New Tiktok post from Kanishka Narayan which curiously contains details of investments (into AI hardware/chips) that aren't mirrored by a press releases on gov.uk as far as I can see. vm.tiktok.com/ZN8dDhWFd/

22yo home for a couple of weeks has just finished playing Beastro. It's a mix of cosy farming/fishing/cooking and deck-building monster combat, the latter particularly enjoyable. A little buggy, but some neat puzzle elements and fun design. On Game Pass. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beastro...

Beastro (video game) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I wonder how much the AI cult dynamics described in Cory Doctorow's thread, and Nikhil Suresh's post that he quotes, are also playing out in govt departments. When it's public money, we really need meaningful outcome-focused metrics and thoughtful evaluations of public sector AI adoption.

By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C)@doctorow.pluralistic.net · 4d ago

Suresh reports on his experience talking with hundreds of executives (and, more importantly, their subordinates) about what (if anything) AI is doing for business in an essay entitled "AI Mania Is Eviscerating Global Decisionmaking": hermit-tech.com/blog/ai-mani... 11/

Interesting and thought-provoking post about government correspondence. What if people were asked to score their satisfaction with the response (plus an open field for comments), and that were used as a quality measure?

David Durant@bowsy.co.uk · 5d ago

Great post from @publicdigital.bsky.social public.digital/pd-insights/...

1. Amnesty International has withstood threats from death squads and dictators. But it could not stand up to JK Rowling and the anti-trans movement she finances. It has apologized for calling those groups "anti-rights" after legal threats. Subscribe to support our journalism.

Amnesty International UK Caves To JK Rowling, Issues Apology For Calling Anti-Trans Groups "Anti-Rights"

The organization has stood up to dictators and death squads, but Rowling and the UK's anti-speech laws were apparently too much.

erininthemorning.com

@translucent.org.uk have recently released their latest report. "Sixty-one of the sixty-two Unitary Authorities responded to our FOI request – Only ONE complaint was found." Trans inclusion is a non-issue. It is a manufactured moral panic, which is an anti-rights tactic.

Four Years, Seven Surveys, Four Complaints: What Our FOI Data Actually Shows

Four Years, Seven Surveys, Four Complaints: What our FOI data actually shows about trans women using single sex spaces.

translucent.org.uk

So I'm pretty excited by the recognition that traditional consultation doesn't cut it any more, in the Rewiring the State Cabinet Statement. 1/3 www.gov.uk/government/p...

Very good from @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social on how devolution of power also needs a local press with capability of scrutiny. Will this rebuild over time in conjunction with devolution (same as eg skills in local government) or is it on an entirely separate rhythm? www.ft.com/content/26da...

Mayoral scrutiny is a pressing issue

As Burnham devolves power, remember much of the country lacks Manchester’s media ecosystem

ft.com

#ukrain 3/10 KT17

The “losing control” narrative creates the loss of control. Nobody is losing control of an emerging intelligence. They’re redirecting their own agency to it, as a way of diffusing responsibility, but the self-perpetuated intelligence myth has them convinced they have no choice.

Anna Mills@annamillsoer.bsky.social · last wk.

"They don't realize the debate inside the companies is if AI will be advancing itself past our control in two years or four." www.pacingthefrontier.com

My new rule to limit my Tiktok viewing is I'm only allowed to watch until the first Andy Burnham video.

🚨PAIRSx Public Sector 5th Nov 2026 🚨 🚨Open for submissions 🚨 If you’re working in and around public and public sector worker involvement on public sector data, digital or AI, we would love to hear about your work! Find out more at pairs.site/pairsx-publi...

Closing science and technology department risks fragmenting vital policy areas, says Committee Chair committees.parliament.uk/committee/13... response from Chi Onwurah MP to the decision to close DSIT It sounds as if the SIT Committee expects to carry on with its work, anyway #govtech #techpolicy

I like the granularity of this calculator by @dantaylorwatt.com of your personal AI environmental footprint. I find the moral panic about AI on ecological grounds a bit tiresome so it's good to have some apparently well-sourced data to work with: www.dantaylorwatt.com/ai/ai-enviro...

Exhibit A: British Gas explains how it's the customers' fault that they're cutting 1,300 call centre staff - people just prefer chat bots! Exhibit B: Trustpilot summary of reviews of British Gas customer service: frustration of being forced into online channels and unable to speak to a person.

NEW REPORT 🚨📚 What does the public want from #AI in local government? Our new report draws on public dialogue with Cambridgeshire residents. The conversation is changing. The question is no longer whether to use AI, but where it can make a real difference. ➡️ www.ai.cam.ac.uk/reports/publ...

Agree with this. The (then) Science and Technology Committee existed prior to DSIT and should continue after it, including scrutiny of public sector adoption of digital, data and AI, the responsibility for which is now distributed across departments. committees.parliament.uk/committee/13...

Role - Science, Innovation and Technology Committee - Committees - UK Parliament

The Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technol...

committees.parliament.uk

Jenny Andrew@drandrewv2.bsky.social · 2w ago

Plenty being said about the dissolution of DSIT… personally, I think it’ll be a nightmare for a bunch of civil servants, esp. the tech specialists, and could go either way for R&D, BUT I am grieving the loss of the mighty SITC - the select committee - who IMO have been the stars of this Parliament.

Waiting with bated breath to see the actual responsibilities of both Ian Murray and Kanishka Narayan. I guess there could still be junior ministerial appointments to come? www.gov.uk/government/m... www.gov.uk/government/m...

Minister of State - GOV.UK

gov.uk

Rachel Coldicutt@rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 2w ago

So. is Ian Murray the only "digital" minister in DDCMS? www.gov.uk/government/n... because that seems like quite a big brief for someone with no tech experience till Feb this year and makes zero sense for online harms and digital govt to sit in the same brief

So. is Ian Murray the only "digital" minister in DDCMS? www.gov.uk/government/n... because that seems like quite a big brief for someone with no tech experience till Feb this year and makes zero sense for online harms and digital govt to sit in the same brief

Rachel Coldicutt@rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 2w ago

Been reflecting on this a bit more, and I think the optics of this are very telling. AI apparently "not a priority" for Burnham, so presumably this is all low-stakes scraps for him, and meanwhile Purnell gets a govt that looks comfortingly like 2009 to play with

Opportunity alert! In partnership with @rooseveltinstitute.org, we’re excited to launch the Good Life Residents Program on AI, for emerging scholars & practitioners examining how public policy can shape investment in generative AI. Learn more & apply by Aug 12! rooseveltinstitute.org/careers/good...

Good Life Resident Program

The Good Life Residents Program is a six-month initiative focused on developing new leaders and elevating bold ideas centered around six economic policy priorities for the Roosevelt Institute, as part...

rooseveltinstitute.org

Now seeing evidence that the zero sense move (of GDS to DDCMS) is what's happening. Which makes zero sense. If you're going to hold back service transformation through a MOG change, the end result of that change has to be worth the disruption.

Jeni Tennison@jenitennison.com · 2w ago

I have to assume that GDS will be moving back to Cabinet Office (because the alternative move to DDCMS makes zero sense). I guess we'll know when we see the relevant junior ministerial appointments – who will have Digital Government in their remit and in which department?

I have to assume that GDS will be moving back to Cabinet Office (because the alternative move to DDCMS makes zero sense). I guess we'll know when we see the relevant junior ministerial appointments – who will have Digital Government in their remit and in which department?

🚨 6PM NEXT WEDS 29 JULY 🚨 - Charlie Browne (Hansard) and Michael Kibedi on ‘Beyond and Between Our Screens: how design ethnography is informing the evolution of Hansard’s technology’ ​- Katie Thorpe on “Churn!” - a board game about making good policy against the odds Join us! luma.com/5ux09nfv

TransformGov Talks: July 2026 · Luma

Charlie Browne, Managing Editor: Hansard, UK Parliament (House of Commons) and Michael Kibedi, User Researcher, UK Parliament (Digital Service), on ‘Beyond and…

luma.com

Our @timdavies.org.uk is advocating for including public voices in the future of AI governance. Read our white paper on a Citizens’ Track on AI here: citizens-track.org/2026/report/ @iswe-foundation.bsky.social @sheffielduni.bsky.social @shefcmi.bsky.social @adalovelaceinst.bsky.social @pairs.site

Meet Kiito Shilongo. Kiito is one of our PAIRS team in Geneva this week, advocating for people from all places to have a say in how AI is governed. This is why we are advocating for a #CitizensTrackonAI. Read our white paper on a Citizens’ Track on AI here: citizens-track.org/2026/report/

HISTORIC MOMENT Today at 14:40 Dr Mark Russell from KCL pressed the button to execute the first ever job on the new OpenSAFELY service. Until today, OpenSAFELY was COVID only. Now we are open to critical analyses that improve all patient care, on GP records, securely, at scale. PICS! THREAD!

WE'RE HIRING! Data protection, media law, online communities, and FOI: if that sounds like your jam, you might be just the person we're looking for as mySociety's new Digital Service Manager. See the details and apply here: apply.workable.com/mysociety/j/... And please do share!

Trying to make sense of gender pay gap reporting after the UK Supreme Court ruling on 'sex'? 🔢 @jenitennison.com has written a guest post for the Gender + Sexuality Data Lab explaining why organisations should continue to report gender data. gensexdatalab.business-school.ed.ac.uk/updates/orga...

We've been looking back over 2025-26 & it's been another good year. Now we share our annual report connectedbydata.org/... 🧑‍🏫 A major focus for our work this year has been on worker power, AI in the public sector & the intersection between the two, with a particular focus on education. 🧵 (1/7)

Complete non-story if you actually go and read it. The fact Palantir didn't get contracted by Greater Manchester while Burnham was mayor is used as evidence he'll cancel the FDP contract. /1

Politics UK@politicsuk.com · last mo.

🚨 NEW: Andy Burnham is set to ban Palantir from the NHS if he becomes Prime Minister [@Telegraph]