Building Trust in Local Government AI

With almost half of UK councils at risk of bankruptcy, leaders are looking to AI as a tool for survival. Yet the stakes couldn't be higher. When AI makes decisions about social care, housing allocations, or benefit payments, a single algorithmic error can devastate lives. The question isn't whether councils should adopt AI, but how they can do so without compromising the trust that underpins public service.

A recent webinar hosted by GovNews brought together local government and industry experts to tackle this challenge head-on. The panel featured Darren Everden, Head of Technology at London Borough of Hillingdon, Matt Robinson, Head of Nations and Regions at Tech UK, Sam Hector, Cybersecurity Global Strategy Leader at IBM and Edward Yates, Technical Architect at Celerity. Their discussion revealed that the promise of AI can only be realised through robust data security and commitment to ethical implementation.

Forward-thinking councils are exploring how they can establish the right safeguards to accelerate innovation. This blog shares highlights from the webinar to help you take practical steps to implement AI applications without compromising data security.

So what’s stopping council leaders from embracing AI? The webinar’s polling revealed a shared fear. 46.2% of participants said 'concerns around data governance and security' are their biggest barrier to implementing responsible AI. This statistic underscores a fundamental truth: without robust data security measures, AI initiatives in local government cannot succeed.

The challenge is compounded by a lack of visibility. Often councils lack total oversight of their data. As Sam Hector from IBM raised, ‘In 2025, it's predicted that there's 10 times more unstructured data than there is structured data.' This explosion of emails, documents, and forms requires a thoughtful approach. Sam added that ‘AI is shining a spotlight on how we manage, discover, classify, and govern unstructured data going forward.’ Getting visibility of your data is an essential first step.

Local governments can be seen as data billionaires. They hold rich data with the potential to offer a holistic view of people and places. Yet it’s often a struggle to extract meaningful value. The panel explored how AI can unlock this potential while maintaining stringent security standards. Matt Robinson from Tech UK shared an analogy: 'Data is like striking oil. On its own, data will do very little. It's how you use it and the decisions you make with it.'

Realising the value of data requires councils to address fundamental challenges. As one audience member noted, 'The lack of data standards and software use makes it very challenging to centralise data and apply AI or automation in a uniform and ethical manner.' Rather than attempting costly centralisation efforts, it’s more beneficial for councils to create shared approaches to data discovery, classification, and governance across existing systems. This is how teams can transform data from a liability to a strategic asset.

Visionary councils are rethinking governance to accelerate trustworthy innovation. Leaders must reframe compliance from a constraint to an enabler. As panellist Edward Yates said, ‘Governance isn't a brake. It's a steering wheel. ’A poll during the webinar revealed that ‘clear accountability and oversight mechanisms' topped the list of governance priorities. Modern AI governance must be agile enough to adapt to rapid technological change whilst maintaining the accountability that public service demands.

Darren Everden from the London Borough of Hillingdon stressed the importance of independent oversight and continuous monitoring: ‘It's about reviewing what the systems are actually providing and how accurate that is against our original expectations.’ This approach ensures that AI systems remain aligned with their intended purpose and deliver social good.

So how can local authorities embed governance systems to protect sensitive citizen data? A whole lifecycle approach is crucial. Leaders need to exercise vigilance at every stage, from initial data gathering to live deployment. Sam Hector shared the IBM Framework for Securing Generative AI. It involves protecting data at three key stages in the process when it’s vulnerable to attack:

• Data collection and handling: Bad actors may target sensitive data being accessed for training.

• Model development and training: Vulnerabilities may come from AI apps built from APIs and supply chains.

• AI use and inference: Attackers may attempt to hijack or manipulate the model’s behaviour.

This comprehensive approach ensures that security isn't an afterthought but is built into every aspect of AI development and deployment.

Trust is the cornerstone of successful AI implementation in local government. The panellists agreed that transparency goes beyond compliance to building confidence among citizens and staff.

The key is to connect data usage to tangible benefits for residents. Clearly communicating why it matters helps overcome resistance and builds support for AI initiatives. Combined with robust safeguards that ensure human oversight, this creates what Sam Hector called ‘trustworthy innovation.’

So where should local authority leaders start with AI? Darren Everden emphasised a measured approach to AI implementation. Rather than attempting to ‘boil the ocean', successful councils are beginning with internal processes. This offers a quick win before progressing to more complex and nuanced citizen-facing applications. Applications include using tools like meeting transcriptions, report generation, and data cleansing.

A phased approach offers several benefits. It allows organisations to build confidence, understand risks, and develop governance frameworks without exposing citizens to untested systems. As Darren Everden noted, ‘We're looking at using AI to enhance rather than to replace human services, especially in areas like social care.’

Successful AI implementation in local government demands pursuing innovation and safety in equal measure. As councils face mounting pressures to do more with less, AI offers hope for improved services and efficiency. Yet this technology will only deliver on its promise if implemented with robust data security, transparent governance, and a commitment to keep humans at the heart of decision-making.

The journey ahead requires building systems that citizens and staff can trust. The councils that thrive will be those that view governance not as a brake, but as the steering wheel that guides them toward meaningful, sustainable transformation.

Take your first step towards AI implementation with the help of Celerity and IBM.

Book your discovery call to discuss how you can innovate without compromising public trust.

Get in touch.