Trust in AI is built through Partnership

Recently, IEG Group was proud to sponsor a challenge at the European Study Group with Industry at the University of Exeter.

The event brought together mathematicians, data scientists and researchers from across the UK and Europe to work alongside industry partners on real-world challenges. It created a valuable environment where academic thinking, practical experience and fresh perspectives could come together to explore complex problems.

For me, supporting the event was a natural extension of a relationship that has played an important role in the innovation journey of Agile Applications (part of IEG Group) for more than six years.

Since 2020, we have worked with the University of Exeter through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership focused on applying advanced research to challenges within local government planning.

The partnership has enabled us to combine academic expertise in areas such as machine learning, explainable AI and data science with our practical understanding of planning services and the pressures facing local authorities.

This work has helped shape the technology behind AI Validator, our solution designed to help planning authorities validate applications more efficiently, consistently and accurately.

However, I believe the value of the partnership has extended far beyond the development of individual features or technical capabilities.

It has influenced the way we approach innovation.

Academic collaboration has introduced new perspectives, rigorous testing and opportunities to explore challenges through a different lens. Our industry experience has provided an understanding of operational realities, customer needs and the environments in which technology must perform.

By bringing these areas together, we have been able to turn promising ideas into practical solutions capable of meeting the demands of the real world.

As artificial intelligence and machine learning have become more widely used within public services, I believe organisations have had a responsibility to ensure that innovation is not only effective, but also robust, explainable and trustworthy.

This has been particularly important in local government.

Planning authorities make decisions that can have a significant impact on individuals, communities and local development. Any technology supporting those services must therefore be reliable, transparent and capable of being used with confidence by experienced professionals.

In my view, AI is only valuable to local authorities when it supports better decision-making without removing professional judgement or reducing accountability.

That means organisations developing AI-assisted technology must be able to demonstrate how their solutions have been created, how outcomes are supported and how accuracy and consistency are continually assessed.

Trust cannot simply be added to a product through messaging.

It must be built into the way the technology is researched, developed, tested and improved.

Our experience has shown me that trust in AI is earned through evidence, collaboration and continuous learning.

For customers using AI Validator, confidence has come from knowing that the technology was not developed in isolation. It has been informed by academic research, shaped by practical planning experience and strengthened through long-term collaboration.

It has also been developed with the understanding that AI should assist officers rather than replace them.

The purpose of AI Validator has been to help planning teams identify missing information, apply validation requirements more consistently and reduce the administrative time involved in reviewing applications.

Officers have remained in control of the process, while the technology has provided additional support, insight and consistency.

For me, this balance has been essential.

Public sector organisations must be able to understand how technology has reached an outcome, challenge it where necessary and retain responsibility for the final decision.

Explainability has therefore not been an optional technical feature. It has been central to building confidence in AI-assisted services.

Strong partnerships have created space for us to explore ideas beyond immediate commercial or operational pressures.

They have allowed researchers and industry experts to challenge assumptions, test new approaches and learn from one another over time.

Our relationship with the University of Exeter has provided exactly that kind of environment.

It has allowed us to explore how emerging technologies could be used responsibly within planning services while remaining focused on the practical needs of local authorities, planning officers, applicants and agents.

That long-term approach has been important because trustworthy innovation rarely comes from a single project or breakthrough.

It is built through repeated testing, shared learning and a willingness to continually improve.

The challenge we sponsored at ESGI was another example of the value created when academia and industry work together.

By bringing researchers and organisations into the same room, ESGI created opportunities to approach established challenges in new ways, explore different methods and generate ideas that may not have emerged through traditional product development alone.

The relationship between universities and businesses is often described as a catalyst for innovation.

In my experience, it has been something even more important.

It has been a foundation for trust.

As we have continued to develop AI Validator and other AI-assisted solutions for planning authorities, we have remained committed to combining practical experience with robust research and evidence.

Technology has continued to evolve, but I believe the principles behind its responsible development should remain consistent.

AI must be explainable.

It must support professional judgement.

It must be tested against real-world needs.

Most importantly, it must earn the confidence of the people and organisations using it.

I would like to thank the University of Exeter, the Knowledge Exchange Hub for Mathematical Sciences, Aneesh Krishnaraj Nejikar and everyone who contributed to ESGI195.

The event was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when academic expertise and industry experience come together. The ideas generated throughout the week demonstrated how collaboration can bring fresh thinking to complex challenges and help shape practical, trustworthy solutions for the real world.