So here's a thing we've been thinking about: AI makes it easier to do a lot of things, which can be good on an individual level but causes capacity problems in public services that depended a bit on it being hard to do things.
How can we protect and expand FOI?
@mysociety.org have written up the first workshop exploring what an FOI Network could do to help www.mysociety.org/2026/04/14/f...
The second workshop, on how a Network could support journalists and specialist users, is... TOMORROW!
Sign up: luma.com/y12euvs2
Glad you're on the mend at least - take it easy and hope you feel much better soon!
Thanks for asking 🙂
How are you doing?
Photo of a Brighton Marathon Finisher medal
Ran! Finished! Pretty happy with the time! Never doing it again!
Thank you! The wind is... currently not in that category
One for the more academic types on here, but does anyone know of a good history of policymaking? I am thinking of something that tells me about how we've conceived of policy over the centuries. For instance there was clearly a shift from historical analogy to economics in the early 20th century.
A big thank you to everyone who worked with us, spoke to us, took part in the workshops and presented (and came along to!) the community of practice
All the work collected here: connectedbydata.org/projects/202...
The growing case to protect FOI www.mysociety.org/2026/04/08/t...
Great summary by @juliacushion.bsky.social of responses to recent threats to freedom of information
We, @mysociety.org & others are exploring what an FOI Network could look like
Next online workshop: Wed 15 April luma.com/y12euvs2
Fix the plumbing => fix the planning!
Had a great conversation with @mikerose.co.uk and Colm Britton about their work with MHCLG on digital planning - and the role of data standards, underlying infrastructure, openness, community and much more besides
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...
Why @connectedbydata.org will be winding up next year 👇
How might an FOI Network encourage the protection and expansion of Freedom of Information in the UK?
Building on the success of FOI Fest (www.mysociety.org/transparency...), that's the question we'll be looking to answer at an online workshop next Wednesday, 1 April.
Join us! luma.com/erlh5p2b
Oliver Bruff from the Ada Lovelace Institute presents at TransformGov Talks at the Ministry of Justice. He is stood to the right of a green TransformGov Talks banner and the left of a projector screen. The backs of audience members' heads can be seen as they sit around two long tables, watching and listening.
A huge thank you to last night's excellent @transformgovtalks.bsky.social presenters:
- Oliver @adalovelaceinst.bsky.social on AI transcription in social care www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/scrib...
- Owen @infocommission.bsky.social on Better Records Together ico.org.uk/about-the-ic...
Happy @transformgovtalks.bsky.social week!
Join us for 6pm this Wednesday, online or at the MoJ in London SW1
👇
Our next event!
🚨 6PM, WED 25 March 🚨
At the MoJ or online.
Lara Groves and Oliver Bruff, Ada Lovelace Institute, on AI transcription tools in social care
Owen Prendeville, on the ICO’s campaign to drive improvements for access to care records
luma.com/8i84tnwy
Please share! Thanks 🙏
What better time for an online workshop from the FOI Network on...
How might an FOI Network encourage the protection and expansion of Freedom of Information in the UK?
Join us online at midday on Wednesday 1 April to discuss luma.com/erlh5p2b
Bumper freedom of information thread for your delectation and delight (and disquiet):
- Links to great FOI Fest videos, a month on
- A couple of big FOI stories in the FT this week
- Details of the first FOI Network online event (join us!)
A screenshot of TfL's webpage for Turnpike Lane Station. It gives a live status of the station being quieter than usual, then a pale yellow box saying there are reported access issues - this has to be expanded to show that the station is in fact closed due to flooding. Below is a live arrivals table showing when trains are arriving at the station. https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUTPN/turnpike-lane-underground-station?lineId=piccadilly
Schrödinger's station
(Pretty poor content design tbh)
A huge thank you to everyone who presented (full archive: connectedbydata.org/projects/202...) and to everyone who came along and shared their insights!
Please do fill in the survey and shape what comes next, too bsky.app/profile/conn...
Local government bods! Anyone with experience of getting permission for working in the open at your local authority? Need a couple of quotes from people who’ve done it before...
Join us at 2pm today for our final (at least for now) meeting, where @timdavies.org.uk will be sharing some of @connectedbydata.org's work 👇
Two weeks today!
Sign up for the latest @transformgovtalks.bsky.social with:
@laragroves.bsky.social, @adalovelaceinst.bsky.social on www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/scrib...
Owen from the ICO on ico.org.uk/about-the-ic...
In person (central London) or online 👇
Igor Tudor needs to make it to 4 April to beat Liz Truss, in case you were wondering
Whilst you're here....
We've been running this COP since July 2024. Funding for the project ends in March 2026 so we're considering what happens next. We ask you to take a little time to complete a survey on your thoughts.
MS form: forms.office.com/r/g...
Google form: docs.google.com/form...
📢 Data & AI public engagement community of practice session, hosted by Gavin Freeguard
📆 Wednesday 11 March 2026
🕰️ 2-3:15pm UTC
Register at connectedbydata.org/...
🎤 Tim Davies, our Research & Practice Director, will share some of our work on public engagement around data & AI.
Asking this on Bluesky out of laziness, but would any south London/south London adjacent folks who work in tech be interested in taking part in a "work in progress" night to try out new talks? (quick 🧵)
There's some good tech reporting across the BBC, but...
This morning we have end-to-end encryption being described as 'controversial privacy tech' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
A few weeks ago, a chatbot being anthropomorphised www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Do we need a thematic review?
