WIREDGOV

How the next government can transform society with ethics, education and equity in technology.

In its manifesto, BCS outlines three key priorities for the party winning the UK General Election on 4 July:

• Anyone with a significant role in IT should prove their accountability by being professionally registered. This includes leaders who use technology in critical national infrastructure like health, defence and other public services.

In practice that means becoming Chartered, just as we expect for other professionals such as doctors

• Every child and adult must have access to a world class computing and digital literacy education; we need qualifications that reflect this.
• Closing the diversity gap in information technology can solve many of its issues around trust, bias and safety – over 500,000 women are ‘missing’ from the profession.

The manifesto has been reviewed and is supported by the BCS President, the BCS Fellows Technical Advisory Group (F-TAG), and the BCS Influence Board.

Build public trust in tech

Alastair Revell, President of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT said: “Whoever comes to power this summer will preside over the rapid adoption of AI and the challenge of unlocking its benefits safely and ethically.

“How do you know who the good people making decisions about this technology really are? They should be the ones prepared to subscribe to the public register after an assessment of their ethical values and technical competence; in the full knowledge, that if they are found wanting, we will remove them. Sanctions with teeth make it meaningful to be an AI professional, and build public trust in tech as a force for good.

“The Post Office inquiry and related cases are a powerful example of this. If, when these investigations conclude, any member is found wanting under our Code of Conduct then BCS will take immediate disciplinary action.

“But even when BCS does that, we can’t stop people from practising, as we don’t regulate them.

“I would like to see the future government make Chartered status a licence to practice in key areas of computing, like AI. This effectively turns removal from the register into an act of being ‘struck off’ for good.

“Unlike a driving licence, we also need that registration to be renewed regularly to ensure competence in a rapidly evolving profession.”

While these are core recommendations, our focus on policy priorities in specialisms such as cyber security, Green IT, software testing, law, digital health and other areas remains stronger than ever. We are working with our subject experts ready to engage with new ministers in departments including DSIT, DfE, Health and DEFRA.

Read BCS’ full manifesto