A pioneering digital leader has been appointed to head the Liverpool City region's ambitious plan to become a global leader in AI.
Tiffany St James will become the UK's first AI director for local government and will lead a new task force overseeing the ethical transformation of artificial intelligence into the power of urban areas.
Tiffany has joined the Global AI Council, an award-winning digital leader with extensive experience in industrial and domestic and local governments, and has worked with Tim Berners-Lee sir, creator of World Wide Web.
This appointment is part of Mayor Steve Rotherham's bold vision to place the Liverpool city area at the forefront of the UK's AI revolution. It is already the year that we have seen US tech giant Kindrill create AI hubs in the Liverpool area and create up to 1,000 jobs.
Tiffany plans for next month's Liverpool City Regional AI Summit, a gathering of global industry and academic leaders, cutting-edge researchers and innovative local businesses.
Liverpool area mayor Steve Rotherham said:
“With the recent announcement of UK multi-billion pound investments in AI, this is a great opportunity for the City of Liverpool region to solidify our place at the forefront of the country's AI revolution.
“Artificial intelligence can be one of the crucial technologies of our time, but only if it is used in the right way. That's why we're clearly focused on using it as a force for good.
“Tiffany brings a wealth of experience, from working with global technology leaders to shaping digital strategies across the country. She is the pioneer needed to lead this job. Her first appointment as Chief AI executive shows the scale of our ambitions.
The first Chief AI officer of the combined authorities is a key new role aimed at shaping the digital future of the region.
The brief is to lead sector-wide transformational work, such as health, transportation and education, with an emphasis on ethical, inclusive and moving forward AI.
Tiffany was appointed following a strict and competitive national recruitment process.
As the government's first public participation director, she is a strategic lead in the department's Cabinet Office and has progressed to co-founding Transmute, a digital transformation consultancy company, working with organizations such as the BBC, Channel 4, and Google.
As one of the first Tech City100 and TED speakers, she advises larger authorities in London and helps develop AI and digital strategies across government agencies.
She was named one of 25 women who shaped the UK digital industry by media magazine The Drum over the past 25 years and was named Business Cloud's Top 100 female role models. Her early works included leading the creation of data.gov.uk with Sir Tim Berners-Lee.
Tiffany said:
“We are excited to be part of the Liverpool City area, a place with bold ambitions and hearts, and this role offers a unique opportunity in public sector innovation that shapes how ethical AI can transform lives from education to healthcare.
