AI Challenge

The Futurescot AI Challenge 2024 is a competition to bring together Scottish public sector organisations to solve problems through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In association withStorm ID

About the challenge

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help the public sector to increase productivity, save money, and improve services, if harnessed effectively, responsibly and ethically. This competition invites public sector organisations to use AI to solve real-world problems.

It is open to all public sector organisations in Scotland, including the Scottish Government and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), Local Government, Health and Social Care and arms-length organisations (ALEOs). The winner will receive the equivalent of £20,000 in technical support from Storm ID to further develop their proof of concept.

The Futurescot AI Challenge was conceived by Futurescot and our technology partner, Storm ID - two organisations bound by their mutual dedication to Scotland's digital technology sector.

Why take part?

The challenge offers multiple benefits for participants

  • Gain insight into the application of AI
  • Explore and accelerate AI use cases with no financial and minimal resource commitment
  • Shortlisted organisations will receive a workshop and proof of concept to bring their idea to life, as well as a chance to showcase their idea at the biggest annual public sector digital transformation conference in Scotland
  • The winner will receive £20,000 in technical support from Storm ID, helping them make progress towards future adoption

Webinar

This session provides further information about the challenge, sharing guidance on how to identify and develop your idea for the application.

Read a summary of the questions and answers from an AI Challenge Q&A session held on the 25th July.

Read the Q&A summary

Submissions guidance

Articles that provide some practical considerations for organisations submitting an application to the Futurescot AI Challenge.

How it works

Stage1

Apply online

Your organisation submits an idea via the online application form. Illustrating how your concept uses AI to improve outcomes for citizens in Scotland. Submissions close on the 23rd August 2024.

Stage2

Develop and
present

A panel of experts shortlists three applicants, based on a set of core criteria.

Shortlisted organisations are invited to attend a workshop. At the workshop, Storm ID will help you to assess the viability of your idea; Storm ID will then develop your AI into a 'proof of concept' (POC).

This process culminates with the Digital Scotland 2024 conference on the 26th November 2024 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. There, your team will have the chance to showcase their idea in an AI leadership session.

Stage3

Winner

This competition closes with an overall winner chosen. They will receive £20,000 of technical support to further develop their project.

Judging criteria

The core criteria for short listing and winning entry will be as follows

Social impact

Potential to improve your organisation and the services it provides

Trustworthy, Ethical and Inclusive

Alignment with core principles and practices outlined in Scotland's National AI Strategy, AI Register and AI Playbook

Scalability

Ability to scale the application across other parts of the organisation or wider public sector

Innovation

How creatively the idea uses data and AI technology

Feasibility

The practicality and cost-effectiveness of implementation

Sustainability

Ensuring the application of AI is compliant with key Net Zero and Carbon Emissions Reduction targets

Judging panel

A panel of eminent experts in the fields of AI, digital technology, and public sector has been enlisted to carry out independent assessment of the applications and ideas against a set of criteria, to determine which ideas proceed to the shortlisting stage and ultimately to select a winner.

Professor Shannon Vallor

Professor Shannon Vallor holds the Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence in the University of Edinburgh's Department of Philosophy. She is Director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures in the Edinburgh Futures Institute, and co-Director of the UKRI BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides) programme. Professor Vallor's research explores the ethical challenges and opportunities posed by new uses of data and AI, and how these technologies reshape human moral and intellectual character. She is a former AI Ethicist at Google, and advises numerous academic, government and industry bodies on the ethical design and use of AI. She is the author of Technology and the Virtues: A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting (Oxford University Press, 2016), and The AI Mirror (Oxford University Press, 2024).

Mr Paul McGinness

Founder of Storm ID and Lenus Health with over 20 years' experience in driving digital transformation across a range of industry sectors. Paul was an early proponent of using machine learning to develop predictive analytics resulting in a spin out of the Lenus business from Storm in 2020 to bring a highly innovative AI based solution to the health sector to support the diagnosis and management of people with long term health conditions.

Mr John Adams

Former Deputy Director for Digital and Data Services in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. John is passionate about driving organisational value from data. He played a leading role in international open data initiatives and was an early advocate and promoter of data science and AI in the public sector.

Mr Steven Grier

Director of Devolved Government, Microsoft UK. Steven is a seasoned expert in the application of digital and data technology in the public sector and is actively encouraging and developing the adoption of AI across government in Scotland & Wales.

Shortlisted applicants

Our panel of experts have shortlisted the following three applicants, based on the set of core criteria.

Shortlisted organisations are invited to attend a workshop. At the workshop, Storm ID will help to assess the viability of the idea; Storm ID will then develop their AI into a 'proof of concept' (POC).

This process culminates with the Digital Scotland 2024 conference on the 26th November 2024 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. There, the teams will have the chance to showcase their idea in an AI leadership session.

  • The Scottish Parliament
  • NHS Forth Valley
  • National Library of Scotland

Timeline

  1. 14thJune
    Launch of applications
  2. 23rdAugust 
    Applications close and short-listing process takes place
  3. 6thSeptember
    Short listed organisations contacted and invited to take part in process for generation of 'proof of concept' (POC)
  4. 26thNovember

    Opportunity to showcase AI Proof of concept at Futurescot Digital Scotland event at Edinburgh International Conference Centre

    Winner announced and contacted