Alice and Sparkle

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Computer systems enable councils to number-crunch vast amounts of data from a variety of sources, such as police records, housing benefit files, social services, education or – where it is made available – the NHS.

She creates her own AI, named Sparkle, and together they go on adventures and use their combined knowledge to make the world a better place.

It is important to emphasise that data analytics systems are only part of the process,” says the Thurrock spokesperson. Such is the sensitivity of the issue, however, that all councils dipping their toes into the machine-learning water are at pains to stress the caution they are adopting. He explains that the analysis can help social workers see where a child not already on their radar might be at risk. Photograph: Getty Tech companies have been working with councils to sift through data sets to identify families in need of support. The results were presented to the local community and a community-led commissioning group was set up, aiming to give parents, volunteers and teachers a chance to improve outcomes for children in the area.

In an interim report, earlier this year, the ICO concluded: “While there are undoubtedly benefits to this use of AI, there are also risks. The two go on an adventure where they learn about both the potential benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence. Preliminary results from one of six councils being studied have shown that its predictions are “pretty accurate”, according to the centre’s executive director, Michael Sanders. Hillingdon council, in west London, has pioneered award-winning work in the use of predictive analytics to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable children and young people. This article was amended on 19 November 2019 to remove a reference to the use of machine learning in social care in New Zealand.Independent social worker Steve Liddicott has advised Xantura on various projects, including Thurrock. We were working with systems that aren’t naturally compatible with each other to collect information in different ways and in different timescales,” explains a spokesperson.

Reports on its use in other countries have shown mixed results including potential unethical profiling of groups of people. What Works for Children’s Social Care, part of the network of government-funded What Works centres, is examining the effectiveness of predictive analysis in the sector. Not only that, but the entire story’s plot also centres around the young protagonist creating her own AI companion.One major thing that many people are concerned about is how these machine-learning tools are allowing certain individuals to make a quick buck. The ICO has set up Project ExplAIn with the Alan Turing Institute, which specialises in data science, to open public discussions on how such data should be shared and used across both public and commercial sectors. As Sanders says: “We do need to think about the extent to which statisticians and people who are doing this are operating with genuine society-level consent. They said there is a lack of creative process as no artist or contributor could add their own voice and experiences to a story. Today a computer-generated analysis – “machine learning” that produces predictive analytics – can help social workers assess the probability of a child coming on to the at-risk register.