EXCLUSIVE
CIVIL servants were given a pricey AI crash course from a celebrity tech writer, it has emerged – as the Government faces claims it is “blocking” Jersey’s own digital experts and starving them of cash to deliver vital upskilling.
Information released following a JEP request under the Freedom of Information Law showed that Public Health spent nearly £4,700 on a half-day workshop with Chris Stokel-Walker, author of ‘How AI ate the world’ whose byline credits include the Guardian, Wired, New Scientist and The Economist.
The spend emerged just weeks after the JEP revealed that Digital Jersey had received “zero funding” for its Digital Academy – the Island’s central hub for digital skills education through which 620 Islanders completed courses last year – and that a request for £100,000 in government funding to deliver more upskilling courses had been denied.
Digital Jersey chief executive Tony Moretta said CYPES told him there was no need for basic digital or AI training locally because free online content already existed – a point confirmed by the department following contact from the JEP.
Digital Jersey chair Frank Walker challenged the funding cuts during All Island Media’s Question Time event attended by Treasury Minister Elaine Millar, arguing that cutting arm’s-length-organisation budgets was “the wrong policy”.
He explained that ALOs like Digital Jersey had originally been created to fill gaps where government departments “were not capable of delivering”, but were not being used by the very departments they were supposed to help.
When Deputy Millar responded she had not seen evidence of Digital Jersey upskilling civil servants, Mr Walker replied that the organisation had been “positively blocked” from doing so.
Meanwhile, IoD Jersey Chair Alex Ruddy argued at the event that cutting ALO funding while expecting economic growth was “naive” and that the government was not making full use of digital expertise available on the Island.
Public Health paid a total of £4,683.68, including expenses, for the half-day AI and misinformation workshop delivered by social enterprise Crafting Hope CIC and Mr Stokel-Walker, whose website strapline reads: “turning complex tech into front-page stories – and teaching teams to do the same”.
The course was described as “bespoke” on Mr Stokel-Walker’s website.
Challenged on why it commissioned the external session by the JEP, a Public Health spokesperson responded: “Investing in AI and misinformation training is a proactive step to protect the health of our 100,000 population.
“The rapid evolution of AI technologies brings both opportunities and risks. While AI can enhance diagnosis, improve patient engagement, and strengthen public health systems, it also has the potential to amplify misinformation.
“This can undermine science-based policy with serious consequences. By upskilling our team, we strengthen resilience, safeguard trust, and ensure robust public health delivery.”
The statement added that government was developing an Island-wide AI policy and training guidebook for staff, saying it was “committed to empowering its workforce by leveraging AI to enhance skills and productivity”.
Last month, Digital Jersey chief executive Tony Moretta told the Public Accounts Committee that digital skills were “not prioritised enough” in the public sector, and that AI was an area where the Island risked being left behind.
And at another Question Time event hosted by All Island Media in September, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said the government had barely discussed AI training or how to employ it in day-to-day functions.
“One of my biggest frustrations in government… are processes that just make no sense and cost us as taxpayers,” he said. “I would love to see our use of this software… I don’t think it’s something we need to be scared of.”
Similar concerns about the apparent lack of understanding on the uses and potential economic implications of AI were relayed by External Relations Minister Ian Gorst at a Scrutiny hearing last month.
Deputy Ian Gorst said the government needed wider discussions about the economic implications of AI.
While he said “there are conversations taking place in pockets”, he said he was not “aware of an overarching workstream”, adding that “maybe now is the time to raise it up to a strategic dialogue”.
