Question reference: S6W-22200
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 14 December 2023
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22009 by Michael Matheson on 11 October 2023, in light of its intention to "empower and support NHS leadership in the use of these new technologies, to help build and share a wider knowledge base, rather than appointing a single AI champion", how it plans to overcome any differing governance protocols across NHS boards in this context, and what its position is on whether not having a single artificial intelligence (AI) champion for all NHS boards will (a) inhibit innovation and (b) lead to the (i) delayed adoption and (ii) increased cost of new AI technologies.
Answer
At its heart, AI is the leveraging of advanced digital technology using large data sets, and we are treating AI with the same rigour as any other new technology or innovation. As such, its use comes under existing digital and data governance mechanisms. At a national level, the Scottish Government, with its partners COSLA, have established a new Strategic Leadership Board for Digital and Data Transformation.
This Leadership Board is supported by a number of sub-boards, including a dedicated Data Board for Health & Social Care. Through this new national governance, we will continue to work towards embedding greater use of digital and data driven innovations across health and social care (including ensuring necessary support is in place for skills and training), consider what capabilities, processes and procedures are required at a local level to support adoption and therefore assess what additional mechanisms may be required nationally.