Interviews
In Conversation with Dr Laura Gilbert: Founder of the Downing Street Data Science Team
The founder of the UK government’s AI incubator, Dr Laura Gilbert, sits down with LSB to discuss why most AI projects fail, who really benefits from AI, and her no-holds-barred opinion of doomsday predictions.
The founder of the UK government’s AI incubator, Dr Laura Gilbert, sits down with LSB to discuss why most AI projects fail, who really benefits from AI, and her no-holds-barred opinion of doomsday predictions.
Dr Laura Gilbert CBE is one of the UK’s leading voices on applied artificial intelligence. She founded 10DS, Downing Street’s data science team, and the government’s Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI). Today she is Senior Director of AI at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, advising governments worldwide on AI strategy.
Her focus is on using AI to deliver real outcomes. In this interview, she is refreshingly frank. She says going “AI first” is “always a terrible, terrible idea”, and explains why 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail to deliver, and how this organisations can avoid this. She questions whether the AI CEOs calling for regulation have the world’s best interests at heart. And she pushes back on Geoffrey Hinton’s warning of a 10% chance that AI will wipe out humanity.
She also tackles the questions leaders are asking now. Is AI taking entry-level jobs, with UK unemployment at 16.4% this spring? Can it shrink an inequality bill she puts at £35–70 billion a year? And why do experts so often ignore the evidence in front of them? Her answer, drawn from her time at No 10 and beyond, is surprising.
If you are deciding where AI fits in your organisation, ask yourself one question: are you starting with the problem, or the technology? Gilbert’s answer could keep you out of the 95%.
Interested in booking Dr Laura Gilbert as a keynote speaker or boardroom advisor?
Video Timeline
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:32 – Who is Laura Gilbert?
- 0:52 – Building AI for Good
- 2:27 – Why Enterprise AI Adoption Fails
- 4:05 – The End of the Zero-Sum Game
- 6:05 – UK AI Regulation and the Safety Summit
- 9:43 – Are AI Leaders Calling for Regulation in Good Faith?
- 12:30 – AI, Jobs and Graduate Employment
- 15:03 – Who Are You Giving Your Data To?
- 19:00 – Geoffrey Hinton’s 10% Prediction
- 23:14 – What Worries Her Most
- 24:15 – How AI Shapes Decision-Making
- 26:51 – Lessons from Downing Street and the Tetlock Study
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr Laura Gilbert?
Dr Laura Gilbert CBE is Senior Director of AI at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. She was the founding director of 10DS, the Downing Street data science team, and of the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI).
What does Dr Laura Gilbert speak about?
Artificial intelligence in government and business, AI regulation and safety, AI and the future of work, and the psychology of evidence-based decision-making.
How can I book Dr Laura Gilbert as a speaker?
Contact London Speaker Bureau for availability and a fee quote for keynotes, panels or boardroom advisory sessions.