AI Standards Hub launches in the UK

The initiative was launched this week by the Alan Turing Institute in partnership with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Office for AI.

It has been formed as part of the National AI Strategy, a ten-year plan which aims to build on the UK’s strengths in AI, recognising its power in increasing resilience, productivity, growth and innovation across the private and public sectors.

The AI Standards Hub plans to bring together expertise and encourage collaboration between industry, regulators, civil society and academic researchers to shape the development of informed standards for the advancement of trustworthy and responsible AI in sectors such as healthcare, transport and finance.

“As artificial intelligence technologies play an increasingly crucial role across all sectors it’s vital that the development and use of these technologies adheres to commonly agreed and ethically sound standards,” said Sir Adrian Smith, director and chief executive of The Alan Turing Institute. 

The Hub includes a newly developed interactive online platform, designed to enable users to keep track of existing AI standardisation efforts and related policy developments, to gain knowledge about developing and using standards and to engage with other users through a range of community features.

In addition, it will pursue a programme of community-building, engagement and research around the challenges of AI trustworthiness and the role of standards in addressing them. This will include encouraging collaboration in the AI community, allowing for more coordinated contribution to standards development on issues such as transparency, security and uncertainty.

Four key pillars will make up the Hub:

• Observatory: offering multiple interactive libraries that capture AI-related standards under development or that have already been published, alongside relevant policy initiatives
• Community and collaboration: facilitating new connections, coordination, exchange of ideas and collaborative problem-solving through online formats and in-person events
• Knowledge and training: providing resources for developing the knowledge and skills needed to get involved in AI standardisation and make use of published standards
• Research and analysis: analysing strategic questions to inform the direction of AI standardisation efforts in the UK and internationally

As a key aspect of its work across these areas, the Hub seeks to build relationships with relevant initiatives and partners globally, emphasising the importance of international alignment in the context of AI standardisation.

Scott Steedman, director-general, standards at BSI said: “As the UK’s National Standards Body BSI is delighted to be playing a central role in the AI Standards Hub, a world leading initiative to increase understanding of the standards that are supporting the deployment of AI technologies, and to inform the development of new standards. 

“One of the most important of these for businesses of all sizes will be the AI management standard ISO/IEC 42001, which we will championing as a British Standard in the UK, and which will help companies take advantage of AI technologies in a responsible way.”