Policy making and artificial intelligence in Scotland

The article presents an exploratory qualitative single case study about whether and how artificial intelligence (AI) is used by the Scottish Government, about the key concerns relating to its usage, and about obstacles to, and drivers of AI usage. Besides the academic literature and published reports, the analysis rests on 12 semi-structured interviews. Interviewees include Scottish Government employees, experts from academia and representatives of commercial and non-commercial AI and Big Data organisations. The article finds that the Scottish Government has, so far, made little use of AI. Currently, AI is used in very limited ways in process automation and for gaining ‘cognitive insights’ with the human in control. There are no ‘strategic’ AI applications where advanced reasoning and ‘decision-making by algorithm’ play a role. Data-driven e-policy making is not currently on the cards. The reasons are the Scottish Government’s wariness of AI, a lack of ‘digital maturity’ (concerning Big Data and digital infrastructure, but also expertise) in the public sector, and ethical concerns around the use of AI. Governments need to conduct a debate about the extent of AI usage to avoid ‘AI creep’ in their institutions and to assure that AI does not have negative consequences for democracy

The role of think-tanks in the EU policy process remains largely uncharted territory for political scientists

How do think-tanks influence the EU’s policy process? Hartwig Pautz and Dieter Plehwe assess the range of European think-tanks which are active at the EU level of politics. They argue that there is a notable lack of ideological diversity among EU think-tanks, with most organisations polarised around the issue of advocating ‘more’ or ‘less’ European integration. There is also a substantial lack of information on the role of think-tanks in influencing policy and no consensus over how they should be classified alongside other interest groups

What does ‘decent work’ mean to low-paid workers? Working practices and how to improve them

When it comes to work, it’s not just the level of pay that matters to employees but the broader quality of employment. Low-paid work, however, is more likely to feature characteristics that make it hard for employees to speak of it as ‘decent work’. Hartwig Pautz and Francis Stuart look at what low-paid workers in Scotland think is most and least important for work to be ‘decent’ – the findings are relevant UK-wide

A top-down approach is unlikely to improve job quality in the care sector; only a comprehensive one will

Hartwig Pautz, Stephen Gibb, and Joan Riddell explain how the COVID-19 crisis highlights once again that more decent work should be on the cards for care workers. They draw on interviews with care workers to discuss how issues of low pay, being seen as unskilled and as poor cousin to health workers, affect them