Meeting of the Parliament 13 November 2019
There are two answers to that, neither of which is simple or straightforward. The first is about raising awareness and having a genuine discussion about what people’s data is currently being used for. There is a significant misunderstanding about data in public discourse. On one hand, there are fears about how data is being misused but, on the other, there is a conversation about how data can be better used, particularly in the public sector. Two things have brought that to the fore: one is the roll-out of the general data protection regulation, which has reminded people about the importance of consent; the other is the debate about the misuse of data, particularly by tech giants, which has been highlighted over the past few years.
The second answer is that we have to grapple with that right across the public sector, which is where we have control, where data is being shared with medical services or other organisations, as people are being actively asked for their consent and being informed about how that data will be used before it is used.
None of the benefits or the promise that I have identified—whether in the public sector or elsewhere in the economy—will materialise if we do not acknowledge and address the challenges that those new technologies bring, some of which have been outlined. AI raises new ethical issues about using people’s data, as Patrick Harvie’s question suggested, and making decisions that affect them. We want Scotland to continue to lead in the safe, secure and responsible use of data for social and economic benefit. We want to build and maintain public confidence in that journey and we want our businesses to benefit from the opportunities that innovation affords.