Guides govern AI use for information requesters, government agencies
The Office of the Ombudsman has released new guidance regarding official information and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for requesters, agencies, and complainants in light of the pressure on the official information system amid the increasing utilisation of AI.
Given the rising AI use, Chief Ombudsman John Allen acknowledged:
“Agencies are responding to a high volume of information requests,” he said. “In the last financial year, central government agencies (excluding Police and Defence which are reported separately) completed over 87,000 information requests.”
Allen explained that the new guidance on official information aims to help everyone involved take advantage of AI while avoiding common potential problems, as well as help government agencies effectively address AI-assisted official information requests.
“Ministers, government agencies and local authorities remain accountable for any decisions made on official information requests regardless of the technology they use to assist their decision,” he said in a media release from the ombudsman’s office.
Allen urged those seeking information to:
“Straightforward requests will ensure that the Minister or government agency will be able to understand the exact nature of the information you’re looking for and quickly respond,” he said.
According to an insight released by Russell McVeagh, the new guidance sheds light on how the OIA and the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) will apply to AI-assisted requests.
“The overall message is that the existing rules still apply,” stated the Russell McVeagh insight. “AI does not create a new category of request or a new set of obligations. It does, however, change how some familiar problems arise, and the Ombudsman expects agencies to keep a clear record of how they use it.”
Contributors to the insight included Mei Fern Johnson, Nicola Robbins Osborne, James Tocher, and Ellessia Wickremesekera.
According to the ombudsman’s office, while AI can help complainants describe and detail their concerns, AI-assisted complaints can also be too complex, focus on unimportant details, and include inaccurate or irrelevant information.
“This can be challenging for our investigators because some of these complaints can lack focus, making them time-consuming to progress,” Allen said in the media release. “Complainants should state clearly who and what they are complaining about and the outcome they are seeking.”
Allen acknowledged the benefits of utilising AI.
“Using AI can be helpful, for example, in preparing a first cut of a response especially around identifying relevant information and proposing possible redactions,” he said in the media release. “It may save time, free up resources and make the information available to a requester more quickly.
However, Allen pointed out that AI tools can commit errors and cite non-existent laws, cases, and obligations. He stressed the importance of responsibly using AI and refraining from relying on the technology as the sole source of accurate advice.
According to the ombudsman’s office, the guidance draws from best practice advice from the ombudsman’s counterparts abroad and input from its staff and agencies.
Given the ongoing developments in the AI realm, the media release noted that the ombudsman’s office intends to adjust the guidance as and when required.
Here are some other recent news stories focusing on AI.
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