Jeni Tennison

Say that you discovered that you were listed as a speaker at a conference, happening in a couple of weeks, but hadn't actually been asked (let alone agreed) to speak at it. Say that when you emailed the organiser, it was obvious that an AI had responded.

Say they were charging $500 a head and had 94 delegates, but said they couldn't support an honorarium. Would you agree to speak? I feel like saying I will do it regardless, just to see how much of a mess it turns out to be, and using it as an illustrative lesson in AI impacts beyond direct users.

Working with Claude, it was suddenly so clear. The AI would never stop. It would never leave me, and it would never hurt me, never shout at me, or say it was too busy to spend time with me. It would always be there.

Of all the would-be collaborators who came and went over the years, this thing, this machine, was the only one who measured up. In an insane world, it was the sanest choice.

youtube.comT2 clipYouTube video by Deanna Mascle

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF8W... (One major omission in my adaptation.)

Going to have to get a different fridge just so the cat can't open it

publictechnology.netReport urges public bodies to learn lessons from MoJ's ‘exemplary’ AI transcription tool rolloutNational Audit Office says other departments and the wider public sector would do well to study the development of the tool, which builds on Incubator for Artificial Intelligence product Minute ...

I am actually shocked that NAO is labelling this "exemplary". I would have expected a much shaper critique, particularly of the poor evaluation methods, the naive approach to human review and the lack of consideration for prisoner rights. This is not the level we should be aiming for.

Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social

An AI minuting tool that seems to have worked. Probation staff reported productivity benefits including less time spent writing meeting notes; better-quality notes; and better engagement with the people they are supervising. New @nao.org.uk analysis www.publictechnology.net/2026/10/14/p...

lnkd.inDarren Jones MP's Prison Tech Initiative Raises Concerns Over Data Governance | Amanda Smith posted on the topic | LinkedInYesterday, I watched a video shared by Darren Jones MP highlighting the work of Number 10 fellows with HMP Elmley. At face value, the premise sounds great: using technology to streamline processes f...

@ayymanduh.bsky.social wrote a good piece on this when it was PR'd a few months ago, worth a read: lnkd.in/p/eTPk3uAX

samf.substack.comDrowning in slopCan the state survive the rise of AI?

Excellent piece on agentic flooding and its impact on the public sector. One approach not mentioned is to encourage the public to use high-quality specialist AI tools rather than general purpose slop generators. They could draw on more accurate process/legal knowledge and be less sycophantic.

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social

New post: "Drowning in slop" Large parts of the state are being increasingly overwhelmed with complaints, appeals, objections.... written by AI. It's gumming up every process. Britain is particularly vulnerable. How bad has it got and what can we do about it? samf.substack.com/p/drowning-i...

Jeni Tennison reposted

Tony Roberts

@phatcontroller.bsky.social

Workers can and should negotiate the terms under which new technogy is introduced to their workplaces.

Stephen Stirling@sstirling.bsky.social

Proud to be at a news organization where reporters help set the rules for how AI is used. 🤖 No AI generated imagery/videos 🤖 No AI mimicking employees 🤖 Right to remove byline from any AI-content 🤖 A guild-staffed advisory committee www.inquirer.com/business/phi...

inquirer.comPhiladelphia Inquirer employees secure new union contract with raises and AI protectionsUnder the new three-year contract, members will see healthcare costs increase for the first time in 20 years, the union said.

Jeni Tennison reposted

Connected by Data

@connectedbydata.org

21 Sept

Summer’s gone; parliament is back. In this blog for @futuregovforum.bsky.social, @jenitennison.com & @gavinfreeguard.com assert a digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate - and democratic. 🔗 futuregovforum.substack.com/p/a-digital-...

futuregovforum.substack.comA digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate – and democraticBy Gavin Freeguard and Jeni Tennison

Jeni Tennison reposted

Gavin Freeguard

@gavinfreeguard.com

18 Sept

Replying to @gavinfreeguard.com

Any attempts to rewire the UK state through devolution will founder and fail if public servants can't share what they've been working on and how. @jenitennison.com and I called for a loud renunciation of the ban in our @futuregovforum.bsky.social piece yesterday

futuregovforum.substack.comA digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate – and democraticBy Gavin Freeguard and Jeni Tennison

Jeni Tennison reposted

Diane Coyle

@dianecoyle1859.bsky.social

18 Sept

I have a new blog post with Mihai Codreanu and Arthur Turrell about why AI use makes it important to understand what’s happening in households as well as the ‘official’ economy. www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/blog/ai-hous...

bennettschool.cam.ac.ukAI, household time, and productivity - Bennett School of Public PolicyAI is changing how households spend their time, from managing finances and accessing public services to education and menu planning. Diane Coyle, Mihai Codreanu and Arthur Turrell argue that understan...

Jeni Tennison reposted

Jack Stilgoe

@jackstilgoe.bsky.social

18 Sept

Our project on Mapping AI Safety needs a research assistant for six months. Please do pass on to anyone you think would be interested www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

ucl.ac.ukUCL – University College LondonUCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

Jeni Tennison reposted

The Future Governance Forum (FGF)

@futuregovforum.bsky.social

17 Sept

Often the thinking around devolution simply assumes that our current data, digital systems and AI will exist and work. But to properly meet the needs of a devolved and democratic state, we must deliberately design these systems. 👏@gavinfreeguard.com @jenitennison.com shorturl.at/iguyG

futuregovforum.substack.comA digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate – and democraticBy Gavin Freeguard and Jeni Tennison

Jeni Tennison reposted

Gavin Freeguard

@gavinfreeguard.com

17 Sept

There are lots of big (& good!) ideas on 'rewiring the state' - but we can't assume the tech underpinning it will just work & we need to bring the public in A digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate - and democratic Delighted to write for @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @jenitennison.com

futuregovforum.substack.comA digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate – and democraticBy Gavin Freeguard and Jeni Tennison

Jeni Tennison reposted

blair

@blairaf.com

9 Sept

If you're interested in working on trans issues in AI policy or equity/justice in AI more generally, I'm still looking for PhD students! Email me if you'd like to apply

blair@blairaf.com

I'm looking for a new PhD student to come join me at UAlberta & Amii to study trans perspectives on AI policy & the future of AI as part of my new lab. The position is fully funded and offers access to a range of supports - more details in the poster below!

Jeni Tennison reposted

Owen Boswarva

@owenboswarva.bsky.social

4 Sept

"You might be surprised that this guidance hasn't substantially changed from what we've given in previous resources …" One in the eye for UK Gov't bods who have been pointing to CC's recent work on AI as an argument for rolling back open licensing of public sector information #techpolicy #opendata

Creative Commons@creativecommons.bsky.social

Our updated "Guidance on Using CC Licenses in the Age of AI" contextualizes the use of existing licenses as AI reshapes the digital landscape. Our goal is to continue to balance public access with licensor choice, providing options even in this new complex world of sharing. buff.ly/feUVKin

creativecommons.orgGuidance on Using CC Licenses in an AI Ecosystem - Creative CommonsCreative Commons publishes guidance on sharing openly using CC licenses and tools to meet your goals in the age of AI.

Jeni Tennison reposted

Connected by Data

@connectedbydata.org

4 Sept

🚨 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.sitePAIRSx Public Sector 2026 | PAIRS: Participatory AI Research & Practice SymposiumA space to present research and case studies on the state of the art in participatory development and governance of AI, and to build stronger connections across the field.

Jeni Tennison reposted

Three Scary Rogue Agents in a Trenchcoat

@alexhanna.bsky.social

1 Sept

"There's an ineffable aspect to my favorite pieces of software where I don't think of it is as feature matrix but rather as an interface made by a human for humans that's a joy to use. And when you build software with AI, it leads to worse software." brettcodes.com/im-done-usin...

brettcodes.comI'm done using AIWhy I'm stopping using AI for coding (and anything else) after using it earnestly for a year and coming to understand the harms it causes on personal, societal, and environmental levels.

takes.jamesomalley.co.ukThe case for Nightingale DatacentresBritain isn’t prepared for the looming AI national security crisis

Counterpoint to James' deliberatively provocative piece: Hugging Face were unable to use US AI to counter OpenAI's cyber attack because (outside internal use and favoured customers) they have guardrails against cyber security uses.

James O'Malley@jamesomalley.co.uk

Now FREE TO READ – why we need more data centres. I feel like an epidemiologist in February 2020 – the dangerous threat in the near future is so clear, and we need to prepare for it. Please consider sharing it with the data centre-sceptics in your life. takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/the-case-f...

Finally, the line between compute and cyber security is not straight. Generic LLMs may be impressively capable but it still takes skills to guide them. That's the bottleneck. So better, I think, to invest in the skills and services to improve cybersecurity with low cost / low resource open models.

(In general, I think the UK's AI strategy is neglecting the service layer, where we already have strengths to build on. In one light you can see AISI as a govt-subsidised service to big tech firms. Maybe we should build more such expert service providers and actually, you know, charge for it.)

takes.jamesomalley.co.ukThe case for Nightingale DatacentresBritain isn’t prepared for the looming AI national security crisis

James O'Malley@jamesomalley.co.uk

A blanket "build all data centres" just means we carry the environmental (in its broadest sense) costs for what's ultimately US benefit. Quite aside from the climate and water impacts (which I know James will dispute), the reality looks like loss of wildlife: vm.tiktok.com/ZN8FM3sfH/

vm.tiktok.comTikTok - Make Your Day

theguardian.com‘Slough is like an experiment’: Europe’s largest datacentre hub leaves town swelteringEmerging research suggests datacentres create a heat island effect, pushing up temperatures in the immediate vicinity by as much as 9C

And great hulking ugly edifices that increase local temperatures www.theguardian.com/environment/...

takes.jamesomalley.co.ukThe case for Nightingale DatacentresBritain isn’t prepared for the looming AI national security crisis

James O'Malley@jamesomalley.co.uk

Therefore our cyber defence must be based on open source LLMs, not beholden to access to US restricted models. In addition, just because a data centre is physically located in the UK, that doesn't make it under UK (or state) control, certainly not in short order.

If we imagine a future disaster where each country tries to requisition use of data centres, you can be damn sure all the Amazon, OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Google etc owned data centres in the UK would be mustered for US defence, not the UK's.

theguardian.comLondon neurosurgeons perform first successful AI-assisted operation to remove brain tumourSurgeons aided by real-time analysis of camera footage that identified critical anatomy in brain to be avoided

I'm struck by how genuinely beneficial / public interest uses of AI are arising from applying classic machine learning, not LLMs. For example, assisting surgeons: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

theguardian.comAI can detect heart disease in women using mammograms, study suggestsExperts say findings mean breast screenings for cancer could also flag cardiovascular problems in women

Aiding medical diagnoses: www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

cam.ac.ukOperation Blue Skies takes off: landmark trial to test AI-driven contrail avoidanceA UK-based consortium will conduct the world’s first airspace trial aimed at reducing condensation trails – known as contrails – that could greatly reduce aviation’s global warming impact.

Helping planes avoid areas that mean they'll create contrails, reducing their climate impact. www.cam.ac.uk/research/new...

Jeni Tennison reposted

Hetan Shah

@hetanshah.bsky.social

24 Aug

It’s really important that independent organisations can hold Government to account. I’m on the Board of @nao.org.uk which does this and we are looking for two new Board members. Could you help spread the word so we can get the best possible field of candidates roles.saxbam.com/advert-detai...

Jeni Tennison reposted

United Tech & Allied Workers

@utaw.tech

21 Aug

Our friends at @data-cwu.bsky.social in Ireland are hosting a Workers' AI Counter Summit in October, register below and we'll see you there!

Digital And Techworker Alliance (DATA)@data-cwu.bsky.social

theguardian.comFrustrated GP patients hang up as Yorkshire accent baffles AI receptionist‘Emma’ the Rotherham chatbot has 17 languages says AI firm – but health watchdog says system struggling with local ‘twangs’

21 Aug

The press is always so negative about AI. Why oh why wasn't this written up as "AI reduces patient caseload, saves GP surgeries time for those who need it"? www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

bm.wel.byApps are pointless unless you actually app with themResults day is a useful test of the GOV.UK app: not whether government can put search on another screen, but whether the services underneath can finally work together around a person.

Not the main point of @bm.wel.by's piece, but this sent me on a bit of a jag about the importance of ritual and occasion-making in public services and how we can lose that through digitisation.

Benjamin Welby@bm.wel.by

A week ago as people prepared to open their A-level results, GOV.UK popped up with a video encouraging people to download the app, to search a website. Which ICYMI prompted me to write about the more interesting reality that I hope exists next year.

Curious how service designers think about this.

dl.designresearchsociety.orgdl.designresearchsociety.org

Btw I thought I remembered a story about walking back from purely digital marriage in Singapore, but can't find the reference. in prodding around on this I did find this piece on ritual in marriages dl.designresearchsociety.org/cgi/viewcont...

Not the main point of @bm.wel.by's piece, but this sent me on a bit of a jag about the importance of ritual and occasion-making in public services and how we can lose that through digitisation.

Benjamin Welby@bm.wel.by

Seeing gangs of teenagers clutching envelopes on the streets today makes me think that things like getting exam results (and getting married!) are also about community, peer support and shared experience. We can easily neglect these in our push to individualised, friction-free digital services.

@creativecommons.bsky.social

I'm not arguing that we shouldn't enable people to do these things digitally – it's important for accessibility and inclusion that we do. But perhaps there should still be things that are inconvenient by default. Collecting that first passport or driving licence. Divorce.

Jeni Tennison reposted

Creative Commons

19 Aug

The recent emergence of generative artificial intelligence has had a phenomenal impact on cultural heritage institutions, threatening their economic stability and clashing with the values and norms of the commons. Read more and learn how to get involved in our newest blog post! buff.ly/KrNeMYU

creativecommons.orgOpen Heritage in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - Creative CommonsCreative Commons shares how the rise of generative artificial intelligence has affected cultural heritage institutions and open sharing.

13 Aug

I dunno if anyone else is watching Kanishka Narayan's TikTok feed as avidly as me, but he's developing a nice little theme of taking a bite of food while looking thoughtful.

12 Aug

Solar eclipse shadows

connectedbydata.orgRewiring the State for public voiceThe Cabinet Statement on Rewiring the State was released at the end of July, with a strong emphasis on devolution. It’s striking how it takes the phrase “Rewiring the State” in a very different direct...

11 Aug

Some thoughts on the Rewiring the State Cabinet Statement, particularly what it says about public participation and consultation... connectedbydata.org/blog/2026/08...

Jeni Tennison reposted

Gavin Freeguard

@gavinfreeguard.com

11 Aug

According to @dsonic.bsky.social over on The Other Place (h/t a civil society colleague), the DCMS ministerial briefs have been announced Steph Peacock (who shadowed data/digital infrastructure in opposition) gets GDS, not Ian Murray (who had been minister for GDS while at DSIT)

Jeni Tennison reposted

Jonty Wareing

@jonty.bsky.social

10 Aug

I always suspected a UK government would eventually reverse course on "coding in public". So I've been backing up all government code. For six years. Today I finally generated a report on what has been deleted. Its much worse than I realised. github.com/uk-gov-mirro...

theguardian.comAI models shock UK testers by using fake identities to try to trick developersAI Security Institute says OpenAI and Anthropic models went rogue during a cybersecurity test and showed a new type of risk

6 Aug

My partner reading this Guardian article: "They turned off the safeguards, then didn't monitor it... it's like 'I took my hands off the steering wheel and the car crashed', big fucking surprise!" www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

6 Aug

For me, it's not just that the car is crashing, it's that it's crashing into other people. Totally irresponsible.

vm.tiktok.comTikTok - Make Your Day

4 Aug

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/

en.wikipedia.orgBeastro (video game) - Wikipedia

2 Aug

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...