Public perceptions towards the use of foundation models in the public sector
This report, commissioned by the CDEI, outlines the findings from qualitative research conducted by Thinks Insight & Strategy on the topic of foundation models and their use in the public sector.
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This report details the findings of qualitative focus groups, conducted by Thinks Insight & Strategy, that engaged with members of the public, early adopters/lay experts, and public sector workers to understand attitudes towards foundation models and their use in the public sector. This research was commissioned as a topic of general interest to the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) and other Department for Science, Innovation and Technology teams, whilst also taking into account the increasing interest in the use of foundation models in the public sector across different departments.
What are the key findings?
- For any public sector use cases, public trust will be fundamental to their success.
- Participants were open to the use of foundation models within the public sector, provided models were reliable and accompanied by appropriate governance measures.
- Participants wanted human accountability over decisions and humans to review foundation model outputs. They saw the role of foundation models as assisting humans rather than replacing them.
- Accuracy was participants’ biggest concern with many worrying the benefits of foundation models will not be realised if they are unreliable. Participants felt most comfortable about use cases where potential inaccuracy would not pose large risks, either due to little risk of harm to individuals or due to human oversight.
- Participants felt most positively about use cases which directly benefited the public (e.g. healthcare R&D, data for policy making). Use cases with indirect benefits (e.g. government communications, drafting ministerial briefings) were understood as mostly benefiting civil servants and ministers rather than the public at large.
- Participants wanted to see safeguards to avoid overreliance on foundation models and ensure humans don’t risk becoming less skilled at tasks such as government communications and drafting ministerial documents. Public sector workers were less concerned due to considerable pressure in their jobs making them more receptive to potential time saving benefits.