Agenda item

Pete Turner and Danuta Dobrzanska presented data on alcohol-related issues in Aberdeen, emphasising the need for established success criteria, which were semi-formalised in August. They collaborated with Rayner Stewart, the Council's Analytics and Insight Manager, to explore various data sources, including the Population Needs Assessment and the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP). Despite gathering valuable insights, they noted a lack of comprehensive data on revenues and policing costs, complicating their analysis for the Licensing Board.

Mr Turner shared his experiences with AI tools, particularly Microsoft Copilot, which he found effective for generating insights from data. He highlighted the AI's ability to provide balanced recommendations based on different prompts, such as prioritising health impacts versus business outcomes. However, he acknowledged that AI lacks the complexity required for nuanced discussions, highlighting the importance of human input in data interpretation and decision-making.

Ms Dobrzanska pointed out the imbalance in available public domain information, noting that there was more data from health and social care sectors than from businesses. She stressed the need for businesses to publish relevant information to ensure their perspectives were included in discussions. Additionally, she addressed the challenges of accessing fragmented footfall data across multiple PDFs, but noted that AI could efficiently analyse and synthesise this information.

The conversation highlighted the importance of human dialogue in understanding the complexities of alcohol and licensing issues. Whilst AI could serve as a starting point for discussions, it could not replace the need for collaborative efforts to establish realistic goals and identify stakeholders. Ms Dobrzanska emphasised that LOIP targets were set through public consultation, ensuring community support.

Overall, the Forum recognised AI's potential to assist in data analysis and decision-making whilst acknowledging the necessity of human engagement to navigate the complexities of alcohol-related issues in Aberdeen.

Currently, there appears to be a significant imbalance, with far more public domain information available from the NHS and social care sectors compared to the business side. If this imbalance continues, discussions and AI-generated proposals were likely to favour health data. Mr Turner noted that if businesses wanted their perspectives to be considered, they needed to ensure that relevant information was published and accessible to these tools. If businesses keep their data private, the benefits they experience may not be adequately represented in discussions.

Ms Dobrzanska shared her approach to using AI, categorising it into two areas: tasks that were simple but time-consuming, such as summarizing lengthy documents, and data processing. AI could efficiently handle large amounts of data, percentages, and documents, and because it has internet access, users could input links to external data sources. This allows for a more comprehensive understanding without needing all the data physically on hand. Users could simply provide a link, and the AI could analyse the information and provide insights based on that data.

Steve McConnachie contributed to the conversation, expressing that it was a fascinating discussion. He prefaced his remarks by stating his support for the incorporation of technology into the dialogue, viewing it as a valuable assistant to the work being done. He echoed sentiments from John Webster and Phil Mackie, emphasising that technology should serve as a support tool rather than a primary decision-making authority. He expressed concern about the potential for individuals to relinquish their autonomy and freedom of thought by relying too heavily on AI-generated responses. Whilst AI could provide vast amounts of information, he highlighted the critical distinction between information and knowledge, as well as between knowledge and wisdom, which involved the application of that knowledge. He reiterated his overall support for the use of these technologies whilst advocating for a balanced approach that maintained human judgment and critical thinking in decision-making processes.

The Forum resolved:-

to note the findings in relation to AI generated data.