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Why evaluating the impact of AI needs to start now

Artificial-intelligence technologies are being deployed rapidly across industries, yet most organizations lack even basic guidelines to assess the tools’ effects.
By
  1. Oliver P. Hauser

    1. Oliver P. Hauser is a professor of economics at the University of Exeter, Exeter, UK, and a senior adviser for the UK Cabinet Office and HM Treasury’s Evaluation Task Force, London, UK.

  2. Miriam Light

    1. Miriam Light is an evaluation lead for the UK Cabinet Office and HM Treasury’s Evaluation Task Force, London, UK.

  3. Lizzie Shelmerdine

    1. Lizzie Shelmerdine is a senior evaluation adviser for the UK Cabinet Office and HM Treasury’s Evaluation Task Force, London, UK.

  4. Jack Blumenau

    1. Jack Blumenau is an associate professor of political science at University College London, London, UK, and a senior adviser for the UK Cabinet Office and HM Treasury’s Evaluation Task Force, London, UK.

A small humanoid robot stands, apparently ignored, in the middle of a crowd of people in a conference centre

Robots and other artificial-intelligence tools could help policymakers run societies efficiently. Credit: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to be a transformative force in science, society and the economy. However, much remains unknown about the broader implications of widespread AI use.

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Nature 643, 910-912 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02266-7

References

  1. Dell’Acqua, F. et al. Working Paper 24-013 (Harvard Business School Technology & Operations Management Unit, 2023).

  2. Doshi, A. R. & Hauser, O. P. Sci. Adv. 10, eadn5290 (2024).

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  3. UK Cabinet Office. Guidance on the Impact Evaluation of AI Interventions (UK Government, 2024).

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  4. HM Treasury. The Magenta Book: Guidance Notes for Policy Evaluation and Analysis (UK Government, 2011).

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  5. Bojinov, I., Saint-Jacques, G. & Tingley, M. Harv. Bus. Rev. 98, 48–53 (2020).

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  6. Dong, M., Bonnefon, J.-F. & Rahwan, I. Preprint at arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2407.12143 (2024).

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Competing Interests

O.P.H. is a professor at University of Exeter and an unpaid senior adviser to the UK Cabinet Office/HM Treasury. J.B. is an associate professor at UCL and a paid senior adviser to the UK Cabinet Office/HM Treasury. M.L. and L.S. are full-time employees of the UK Cabinet Office/HM Treasury.

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