AI summary notes from work meetings always make me smile - most start with something like: "The meeting commenced with social check-ins regarding weather among participants" 😀

Lovely family week away in North Cornwall, but I already want to go back

By popular* demand I have added my many words to all the other bits and pieces reflecting on the end of DSIT. *@semanthicc.bsky.social and one other said they were waiting to hear my take.

GDS, AI and the missing theory of the digital state

Two years after digital, data and AI were brought together, the settlement is being dismantled. What does that tell us about the state Britain is trying to build?

bm.wel.by

Kanishka Narayan is the first UK AI minister to attend Cabinet My interview with Narayan last autumn provides insight into his approach to the brief 🧵👇 (1/6)

Yeah I think the thing with DSIT is, if you're taking over halfway through a Parliament a big question to ask is "is it completely impossible to work with the structure that already exists?"

Gavin Freeguard@gavinfreeguard.com · 2w ago

So. Farewell then, DSIT (7 February 2023 – 20 July 2026) For all the department’s challenges, I’m not sure it’s a great idea to abolish it 🧵

With all the uncertainty (again), thinking of friends in digital government and the civil service today #keepgoing

Given we had a pretty major reshuffle last September a number of departments are about to get their third secretary of state in just over two years. Maybe there’s a reason prime ministers find it hard to get much done.

One of our favourite nature facts is that a group of ladybirds is called a 'loveliness'. 📷 Rob Coleman

Monday mood: this Wren. #MondayMotivation 📷️ @aintright.bsky.social

Before the football tonight… A great day out in the lakes - hiking a proper mountain, Great Gable ☀️ #breathe #UKLakeDistrict

Pedro Porro appreciation post. Very happy Spain won tonight 🇪🇸 #worldcup

Dear Cafe Nero, I don't want to give you feedback via email EVERY time I buy a coffee. The experience is just fine, honestly

You look like you need a Puffin. Have a Puffin. 📷️ Sue Wood

A day tinged with England World Cup disappointment. At least we went out fighting, attacking to win, and having a proper go. Oh, wait

This bit was good

At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance, by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1890

We live in such a strange modern world of admin burden where you have to get quotes and negotiate the best price every time you renew something like car/house insurance, or a phone contract. I can't help feeling there's a much better way than all those wasted hours we all spend doing this

All the feelings today, but mostly really proud. My eldest daughter turned 18 last week and has just headed off interrailing for the next few weeks. Parenting is equal parts wanting to care for and protect your kids, and knowing you eventually have to let go

Excellent thread. This bit hits especially hard.

Andrew Sissons@acjsissons.bsky.social · 4w ago

But nowadays, it feels as if policy making is skipping straight to the blog (or the essay, the substack long read or so on). There is no doubt that the key tool of policy influence atm is a well-argued but not necessarily accurate long read (Of course I have tapped into this trend myself)

In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, instead of actually fixing the form, someone is throwing AI into a highly confidential interview to deal with 30-plus pages of paperwork Pro tip: fix forms, don’t add complex technology to them instead

Duncan Weldon@duncanweldon.bsky.social · 3w ago

I’m quite unconvinced on this. Either a 30-35 page form is actually collecting necessary information - in which case I’d rather it wasn’t filled in using transcription software - or it isn’t, which in case cut down the form.

I’m quite unconvinced on this. Either a 30-35 page form is actually collecting necessary information - in which case I’d rather it wasn’t filled in using transcription software - or it isn’t, which in case cut down the form.

Darren Jones MP@darrenpjones.bsky.social · 3w ago

We sent a forward-deployed AI engineer to prison. He’s not a criminal - he’s been creating tools that are massively saving staff time and are now being rolled out across the Prison Service. The No10 Innovation Fellows were set up to do exactly this - helping us to move fast and fix things.

A warm one in London today. Nice to be back here for a workshop earlier☀️

Monday continues and back to some type of normality (first work call at 9:30am)… still very much on a high after the football …Hard to get much sleep after all that excitement at 4am

Right, what day is it?

Get in England! What a game and performance, well worth staying up all night #WorldCup #Wonderwall

I've seen this shared with quite a lot of optimism this week giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... and my unsolicited advice is that, given we are not a tech super power, the best approach is to design UK tech and AI policy so that it plays a role in delivering the society Burnham wants to shape

Andy Burnham’s team looks to revamp UK’s AI strategy

Focus is expected to shift to making technology work for local communities rather than US companies

giftarticle.ft.com

Fair play to FIFA acting quickly and moving the Mexico v England game once they realised ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶m̶i̶s̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶l̶u̶c̶r̶a̶t̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶E̶u̶r̶o̶p̶e̶a̶n̶ ̶T̶V̶ ̶a̶u̶d̶i̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶g̶u̶r̶e̶s̶ there were potentially dangerous thunderstorms.

Cabo Verde holding the European and World champions to draws in normal time with a team of journeymen pulled from across the diaspora has to be one of the all time great world cup performances.