After the chief executive of the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Agency resigned, employees say a complete change in leadership is needed to address the UK's Alan Turing Institute's issues.
Former Science Secretary Peter Kyle, who uncontroversially directed the institute to focus on defense, was also replaced by a cabinet restructuring in September, raising further questions about the organization's future direction.
Janines, CEO of the Alan Turing Institute, announced he would resign on September 4th following a period of uncertainty among staff over recruitment and discarded research projects.
The Institute says it is undergoing a transformation programme that confirms it moves from working on numerous projects to a more focused approach, but employees are calling for further changes at the management level.
“Jean's sudden resignation alone won't fix Turing. [executive leadership team] A current staff member said:
“Unless her leadership is completely refreshed, her departure will not bring about the urgent change that is needed to fulfill our mission.”
The Institute was established in 2015 and focused on AI in areas such as environmental sustainability and health, defense and security, but earlier this year, Kyle directed the facility to focus on national defense support.
Timothy Clement Jones, a liberal Democrat and co-chairman of the All-Participation Congressional Group, said the focus of defense is “not essentially a matter of” but it is “a cover for wider institutional failures.”
Board chairs Ines and Douglas Garr issued a statement in response to Kyle agreeing to a “step-up” work on security and defense, robbing the fear that other areas of research could be suspended.
Kyle is now replaced by Liz Kendall as Secretary of Science, but despite the continued claims that Ministers are continuing and Turing is an independent organisation, the Institute is expected to take over the direction of the government.
At a staff meeting held after Innes' resignation, Garh and members of the Executive Leadership Team said that health and environmental work could continue funding from non-governmental sources, but later said the institute should focus on government priorities. They allegedly argued that digital society and policy were not of interest to pastors.
A spokesman for the Alan Turing Institute said: “We are forming a new phase in Turing, which requires substantial organizational changes to ensure the promise and unique role of the UK National Institute of AI and Data Science.
“This includes addressing the needs of our citizens to strengthen our work in defense, national security and sovereignty, and advancing other shocking work in the environment and health that supports government priorities and the interests of charity and private funders.”
Some defence work is welcome, but “it's just extraordinary to say it's effectively a exclusive domain for Turing going forward,” Clement Jones said. Higher education in the times. “It's a perversion of what Turing's original mission was.”
Clement Jones said there was a need for an organization that could provide “serious advice” on the ethical use of AI, but warned that the government was “tugging on the heels” when it came to regulating technology.
“Proportional level of regulation is absolutely important [public] Confidence,” he said.
“We want Turing to be a great powerhouse to advise governments on ethical regulations and more, but… I think it's very difficult to get everything back to the box.”
An employee who said he had consulted with a colleague said that having one focus area was “too small.”
“The value of AI is that it can be applied to a wide range of sectors, and it applies to other national priorities. That's the scale of work that the National Institute should do.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology said:
“The Institute relies heavily on public funding, so there's some input in the future, so it provides taxpayers with money and the value that will have the greatest impact. We will continue to work to support that ambition.”
helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com
