Smart data is made whenever we engage with the digital world. When we buy something, ‘like’ something, or get directions.

Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) is the UK’s national programme for smart data research, with a mission to unlock the power of data to improve lives. By bringing together companies, academics and government, SDR UK aims to provide safe and secure data access to smart data at scale for the purposes of cutting-edge research and better policy making.

Greater use of smart data for research raises social and ethical issues. For example, given smart data is held by private companies but much smart data research is publicly funded, what is an appropriate share of benefits between companies who share their smart datasets and wider society? Which groups of society might be missed out or negatively affected by greater use of smart data for research? What are the risks and potential harms of conducting research using datasets heavily shaped by algorithms? What smart data research for public good should SDR UK prioritise?

This foundational public dialogue will gather insights on public hopes and concerns regarding the use of smart data for research for the public good. The findings will help SDR UK to ensure smart data is used responsibly and in a way that is trustworthy.

Dialogue objectives:

• Understand people’s hopes and concerns towards smart data research for public good, and the values and principles that underlie them.
• Identify people’s aspirations and priorities about the real-world needs which could be met by smart data research.
• Identify people’s views on the governance arrangements needed to ensure smart data research is aligned with public values and expectations.
• Understand people’s expectations for ensuring that collaborations between publicly funded data scientists and private companies align with public good and ethical principles.
• Use the insight from the dialogue to inform the establishment of Smart Data Research UK and its data centres and their public engagement work in the longer term.

The public dialogue workshops will engage a nationally reflective sample of 72 members of the public in online and in-person workshops, in September and October 2024. The dialogue is run by Thinks Insight and is being evaluated by Navigator Consulting and Graphic Science.

Read commissioner reflections in a blog post here.