Artificial intelligence (AI) use by Scottish Government: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for information regarding Scottish Government’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology/technologies.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

The answer to your question is that although we strive to make information available wherever feasible, for questions 1,2,3,5,6.1 and 6.3 the estimated cost of identifying, retrieving, and supplying the requested material would go beyond the maximum cost limit of £600, as outlined in Section 12 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

Under this provision, public bodies are not obliged to fulfil a request if the projected cost of doing so surpasses the statutory threshold. This calculation includes the time and resources needed to:

• Ascertain whether the information is held;
• Locate the relevant records or documents;
• Retrieve those documents;
•  Extract the specific data requested.

In this instance, the information is dispersed across various departments and is not stored in a centralised system. As a result, fulfilling the request would require extensive coordination and manual effort across multiple teams, making it unmanageable within the cost constraints set by FOISA.

You may wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. For example, you could restrict your request to a specific business area of the Scottish Government and or put in each question as an FOI separately as this would allow us to limit the searches that would require to be conducted. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner's 'Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs' on his website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx.

We also recommend that you do not use blind copy for recipients when you submit your request.

1. AI Systems in use

•  A list of tools, platforms or systems currently deployed or being piloted/trialled.
•  The purpose and function of each of the above
•  The departments or services where these are operational.

The estimated effort required to locate and compile the requested data would exceed the £600 cost threshold set by Section 12 of FOISA. Because the information is spread across multiple departments and not held centrally, fulfilling the request would involve significant time and resources, which makes it exempt under the legislation.

2. Procurement and development

•  Details of any contracts, tenders or partnerships with external providers for AI solutions
•  Total expenditure on AI related technologies over the past three financial years, broken down by year.

The estimated effort required to locate and compile the requested data would exceed the £600 cost threshold set by Section 12 of FOISA. Because the information is spread across multiple departments and not held centrally, fulfilling the request would involve significant time and resources, which makes it exempt under the legislation.

3. Governance and Ethical Oversight

• Copies of, or information relating to, any internal policies, frameworks or guidance documents relating to the use of AI.
•  Any ethical review processes or risk assessments conducted prior to deployment.
•  Details of any group responsible for the oversight of AI use within your organisation.

The estimated effort required to locate and compile the requested data would exceed the £600 cost threshold set by Section 12 of FOISA. Because the information is spread across multiple departments and not held centrally, fulfilling the request would involve significant time and resources, which makes it exempt under the legislation. 

4. Impact on Workforce

• Any assessments, reports or internal communications regarding the impact of AI on staffing levels, job roles or workforce planning (including recruitment, redundancy).

We have not conducted any separate assessments or issued internal communications specifically regarding the impact of AI on staffing levels, job roles, or workforce planning within our organisation.

However, colleagues within the Scottish Government are actively engaging with unions regarding the broader impacts of AI on the workforce as part of the Public Sector Reform agenda.

• Information on any roles that have been automated, restructured or made redundant due to AI implementation.

At present, we are not aware of any roles within our organisation that have been automated, restructured, or made redundant as a direct result of AI implementation.

We also do not currently collect or maintain data on this topic. The Scottish Government has an existing Restructuring and Reassignment policy in place where job roles are changing due to: a reduction in the volume of work that is delivered by certain staff and teams; the ceasing of work either as a result of re-prioritisation or completion; or a change to the nature of work or its delivery. According to the restructuring and reassignment policy The Scottish Government also has a no compulsory redundancies policy commitment that is reviewed annually as part of pay negotiations.

• Details of any training, redeployment or upskiling initiatives offered to staff in response to the adoption of AI.

The Scottish Government is committed to building internal capability and expertise to ensure the sustainable and responsible adoption of AI technologies.

AI-related training and upskilling initiatives are led by the AI Policy Unit, with specialist support from The Data Lab, and are aligned with the Scottish Government’s AI Strategy, which promotes inclusive, ethical, and trustworthy use of AI. Staff training has also been delivered internally, including through the Scottish Digital Academy.

These initiatives focus on equipping staff with the knowledge and skills to use AI safely and ethically, rather than on redeployment. The content is based on guidance developed for civil servants’ use of AI.

For further details, please see: Guidance on the use of ChatGPT or AI large language models: FOI release - gov.scot.

•  Any consultations with trade unions or staff representatives regarding AI-related changes.

Consultation and discussions with the recognised civil service trade unions regarding AI related changes are ongoing. A series of upcoming meetings have been scheduled with the trade unions regarding public sector reform, where any discussions on AI-related changes would take place.

5. Performance and Evaluation

• Evaluations, audits or performance reviews of AI systems, as referenced in section 1.
•  Evidence of how AI systems have affected service delivery, decision-making or operational efficiency.

The estimated effort required to locate and compile the requested data would exceed the £600 cost threshold set by Section 12 of FOISA. Because the information is spread across multiple departments and not held centrally, fulfilling the request would involve significant time and resources, which makes it exempt under the legislation.

6. Data protection and privacy

•  Types of data used to train or operate AI systems, including whether this data is synthetic or not.

The estimated effort required to locate and compile the requested data would exceed the £600 cost threshold set by Section 12 of FOISA. Because the information is spread across multiple departments and not held centrally, fulfilling the request would involve significant time and resources, which makes it exempt under the legislation.

•  Measures in place to ensure compliance with data protection legislation, including the DPA 2018 and UK GDPR.

The Scottish Government’s current policy is that AI must not be used to process personal data.

However, this may be shifting with the Co-pilot pilot. While personal data should still not be shared with generative AI tools, limited use may be allowed under strict conditions, with appropriate safeguards and oversight in place.

SG policy requires Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) for any activity involving personal data. These risk assessments guide decisions on high-risk processing, and ensure advice from the Data Protection Officer is sought promptly.

Where risks can't be mitigated, processing does not proceed.

•  Procedures for handling bias, transparency and accountability in AI decision-making.

The estimated effort required to locate and compile the requested data would exceed the £600 cost threshold set by Section 12 of FOISA. Because the information is spread across multiple departments and not held centrally, fulfilling the request would involve significant time and resources, which makes it exempt under the legislation.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.