Would you stake your reputation on an AI system you don’t understand?

Public sector leaders are under growing pressure to deploy AI across services. Pilots are happening, funding is flowing, and expectations are rising. But one critical question remains uncomfortably unanswered: Can you explain what your AI is doing and defend it if it goes wrong?

Traditional software follows a recipe, a fixed set of instructions.

AI, on the other hand, is a chef. It learns from data, experiments with ingredients and discovers its own patterns.

That’s what makes AI both powerful and unpredictable: it can create brilliant solutions, but it's reasoning often remains a black box without proper traceability.

When decisions affect citizens such as access to benefits, eligibility for housing or risk assessments in policing, lack of transparency becomes a reputational issue.

As Steve Connell, Director at Advance QA, puts it in our recent ‘AI readiness in Government’ white paper: “We need outstanding, mature risk management and assurance frameworks in the public sector because the stakes are often relatively high.”

Once AI is in production, public bodies may face scrutiny from internal audit, Parliament, the media or the public. A biased algorithm or citizens being denied a service/application can quickly become a headline.

So, what is the solution?

It begins with independent assurance. Not just one-off audits. Structured testing, live monitoring, and clear benchmarking are essential. These measures provide the ability to stand up in front of a Select Committee and explain what the AI does, how it was tested and how harm was mitigated.

Frameworks already exist. The UK Government AI Assurance Playbook and 2i’s assessment tools give departments a way to evaluate accuracy, fairness, robustness and explainability.

You do not need to be an AI expert. But you do need to know who is testing your system, what they are testing for and how you would defend it if challenged.

Want a clear-eyed view of your AI readiness?

Use 2i’s independent AI assurance diagnostic to find out where you stand — and what needs tightening before scrutiny arrives.