Outdated legacy tech is stopping UK government from adopting AI, MPs say

Date:
Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:03:00 +0000

Description:
The UK face significant challenges with AI adoption, MPs warn.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Report warns legacy systems are a barrier to AI adoption Almost a third of central
UK government systems are end-of-life These systems also present serious cybersecurity risks

The UKs public spending watchdog has released a report outlining barriers to AI adoption, and cites outofdate legacy IT systems as a contributing factor, as well as poor quality data, and data sharing obstacles.

The Departments recommendations come as part of the UK Governments plans to unleash AI with a plan to inject the tech into all corners of British
industry with a 14 billion private sector investment.

The Committee of Public Accounts estimates as much as 28% of central government systems are end-of-life products that can no longer be updated, receive support from suppliers, or are no longer cost effective. A matter of urgency

These legacy systems are of high priority for the Department of Science and Technology (DSIT), not just so AI can be used more widely, but because out-of-date tech can cause serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities .

But, DSIT warns there is no magic bullet and that hardware will take time and effort to replace and fix, even admitting it needs to get a better grip on
the issue. Of the 72 red-rated legacy systems that are highest risk, 21 still lack remediation funding, so there is a long way to go.

The Government has said it wants to mainline AI into the veins of the nation, but our report raises questions over whether the public sector is ready for such a procedure, says Committee Chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP.

The ambition to harness the potential of one of the most significant technological developments of modern times is of course to be welcomed. Unfortunately, those familiar with our Committees past scrutiny of the Governments frankly sclerotic digital architecture will know that any
promises of sudden transformation are for the birds. You might also like Take a look at our picks for the best AI tools around Tackling the UK's cybersecurity skills shortage Many schools still dont have basic
cybersecurity measures, research reveals



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/outdated-legacy-tech-is-stopping-uk-government-f rom-adopting-ai-mps-say


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