皇冠体育app

1. BUSINESS APPOINTMENT APPLICATION: Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston KCB CBE , former Chief of the Air Staff Ministry of Defence. Paid appointment with Faculty AI.聽

Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sir Mike sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (the Committee) under the government鈥檚 Business Appointments Rules for Former Crown Servants (the Rules) on his proposed role with Faculty AI as a Consultant Strategic Adviser.聽

皇冠体育app purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government. 皇冠体育app Committee has considered the risks associated with the actions and decisions ACM Sir Mike made during his time in office, alongside the information and influence he may offer Faculty AI. 皇冠体育app material information taken into consideration by the Committee is set out in the annex.

皇冠体育app Committee considered whether this appointment was unsuitable given ACM Sir Mike鈥檚 former role as Chief of the Air Staff and Faculty AI鈥檚 work which overlaps with the defence sector.聽 皇冠体育app Committee must also consider the information provided by his former department about his specific dealings with this employer and the sector.聽

皇冠体育app Committee鈥檚 advice is not an endorsement of the appointment.皇冠体育app Committee has advised that a number of conditions be imposed to mitigate the potential risks to the government associated with this appointment under the Rules.聽

皇冠体育app Rules^{[footnote 1]} set out that Crown servants must abide by the Committee鈥檚 advice. It is an applicant鈥檚 personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment. Former Crown servants are expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety and act in accordance with the 7 Principles of Public Life.

2. 皇冠体育app Committee鈥檚 consideration of the risk presented

Faculty AI is a technology company that provides software, consulting services and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to customers. It works internationally across several sectors, including defence with one current contract with the MOD.聽

ACM Sir Mike had overall responsibility for the implementation of AI into the air force. However, it is significant that he had no involvement in the MOD鈥檚 contracts or relationships with Faculty AI; and there is no evidence that he made any decisions specific to the company whilst in office. 皇冠体育apprefore, the Committee^{[footnote 2]} considered the risk that he could reasonably be seen to have been offered this role as a reward for decisions made or actions taken whilst in service is limited.

Whilst Faculty AI is not a defence company, it operates in the defence sector. As Chief of the Air Staff, ACM Sir Mike will have had access to sensitive information around the UK鈥檚 defence requirements and capabilities for operations. He will have a detailed understanding of the use of AI in the air force, which could provide an advantage to any company operating in the AI or technology sector. 皇冠体育appre are a number of mitigating factors that help reduce the risks associated with his access to information and insight that may be seen to offer Faculty AI an unfair advantage:

• the MOD confirmed that ACM Sir Mike ceased having access to sensitive information from June 2023. This provides a gap of over nine months between his last having access to privileged insight and information and taking up this work;
• the MOD confirmed ACM聽 Sir Mike had no direct involvement in any of the MOD鈥檚 relationships with companies and organisations operating in the same area of capability as Faculty AI and therefore had no information on competitors that would offer an unfair advantage;
• ACM Sir Mike鈥檚 proposed role with Faculty AI is internally focussed and not specific to the air force or the defence sector

Despite the mitigations there remains a risk he has access to information that may offer privileged insight from his time as the Chief of the Air Staff.聽

Faculty AI also works with a range of unknown clients which poses unknown risks.聽 Given ACM Sir Mike鈥檚 role is focussed on advising the CEO and the company鈥檚 senior leadership team, this risk is limited as ACM Sir Mike will not be working with clients. 皇冠体育app Committee considered the risk is most likely to present itself should ACM Sir Mike be asked to advise on聽 matters or clients associated with UK defence.聽聽

ACM Sir Mike would also have amassed a wide range of contacts during his time in office, with the UK government and beyond.聽 皇冠体育app MOD noted this could be seen to offer聽 Faculty AI unfair access, should it look to extend its work with the UK MOD as its AI capability requirements grow and develop. 皇冠体育app Committee agrees with the MOD that it would be improper for ACM Sir Mike to use his network of contacts or have direct engagement with the UK government or the MOD.聽聽

3. 皇冠体育app Committee鈥檚 advice

皇冠体育app Committee considered that ACM Sir Mike鈥檚 role within the MOD presents real and perceived risks associated with his access to information within the UK government, particularly in relation to defence matters.聽 Whilst the Committee recognised that Sir Mike鈥檚 role with Faculty AI is internal and not specific to defence, it has imposed a condition which prevents him from advising on the UK defence sector to mitigate this risk.聽

皇冠体育app Committee noted ACM Sir Mike鈥檚 role will be focussed on internal strategy and involve no lobbying of government in line with the expectations set out in the Rules. However, there is a risk he could be seen to be offering the company unfair access and influence.聽

皇冠体育app Committee鈥檚 advice is therefore that ACM Sir Mike should have no direct engagement with the MOD or the UK government on behalf of Faculty AI. This is in addition to the usual lobbying ban, to prevent any suggestion on the basis that any engagement would be more than likely perceived as lobbying.聽

皇冠体育app Committee advises, under the government鈥檚 Business Appointment Rules, that ACM Sir Mike鈥檚 role with Faculty AI should be subject to the following conditions:

• he should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the persons or organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service;

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK government, MOD, or their arm鈥檚 length bodies on behalf of Faculty AI (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); nor should he make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in the government and/or ministerial contacts to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage Faculty AI (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients);

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying contacts he has developed during his time in office and in other governments and organisations for the purpose of securing business for Faculty AI (including parent companies, subsidiaries and partners);

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not provide advice to Faculty AI (including parent companies, subsidiaries or partners) on the terms of, or with regard to the subject matter of, a bid or contract with, or relating directly to the work of the UK government, the MOD and its trading funds, or their arm鈥檚 length bodies; and

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not advise Faculty AI (including parent companies, subsidiaries or partners) or its clients on the UK defence market; and he must not directly engage with the MOD/UK government or its arm鈥檚 length bodies on Faculty AI鈥檚 behalf (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients).

皇冠体育app advice and the conditions under the government鈥檚 Business Appointment Rules relate to an applicant鈥檚 previous role in government only; they are separate from rules administered by other bodies such as the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Registrar of Lords鈥� Interests^{[footnote 3]}. It is an applicant鈥檚 personal responsibility to understand any other rules and regulations they may be subject to in parallel with this Committee鈥檚 advice.

By 鈥榩rivileged information鈥� we mean official information to which a Minister or Crown servant has had access as a consequence of his or her office or employment and which has not been made publicly available. Applicants are also reminded that they may be subject to other duties of confidentiality, whether under the Official Secrets Act, the Civil Service Code or otherwise.

皇冠体育app Business Appointment Rules explain that the restriction on lobbying means that the former Crown servant/Minister 鈥榮hould not engage in communication with Government (Ministers, civil servants, including special advisers, and other relevant officials/public office holders) 鈥� wherever it takes place - with a view to influencing a Government decision, policy or contract award/grant in relation to their own interests or the interests of the organisation by which they are employed, or to whom they are contracted or with which they hold office鈥�.

You must inform us as soon as ACM Sir Mike takes up employment with this organisation, or if it is announced that he will do so, by emailing the office at the above address. Please also inform us if he proposes to extend or otherwise change the nature of his role as, depending on the circumstances, it may be necessary for him to make a fresh application.

Once the appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, we will publish this letter on the Committee鈥檚 website, and where appropriate, refer to it in the relevant annual report.

4. Annex- material information聽

4.1 皇冠体育app role聽

Faculty AI is a technology company that provides software, consulting, and services related to artificial intelligence. ACM Sir Mike said that it works both as a springboard for placing STEM graduates into careers in computing and data science, and as a provider of AI solutions to customers. Its website says that it works in the UK and internationally across several private and public sectors, including defence. Faculty AI has contracts with several government departments, including the MOD.聽

ACM Sir Mike wishes to take up a paid role as a Consultant Strategic Advisor with Faculty AI. ACM Sir Mike said that his role will be internal facing, to provide strategic advice to the CEO and the leadership team at board and senior management level, as the company grows in the UK and overseas.聽 He said he will be helping craft its business and growth strategy, including: organisational design, international footprint, STEM talent management and data and tech up-skilling.聽

ACM Sir Mike said that the role will not involve any direct commercial bidding or business development. Sir Mike also confirmed his role will not involve lobbying government, the MOD or ministers.聽

4.2 Dealings in office聽

ACM Sir Mike said that although the MOD has a contract with Faculty AI, he did not have any involvement in that commercial relationship. He said he was not responsible for any specific policy or regulatory areas as Chief of the Air Staff.聽 He said that his role was operational, overseeing the delivery of defence policy and priorities to meet the Chief of Defence Staff鈥檚 objectives.聽

4.3 Departmental assessment聽

皇冠体育app MOD said that Faculty AI has contracts with several government departments and currently has one contract with the MOD, in Strategic Command as a software and AI partner. Faculty AI also sponsors the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) Defence AI Centre^{[footnote 4]}. 皇冠体育app Defence AI Centre works collaboratively across the MOD as a federated organisation, and is not specific to the air force, and supported by a core team from:

• Defence Digital (Digital Foundry), as part of Strategic Command
• Defence Equipment & Support (Future Capability Group) - which is responsible for procurement
• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Cyber Information System Division) - which leads on development of science and technology across industry, academia and government to enable capability and delivery

皇冠体育app MOD said ACM Sir Mike had no involvement in DSTL鈥檚聽 relationship with Faculty AI. Further, it confirmed ACM Sir Mike did not have any commercial involvement with Faculty AI or its competitors in the AI and technology services industry.聽 It therefore considered there is a low risk this appointment could result in unfair advantage to Faculty AI owing to any knowledge or information he holds on commercial matters.聽

皇冠体育app MOD said that Faculty AI may try to extend its reach within the MOD as AI technology becomes more integrated into capability development, but noted ACM Sir Mike鈥檚 role is internal, focussing on STEM and education influence within the company.聽 皇冠体育app MOD said that ACM Sir Mike had influence at the highest levels of the UK MOD and he oversaw the adoption of AI into Air Command鈥檚 capability. Although ACM Sir Mike states he will not have any contact with the MOD in his new role, suitable restrictions will need to be put in place to mitigate the risk of perception that his proposed employer could gain undue advantage through use of such contacts, knowledge and access to information.

皇冠体育app MOD recommended that further to the standard conditions, ACM Sir Mike鈥檚 role with Faculty AI should be limited so that he is prevented from advising drawing on matters related to his time in office and . He should also be prevented from having any direct engagement with the MOD or UK government.