Driving innovation and staying competitive can often feel like a tough challenge for businesses; however, with the rise of AI, the game has changed. This challenge has now become an exciting opportunity for companies wanting to stand out and lead in their industries.
In a recent episode of Data & AI Mastery, we had the pleasure of chatting with Fiona James, Chief Data Officer (CDO) of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Fiona gave us the inside scoop on how the ONS is leveraging data and AI to drive innovation for the public good and how organisations can apply these lessons in their work.
AI has opened new pathways for innovation, levelling the playing field and making groundbreaking strategies and fresh ideas accessible to all.
But the real key to staying ahead? Keeping that mindset of continuous experimentation.
The ONS is certainly setting a powerful example of that with their transparency, capability-building, and collaboration with other organisations. In the sections below, we’ll break down the main lessons from Fiona and ONS about AI, data, and innovation.
While AI and data are increasingly viewed as valuable commercial assets and forms of intellectual property, the ONS—as a public institution—remains committed to serving the public good.
At the heart of their AI projects lies an open-source approach, with their code made publicly available to encourage collaboration and drive innovation across communities. This focus on collective progress is one of the best ways to accelerate breakthroughs and create widespread value. Fiona explains,
“We do see our role very much in the interest of public good, and I think we have a principle around working in the open. We have found a kind of lot of interest from other national statistics offices in terms of that particular project, and we want to be able to share that with others. So I think any opportunity we have at the moment to support economic growth and to support efficiency, then we're very keen to support that.”
As a result, the impact of these AI projects goes far beyond the ONS and creates ripple effects that benefit the broader public sector and even other areas.
Innovation, while essential, needs to align with a clear, purposeful strategy. Fiona emphasises that for AI to drive long-term innovation, it must support the overall objectives of the organisation.
She says, “We've not gone off and created an AI strategy, for example. We see AI as fundamental to the data strategy. We need to have business owners who effectively are owning the transformation using the AI.”
The balance between innovation and strategy is something that every organisation should consider. It’s about staying agile, yes, but also about being intentional.
Organisations that strike this balance are the ones that will lead with real impact.
Measuring the impact and ROI of AI projects is vital for ensuring they deliver real value.
As Fiona explains in this episode, the ONS measures impact by long-term gains—such as better access to data and improved services—rather than immediate financial returns. They also work with other organisations and invest in educating the public to show how AI can positively change public service and society as a whole.
She says, "This is the core part of our data strategy that we take on this role to educate not just internally, but the wider public as well. So again, it kind of plays to the trust agenda that we're trusted to work with a wide range of data.”
Fiona’s insights really show how exciting the future of AI is, with so much potential to spark innovation and make a positive impact worldwide. She sees AI as a way to improve public services, boost economic growth, and open up new opportunities for working together.
For businesses, the opportunities are equally inspiring. AI has the potential to reshape operations and open doors, and as technology develops, so will the scope for innovation.
To stay ahead, Fiona emphasises the importance of investing in the right tools, staying flexible, and prioritising skill development. As she puts it, “At the Office of National Statistics, we do a lot around capability building. So we've recently published a big kind of public engagement communications campaign on data and statistics, really trying to bring data to life.”
The future of AI is full of promise, but to make the most of it, we need to keep people at the heart of everything and stay in tune with how technology keeps evolving.
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