The purpose of this AI Strategy is to clearly articulate why and how Bracknell Forest Council will responsibly implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Specifically, the council will leverage AI to enhance productivity, improve service delivery and support sustainable development.
This strategy is intended as a permissive framework, enabling innovation rather than imposing restrictions, guiding the adoption and prioritisation of diverse AI tools and applications over the next 5 years.
Central to this approach is the commitment to aligning AI initiatives with the council’s broader objectives, including climate change commitments, ethical governance, and workforce development, while keeping residents firmly at the heart of decision making.
Bracknell Forest Council envisions becoming an AI-ready organisation, where AI tools empower staff, streamline operations and deliver tangible improvements to residents' lives. Maintaining a resident-centric approach, the strategy is grounded in 5 guiding principles:
Ensuring transparent governance, clear decision making processes, and consistent human oversight
AI deployment must prioritise equitable outcomes, avoiding biases and aligning with the Equality Act 2010 and GDPR.
Commitment to environmentally sustainable AI practices, prioritising energy-efficient and low-carbon solutions aligned with the council's climate change goals.
Active engagement of residents and stakeholders throughout the AI lifecycle, keeping their needs and perspectives central to decision making.
Continuous staff training and development to build an AI literate workforce, fostering innovation aligned with council objectives.
The strategic objectives of the AI strategy clearly reflect the council's priorities and decision making process:
Through this strategy, Bracknell Forest Council demonstrates a clear commitment to responsible AI use, reflecting both local priorities and broader governmental aspirations for ethical and sustainable AI governance.
AI implementation will be governed by the council’s Information Management Group (IMG), chaired by the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) and including the Caldicott Guardian and Data Protection Officer (DPO). This group, will oversee all ethical, legal, and security aspects of AI deployment.
The council will adhere to ethical standards that safeguard fairness, transparency, and accountability. AI tools will be designed and applied to prevent biases and uphold the values outlined in the UK Government’s AI White Paper, including:
AI applications will operate transparently, with clear documentation and explanations available on how decisions are made.
AI systems must not unfairly target or exclude any group. Tools will be reviewed for compliance with the Equality Act 2010, ensuring inclusive outcomes.
All AI-generated outputs will be reviewed and approved by council staff. No decision will be fully automated.
UK GDPR gives people the right not to be subject to solely automated decisions, including profiling, which have a legal or similarly significant effect on them.
AI will support human decision-making, not replace it.
In line with GDPR, AI tools must safeguard resident data, ensuring privacy, security, and controlled access at all times.
The IMG will regularly monitor and review AI applications to ensure compliance with data protection standards.
A comprehensive register (council’s configuration management database - (CMDB)) of AI applications used within council services will be maintained to track AI deployments, monitor performance and address any security concerns. This register will facilitate transparency and provide a basis for addressing potential risks or ethical issues.
The council recognises the environmental impact of AI, particularly the high energy demand for large-scale data processing. All AI implementations will align with Bracknell Forest’s climate change strategy, prioritising tools that promote energy efficiency and sustainable practices.
By promoting sustainable AI practices, the council aims to support its climate change objectives and lead by example in responsible technology use.
To minimise the carbon footprint associated with AI:
AI tools will operate on energy-efficient platforms where possible, using renewable energy-supported data centres and low-energy computing processes.
Each AI tool will undergo regular assessment to track resource usage, aiming to identify and mitigate high-energy consumption.
Sustainability metrics will be incorporated into the evaluation of AI applications, assessing their alignment with council-wide climate targets and ensuring minimal impact on natural resources.
Bracknell Forest Council will establish a transparent and collaborative approach to AI deployment, actively engaging residents, council staff and relevant stakeholders for each new AI project. Stakeholder engagement will be planned for every AI implementation phase, ensuring public understanding, trust and transparency.
For every AI solution introduced, a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan will be developed, prioritising:
Clear, accessible information on AI tools will be shared with stakeholders, detailing how AI applications support council operations.
The council will actively seek feedback from staff, residents, and community groups, using insights to refine AI applications and improve user experience.
Each engagement session will offer an opportunity to inform and educate stakeholders on the benefits and limitations of AI, reinforcing the council’s commitment to responsible and ethical AI use.
To harness the benefits of AI effectively, Bracknell Forest Council will integrate AI readiness into its workforce development agenda. AI readiness will align with the council’s workforce business change programme, focusing on upskilling staff and fostering a culture of innovation.
The council is committed to providing continuous training on AI, data privacy and ethical considerations. Core aspects of the training programme will include:
Innovation and adaptability will be essential to AI success within the council. Inspired by industry best practices, the council’s AI programme will emphasise:
To ensure a responsible, controlled rollout, the council will adopt a phased approach for AI implementation. This will enable the council to monitor AI applications at each stage, making necessary adjustments to align with operational goals and ethical standards. The phased approach includes:
Initial pilot projects will be conducted to assess the effectiveness, ethical implications and environmental impact of AI tools. These pilots will focus on specific, high-need use cases, allowing the council to collect real-time data on productivity, user experience and potential risks. Each pilot project will include clear objectives and measurable outcomes to evaluate AI’s value.
Following initial pilots, the council will evaluate results, gathering input from staff, residents, and other stakeholders. This phase includes structured feedback sessions to refine AI tools and address any challenges encountered during the pilot. Engagement with the public will be emphasised to ensure transparency and build trust.
Based on evaluation insights, successful AI applications will be deployed on a wider scale across relevant council departments. AI tools will be gradually integrated into existing workflows, with training and support provided to ensure smooth adoption.
All AI applications will undergo continuous monitoring to assess their impact on productivity, environmental sustainability and ethical compliance. Regular reviews will be conducted to make sure AI aligns with the council’s strategic objectives, updating tools as needed (including the removal of the tool) to reflect changes in regulations, public expectations or operational requirements.
Each AI application will be evaluated against performance metrics aligned with council goals. Performance reports will be submitted to the Information Management Group (IMG) and the Digital and Efficiency Business Change Programme at regular intervals, ensuring transparency and accountability in AI operations.
The following key performance indicators (KPIs) will be used:
Metrics such as task completion time, workload reduction, and cost savings will measure productivity improvements.
Regular audits and data protection assessments will ensure AI tools comply with GDPR and other regulations.
AI applications will be evaluated based on energy consumption and alignment with the council’s climate change strategy. Sustainability metrics will be used to track and minimise carbon emissions.
Staff and resident feedback will provide insights into AI’s usability, accessibility, and alignment with public expectations.
AI applications inherently carry risks, including data privacy issues, potential biases and unforeseen technical challenges. To mitigate these risks:
Each AI project will include a comprehensive risk assessment to identify potential ethical, operational, and environmental risks. Mitigation plans will be developed for identified risks, with contingency plans in place for high-risk scenarios.
The formal incident response plan will be updated for AI applications, detailing protocols for managing data breaches, system failures, or ethical concerns. The response plan will include a clear escalation path to ensure timely, effective resolution.
AI applications will be reviewed on a rolling programme (based on risk profile and date of obsolescence) by the IMG to ensure compliance, mitigate emerging risks and maintain alignment with council values and priorities.
The council’s Information Management Group (IMG), led by the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO), will oversee all AI initiatives, including compliance with ethical, environmental, and governance standards. The IMG’s responsibilities include:
The council’s AI strategy will remain adaptable to emerging technologies and shifting public expectations. Through ongoing research, staff training, and community engagement, Bracknell Forest will pursue a culture of continuous improvement in AI, fostering innovation while safeguarding ethical and sustainable practices.
The council will stay informed of AI advancements and explore new use cases that support council operations, improve resident services, or enhance staff capabilities.
Feedback mechanisms will allow for ongoing dialogue with staff and residents, enabling improvements based on practical experiences and stakeholder input.
Every 2 years, the AI strategy will undergo a formal review, with updates made as necessary to reflect advancements in AI, changes in council priorities or updates to national regulations.
Bracknell Forest Council’s AI Strategy represents a forward-thinking approach to adopting AI responsibly and sustainably.
By aligning AI deployment with council objectives, ethical standards, climate change commitments and workforce readiness, the strategy supports Bracknell Forest’s commitment to serving residents effectively and transparently.
The strategy provides a strong foundation for integrating AI tools over the next 5 years, empowering the council to innovate and adapt in a changing digital landscape while upholding public trust and environmental stewardship.
This AI strategy was developed with the support of advanced generative AI tools, including ChatGPT and Microsoft Co-pilot, alongside speech-to-text functionality provided within the Microsoft M365 suite.
These technologies helped in capturing, refining and articulating ideas efficiently, demonstrating our proactive embrace of innovative digital practices.
