Report: A Maturing AI Assurance Ecosystem: Sector Specific Applications

techUK is excited to announce the publication of our latest paper, ‘A Maturing AI Assurance Ecosystem: Sector Specific Applications’, which explores how AI assurance is currently being applied in key sectors across the UK and suggests concrete pathways forward to strengthen a cohesive AI assurance ecosystem.

The UK has set an ambition to establish itself as a global leader in AI development and deployment, positioning the nation at the forefront of technological innovation while driving economic growth and competitiveness. Central to this vision is the UK's pioneering work in AI assurance, developing the ecosystem designed to support justified trust in systems through evidenced based action. This comprehensive approach to risk mitigation has been seen to support responsible AI adoption, ensure regulatory compliance, and facilitate access to capital for innovative ventures.

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This paper examines how AI assurance is currently being applied across five key sectors: Justice and Emergency Services, Financial Services, Education, Health and Social Care, and Defence. These sectors share important characteristics: all are safety-critical, operate with a low-risk appetite, and function within highly regulated environments, and some as critical infrastructure. These similarities make cross-sector learning particularly valuable.

You can download each of the sector briefs below:

Justice and Emergency Services

AI Assurance in Justice and Emergency Services

This chapter examines how justice and emergency services are applying AI assurance in a sector defined by high stakes, low risk appetite, and intense public scrutiny.

Drawing on insights from techUK’s 4 June 2025 session, it highlights cautious but growing adoption across policing, courts, and emergency response, with major challenges around data sensitivity, accountability, fragmented oversight, and the consequences of algorithmic error.

The chapter shows how existing frameworks (such as NIST, ISO 42001, ICO guidance, and the Covenant of AI in Policing) are being adapted to sector needs, illustrated through practical case studies on facial recognition and AI ethics committee oversight.

Key takeaway

Prioritise framework consolidation, justice-specific adaptations, and formal cross-sector knowledge transfer to accelerate trustworthy AI deployment.

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Key contributors

Cinzia Miatto

Programme Manager - Justice & Emergency Services, techUK

Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.

The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.

Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.

Email:: [email protected]

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Dave Evans

Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK

Dave is a former senior police officer with the City of London Police, bringing extensive experience as a Detective and senior leader across frontline operations and multi-agency partnerships at regional and national levels.

He has led and supported responses to major national incidents, including mass casualty events, counter-terrorism operations and large-scale public disorder, working closely with partners across the criminal justice sector.

Alongside his public service, Dave has also held leadership roles in the private sector, managing projects focused on intellectual property and licensing. His combined experience across both sectors gives him a deep understanding of how collaboration between service providers and end users can strengthen resilience and trust.

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Financial Services

AI in Financial Services

This chapter explores how financial services, one of the UK’s largest and most globally integrated sectors, demonstrate comparatively advanced AI assurance maturity.

Drawing on insights from techUK’s 10 June 2025 session, it outlines how longstanding model risk management, fiduciary duties, and a consolidated regulatory environment shape rigorous approaches to fairness, transparency, robustness, and governance.

The chapter highlights how institutions are adapting traditional validation methods to AI, illustrated through real-world assurance examples such as Virgin Money’s and PWC’s systemic AI testing, independent bias audits, and the FCA’s AI Live Testing initiative.

Key takeaway

Build on existing model risk management foundations while advancing fairness testing, adversarial robustness, and cross-sector knowledge sharing to strengthen trustworthy deployment.

Key contributor

James Challinor

Head of Financial Services, techUK

James leads our financial services programme of activity. He works closely with member firms from across the sector to ensure innovation and technology are fully harnessed and embraced by both industry and regulators.

Prior to joining us James worked at other business organisations including TheCityUK and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in roles focused on supporting the financial & related professional services eco-system, with a particular focus on financial technology and market infrastructure.

Email:: [email protected]
LinkedIn:: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-challinor-105212177/

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Education

AI in Education

This chapter examines AI assurance in education, drawing on insights from techUK’s 19 June 2025 event.

It highlights a fragmented and resource-constrained sector responsible for more than nine million learners, where AI influences assessment, personalisation, administration, and safeguarding. Unlike commercially driven sectors, education’s risk profile is defined by developmental vulnerability, equity concerns, SEND requirements, and complex multi-stakeholder governance.

Despite emerging guidance, from practitioner communities, the DfE, and early assurance tools, schools lack consistent capacity to evaluate vendor claims or ensure safe deployment.

Key takeaway

Simplify existing assurance frameworks, invest in equitable capacity building, and embed participatory governance so AI strengthens learning outcomes without widening inequalities or undermining child protection.

Key contributor

Austin Earl

Programme Manager, Education and EdTech, techUK

Austin leads techUK’s Education and EdTech programme, shaping strategies that support the digital transformation of schools, colleges, and universities. His work focuses on strengthening the UK’s education technology ecosystem, enhancing core technology foundations, and advancing the adoption of emerging technologies to improve educational outcomes.

Austin also chairs the EdTech Advisory Panel for AI in Education, contributing to national discussions on the future of EdTech, AI, and the UK's Education system.

Health and Social Care

AI in Health and Social Care

This chapter outlines how AI assurance is applied within health and social care, a sector marked by advanced clinical innovation but significant operational fragmentation.

Drawing on insights from techUK’s 17 June 2025 event, it highlights the sector’s uniquely high risk profile: potential clinical harm, cumulative risk across care pathways, vulnerable patient groups, and inconsistent digital maturity across NHS trusts.

The chapter explores regulatory obligations, ethical principles, and emerging assurance tools, illustrated through case studies spanning clinical safety, GenAI testing, and high-risk biometric evaluation.

Key takeaway

Build on existing assurance tools, while prioritising system-wide consistency, integrated data, and safety-by-design approaches to enable trustworthy, scalable AI adoption across the NHS.

Key contributor

Robert Walker

Head of Health & Social Care, techUK

Robert joined techUK in October 2022, where he is now Programme Manager for Health and Social Care.

Robert previously worked at the Pension Protection Fund, within the policy and public affairs team. Prior to this, he worked at the Scottish Parliament, advising politicians and industry stakeholders on a wide range of issues, including rural crime and health policies.

Robert has a degree in Politics and International Relations (MA Hons) from the University of Aberdeen, with a particular focus on strategic studies and energy security. Outside of work he enjoys activities such as running, rugby, boxing and cooking!

Email:: [email protected]

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Viola Pastorino

Junior Programme Manager, Health and Care Team, techUK

Viola Pastorino is a policy, governance, and strategic communication specialist.

She joined techUK as the Junior Programme Manager in the Health and Care Team in April 2024.

She has obtained a Bachelor of Sciences in Governance, Economics, and Development from Leiden University, and a Master's programme in Strategic Communications at King's College London. Her academic background, leading up to a dissertation on AI policy influence and hands-on campaign development, is complemented by practical experience in international PR and grassroots project management.

She is skilled in qualitative and quantitative analysis and comfortable communicating findings to varying stakeholders. Above all, she is deeply passionate about the intersection of technology and government, especially how technology and global discourse shape one another, the processes that lead to belief polarisation and radicalisation of communities, and crafting strategic narratives that steer public discourse.

Outside of work she loves reading, live music light operation, and diving.

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Defence

AI in Defence

This chapter analyses AI assurance in defence, drawing on techUK’s 25 June 2025 event and wider Defence Programme insights.

Defence presents the most complex risk profile of the sectors examined, operating in adversarial, and strategically sensitive environments where system failure may result in loss of life, compromised intelligence, or national security threats.

The chapter highlights distinctive challenges including adversarial robustness, international humanitarian law compliance, coalition interoperability, and systems-level assurance. Case studies, from adversarial testing to lifecycle evaluation and human-autonomy failure analysis, demonstrate emerging best practice.

Key takeaway

Defence must consider integrating continuous adversarial testing, human-machine team evaluation, and interoperable assurance frameworks to deliver AI capabilities that remain lawful, dependable, and operationally effective under contested conditions. Finally, we must establish cross-sector knowledge transfer mechanisms that leverage shared characteristics of sectors examined.

Key contributor

Fred Sugden

Associate Director, Defence and National Security, techUK

Fred is responsible for techUK's activities across the Defence and National Security sectors, working to provide members with access to key stakeholders across the Defence and National Security community. Before taking on the role of Associate Director for Defence and National Security, Fred joined techUK in 2018, working as the Programme Head for Defence at techUK, leading the organisation's engagement with the Ministry of Defence. Before joining techUK, he worked at ADS, the national trade association representing Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space companies in the UK.

Fred is responsible for techUK’s market engagement and policy development activities across the Defence and National Security sectors, working closely with various organisations within the Ministry of Defence, and across the wider National Security and Intelligence community. Fred works closely with many techUK member companies that have an interest in these sectors, and is responsible for the activities of techUK's senior Defence & Security Board. Working closely with techUK's Programme Head for Cyber Security, Fred oversees a broad range of activities for techUK members.

Outside of work, Fred's interests include football (a Watford FC fan) and skiing.

Email:: [email protected]
Phone:: 07985 234 170

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Jeremy Wimble

Senior Programme Manager, Defence, techUK

Jeremy manages techUK's defence programme, helping the UK's defence technology sector align itself with the Ministry of Defence - including the National Armaments Directorate (NAD), UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) and Frontline Commands - through a broad range of activities including policy consultation, private briefings and early market engagement. The Programme supports the MOD as it procures new digital technologies.

Prior to joining techUK, from 2016-2024 Jeremy was International Security Programme Manager at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) coordinating research and impact activities for funders including the FCDO and US Department of Defense, as well as business development and strategy.

Jeremy has a MA in International Relations from the University of Birmingham and a BA (Hons) in Politics & Social Policy from Swansea University.

Email:: [email protected]
LinkedIn:: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-wimble-89183482/

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By platforming existing tools, while working to understand the current sectoral approaches we can consider where sectors of different maturity could learn from each other through more formal mechanisms, while concurrently strenthening a more cohesive AI assurance ecosystem for the UK.

The paper identifies three areas requiring policy and market attention to strengthen the UK's AI assurance ecosystem:

Framework consolidation: Support organisations to reduce complexity by building on established assurance practices rather than creating new ones.

Sector-specific adaptation: Develop applications of ethical principles and guidelines of use that respect existing foundations while aligning with sector obligations, duties of care and skill levels.

Cross-sector knowledge transfer: Establish formal mechanisms to share successful lessons learnt and joint pilots where appropriate creating opportunities for innovations in one domain that can be adapted successfully to others.

Building on techUK's Digital Ethics Working Group's previous work on operationalising ethical principles and developing skills for responsible AI practitioners, this paper aims to continue our support of developing the UK's AI assurance ecosystem.

These three recommendations, taken together, could position the UK to lead globally in responsible AI adoption and assurance whilst maintaining the innovation-friendly environment essential for technological advancement and economic competitiveness.

The UK possesses the necessary foundation, the expertise, the sectoral diversity, and the regulatory sophistication to demonstrate how nations can cultivate mature AI assurance ecosystems that give innovators, investors, and the public confidence in AI systems through evidence-based assurance, enabling both innovation and widespread AI adoption. Realising this opportunity, however, demands immediate and coordinated action.

We hope you find the report insightful, and encourage you to get in contact with the team below regarding any questions. You can also sign up here to get the latest digital ethics updates, as well as information on how to get involved in techUK's digital ethics work.

Tess Buckley

Senior Programme Manager in Digital Ethics and AI Safety, techUK

Sue Daley OBE

Director, Technology and Innovation

Technology and Innovation programme activities

techUK bring members, industry stakeholders, and UK Government together to champion emerging technologies as an integral part of the UK economy. We help to create an environment where innovation can flourish, helping our members to build relationships, showcase their technology, and grow their business. Visit the programme page here.