Isle of Man launches National AI Office to drive opportunity and safe adoption
The government has created the National Office for Artificial Intelligence to help the island use AI with confidence and control. £1m from the Economic Strategy Fund will support training, awareness, literacy, and engagement with industry.
Led by Digital Isle of Man, the office will educate the public sector, advise on risks and benefits, and act as a co-ordination point for policy. The aim is simple: move forward, stay competitive, and use AI appropriately.
Why this matters for government teams
Lyle Wraxall, chief executive of Digital Isle of Man, said the focus is to "balance the opportunity" of AI with making sure people "use AI responsibly and ethically." The new office will be staffed by three existing team members who will guide national policy, adoption, and standards.
The office will also work to improve public service delivery and efficiency. Expect practical guidance for departments, advice on adoption, and support to evaluate risks without stalling useful projects.
Workforce impact: clarity over fear
Enterprise Minister Tim Johnston acknowledged concerns about jobs and the future of work. He said AI will change how businesses deploy people and improve productivity, but it will likely lead to redeployment rather than job losses.
His point was direct: education is key. People are unsure of AI; with the right training, they can see both the risks and the opportunities.
What the National AI Office will do
- Coordinate national AI policy and standards across departments.
- Raise AI literacy with training and public awareness.
- Provide guidance on responsible use, risk, and compliance.
- Engage with industry to surface practical use cases for the island.
- Support improvements in service delivery and operational efficiency.
Practical next steps for departments
- Nominate an AI lead and log current or proposed AI use cases.
- Run risk assessments using a recognised framework such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (NIST AI RMF).
- Start small pilots with clear KPIs like case resolution time, cost per case, and user satisfaction.
- Set data, privacy, and security standards for any AI use; define audit and incident response steps.
- Plan for reskilling and redeployment in partnership with HR and unions.
- Create procurement guardrails for AI suppliers, including testing, evaluation, and ongoing monitoring.
- Establish an ethics and safety review for higher-impact or sensitive use cases.
Guardrails build public trust
Wraxall's message is clear: use AI responsibly. That means transparency for significant decisions, documented testing, and clear accountability for outcomes.
Set expectations early, publish guidance, and show your work. Public confidence grows when people can see how systems are assessed, monitored, and improved.
Skills and support
With new funding earmarked for training and literacy, departments should prioritise upskilling now. Start with role-based training for leaders, policy teams, service owners, data specialists, and frontline staff.
If you need structured learning paths by job function, see AI courses by job.
Leadership statements
"It's balancing the opportunity and the need for us as a country to embrace it to move forward, and to remain competitive but make sure we do that in the appropriate way," said Lyle Wraxall.
Tim Johnston added that while business deployment and productivity will change, it should "not necessarily lead to job losses," as AI "would likely lead to redeployment." He reiterated that "education is key."
Chief Minister Alfred Cannan said there is "no doubt that artificial intelligence is already transforming our economy and society." He stressed collaboration: the National AI Office will work with industry so public and private sectors "move in lockstep" to get the full benefit of this change.
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