery of the Strategy. This was shown in all actions due to be achieved in the first 100 days being completed on schedule.

A key achievement has been to forge strong working relationships with partners and stakeholders across Scotland and the rest of the UK. It is great to see the breadth of conversations in progress, many exploring how work to deliver the Strategy can build on and link in with initiatives elsewhere.

The Strategy also sets out our guiding principles, which include those of the OECD, and those of UNICEF on AI for children. Working to these international benchmarks will, in part, help towards realising our ambition for Scotland to play a greater role on the global AI stage. I welcome the progress that has been in building links and fostering collaboration with international partners.

Speaking of dialogue, I look forward to following the Alliance’s work to build mechanisms to engage civil society’s full participation. Building public trust is essential to realising AI’s potential, and we must hear from as many voices as possible to ensure our approach remains ethical and socially responsible.

Our approach will be set out in the Scottish AI Playbook, ‘an open and practical guide to how we do AI in Scotland’. This is very much a work in progress and, in keeping with the open, transparent and collaborative approach taken to all work on the Strategy, contributions will help to inform and shape how this valuable resource takes shape. I would encourage you all to get involved with this.

As we reflect on the first year of Scotland’s AI Strategy, there is much to celebrate. We have established strong foundations on which we can build further, and I hope you will join us as we do so.

Foreword from Gillian Docherty OBE, Chief Commercial Officer of the University of Strathclyde, Chair of the Scottish AI Alliance

Welcome to Scotland’s first-ever ‘State of AI’ report.

As an enthusiastic champion for the power of data and AI, I was delighted to be appointed the first Chair of the Scottish AI Alliance. I have relished the opportunity to lead and drive forward the delivery of Scotland’s AI Strategy.

The Strategy sets a clear and inspiring vision and direction of travel. However, this can only be achieved in full by taking an inclusive approach that brings people together on the journey.

In the Alliance, I am pleased that we have brought together such a collaborative, enthusiastic and positive group, all working together to realise our vision, in line with our principles, and setting the bar for our practices.

We are already helping Scotland to realise the exciting potential of AI, and to unlock economic, social and environmental value. We have achieved much to be proud of, and there is more in the pipeline.

Much of this has been driven by the Scottish AI Alliance, which has done a sterling job in coming together to build the momentum that will help us move forward.

We have also learnt a great deal, rethinking our plans in light of feedback and wider developments. As the Strategy notes, AI is evolving constantly, meaning that our approach must be agile and responsive.

I very much welcome our achievements to date. We have made a great start in delivering the exciting actions set out the Strategy, and I look forward to our further progress.

I hope our successes so far will inspire you to join us.