mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06Making data work for everyone.
For enterprise data to be usable by AI, it needs to meet a clear set of criteria, covering dataset properties, metadata, infrastructure, and governance. In our latest research, we look at one architectural pattern that is emerging to help operationalise this AI-readiness: the data fabric. In it, we set out what a data fabric does, and how it supports the criteria needed for AI-ready enterprise data.
https://theodi.org/insights/reports/how-do-data-fabrics-make-enterprise-data-ai-ready/
Just 1 week before our FREE webinar with expert Rowenna Fielding. Discover how Rowenna has rethought how we should be thinking about harm assessment in Data Protection Assessments, and built a practical toolkit you can use straight away.
https://buff.ly/iR24Rpk
#DPIA #DataGovernance #RiskManagement
Last chance to book our exclusive webinar with Sir Nigel Shadbolt as he asks if AI is now part of daily life, but the data underpinning it is often poorly governed and inadequately protected. How do we fix this?
https://buff.ly/yi1C5qV
#Sovereign_Data #Data_Ai #AI
Independent expert Rowenna Fielding has rethought how we should be thinking about harm assessment in Data Protection Assessments, and built a practical toolkit you can use straight away. Join us for this free session to find out more.
#DataProtection #Privacy #DPIA #DataGovernance #DataEthics #RiskManagement
Announcing Solid World July! AI moves fast, but your sprints shouldn't suffer. @TNE.ai takes the pressure off by teaching you Solid through conversation, building a digital payment flow in clicks, and helping you ship a working POC.
https://buff.ly/eoqGoWu
We are thrilled to welcome back Sir Nigel Shadbolt, one of the UK’s foremost AI experts for an exclusive talk. Join Sir Nigel as he asks: if AI is now part of daily life, but the data underpinning it is often poorly governed and inadequately protected. How do we fix this? https://buff.ly/cugk8HY
#TheWeekinData: Hot takes
*Facial recognition rollout
*Anthropic vs Alibaba
*Historical weather data
London’s Metropolitan Police announced this week that it will expand its facial recognition software into the West End by Christmas, followed by a further six areas. The Met trialled the technology in Croydon, where its use led to 173 arrests, including a woman who had been wanted for 20 years. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/hot-takes
Last chance to book our free webinar looking at how to make your data AI ready for your enterprise. We’ll be talking you through our new framework and its practical and real-world applications.
#EnterpriseAI #DataGovernance #ArtificialIntelligence #DataStrategy #Webinar #TechLeadership
The Open Data Institute (ODI) is partnering with SAP to launch and grow IDEA, an interchange for data and enterprise AI. IDEA will set up a programme of research, community building, and peer learning to help enterprises of all sizes make the most of the promise AI holds through AI-ready data infrastructure, standards, and well-governed enterprise data. Find out more.
https://theodi.org/insights/projects/idea-an-interchange-for-data-and-enterprise-ai/
The Solid Symposium returns for its fourth edition, Thursday, 30 April - Friday 1st May at City St George’s University (Clerkenwell Campus), London. The symposium brings together people from science, business, the public sector and academia to discuss and learn about the latest developments in Solid and looks to the next chapter for data on the web. You’ll hear from Sir Tim Berners-Lee and a whole host of other great speakers. Visit the website for more info and tickets.
https://sosy2026.eu/
If you are thinking about how your organisation should be using data ethically, then join today’s FREE lunchtime webinar!
Data is the foundation of AI. Poor quality data drives up costs and can lead to hidden problems for AI, while biased data negatively affects the performance of AI models. AI practitioners must dedicate time to ensuring the datasets they use are ready, meaning they can spend less time innovating and delivering AI solutions. Instead, their work would be more efficient and productive if datasets were published in a way that makes them AI-ready. Read more.
https://theodi.org/insights/reports/a-framework-for-ai-ready-data/
Last chance to book our FREE session with Antonia Panayotova, DSIT, @imak.bsky.social, Open Opportunities, and Professor @elenasimperl.bsky.social, Director of Research, ODI on data portals - and the National Data Library in particular.
The National Data Library (NDL) is a proposal that lies at the heart of the UK government’s AI strategy. However, while the NDL’s potential is clear and government funding is in place, it has remained mostly abstract, a policy idea rather than a practical implementation. We've used our institutional expertise and experience to design and implement an AI-ready prototype of the NDL. Find out more.
#Data #AI #NDL
https://theodi.org/insights/reports/prototyping-an-ai-ready-national-data-library/
It’s the last chance to book Solid World March: Modelling, analysing, and sharing research data. Join our FREE webinar today at 4pm GMT for a presentation on SpOTy, a project aimed at the cross fertilisation between the fields of linguistics and knowledge engineering. https://buff.ly/ulH8cao
Join our FREE webinar to find out the best ways for you and your organisation to tackle data ethics. We’ll discuss different pathways, from light touch training for individuals & small groups to full consultancy support.
https://buff.ly/hWiRgMF
As AI became increasingly integrated into daily life, it's vital to remember that data is the foundation of this rapid expansion. Our commitment remains focused on strengthening the infrastructure, standards, and institutions essential for data to continue serving the public good, both in the UK and globally.
https://theodi.org/documents/570/The_ODI_in_2025_-_Annual_Review.pdf
Unlock the power of your research data! How do we balance complex data analysis with total user control? Join us for the March edition of Solid World as we dive into SpOTy—a project sitting at the intersection of linguistics and knowledge engineering.
https://buff.ly/ulH8cao
Announcing a FREE webinar, Thu, Mar 26, 2026, 4:00 PM GMT. Join our expert panel as they discuss how we ensure data portals actually fit the needs of the user; what designers and maintainers must consider; the National Data Library (NDL); next steps for global data infrastructure.https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dcai-13-data-portals-of-the-future-tickets-1983262912760?aff=oddtdtcreator
#TheWeekinData: Who needs a big board?
*Concern over military use of AI
*Image Empire launch
*AI help for smallholdings
Last Friday, the US President announced that he would direct all federal agencies to immediately stop using technology developed by Anthropic, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth labelling the AI developer a “supply chain risk”. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/who-needs-a-big-board
How ready is open data for AI? To reap the benefits of AI, organisations need to prepare and transform their data to make it directly useful and usable in AI tasks. This can take many forms, from creating metadata and knowledge graphs to native machine learning representations like embeddings and vector databases. Find out more.
https://theodi.org/news-and-events/blog/how-ready-is-open-data-for-ai/
We’ve updated our AI-ready data framework based on feedback from the community and a number of projects in which we’ve used it. Find out more.
https://theodi.org/news-and-events/blog/bringing-governance-into-the-odi-framework-for-ai-ready-data/
Benchmarking tools such as CitizenQuery-UK offer a benchmark for assessing chatbots in public service contexts using realistic citizen queries. It provides a means to understand failure modes of AI in the sensitive context of citizen’s advice, portraying where governments and industry should work together to ensure information on government policies and services is accurately disseminated by the AI chatbots ubiquitous in daily life. Find out more.
https://theodi.org/insights/reports/citizenquery-uk-benchmarking-llm-performance-in-citizen-queries-about-public-information-on-govuk/#main
The CoCoDa project brings together technical and legal expertise to investigate systemic risks in society arising from dominant online platforms, and to determine solutions. In this 4-year research project, we aim to help create the necessary researcher access and generate accountability on dominant online platforms. Find out more.
https://theodi.org/insights/projects/odi-and-cocoda-technolegal-solutions-for-online-platform-accountability/
#TheWeekinData: Pure imagination
*Meta cloud push
*Ford rehires humans
*AI goes wild(er)
Tech giant Meta announced plans this week to launch a cloud business and rent out its excess AI computing power. Under the plans, Meta would allow developers to access its AI models while operating the underlying infrastructure and charge customers based on usage. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/pure-imagination
There is a growing movement towards openness in the UK water industry and progress is already being made both within individual companies and at a sector level. Find out more.
https://theodi.org/insights/reports/an-open-data-strategy-for-the-water-industry/
Harm assessment in Data Protection Impact Assessments is difficult, often badly done, and overdue for a rethink. Independent expert Rowenna Fielding has done exactly that, and built a practical toolkit you can use straight away. Find out more at our free webinar.https://buff.ly/s05tgV1
#TheWeekinData: Queue jumping
*DfE data breach
*Commitment fees
*Still going rogue
The UK’s Department for Education (DFE) confirmed this week that a cyber-attack took place on its helpdesk and Turing Scheme portal, a scheme that funds international study placements, with hackers making off with over 600,000 records of names, job titles, phone numbers and emails belonging to headteachers, government officials and university staff. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/queue-jumping
Last chance to book Solid World July, Solid Bot: Building apps via agentic commerce! AI moves fast, but your sprints shouldn't suffer. @TNE.ai takes the pressure off by teaching you Solid through conversation, building a digital payment flow in clicks, and helping you ship a working POC.
Book now https://theodi.org/news-and-events/events/Solid_World_July_2026/
We have published a paper that reviews our progress three years into our 5 Year Strategy. It takes stock of what we've delivered so far, analyses the changing external landscape, and sets out how the ODI is adapting its priorities and commitments for the remainder of the strategy period.
It serves as a record of our achievements and a clear statement of our future direction, demonstrating how our work has evolved in focus while staying true to long-standing principles.
https://theodi.org/insights/reports/state-of-the-data-nation/
Last chance to book our FREE webinar A smarter way to spot data & AI harms. Independent expert Rowenna Fielding has rethought how we should be thinking about harm assessment in Data Protection Assessments, and built a practical toolkit you can use straight away.
https://buff.ly/ZFJ6tkc
Who really controls data in the AI era? Join Sir Nigel Shadbolt as he discusses how AI dominates daily life, yet its underlying data remains poorly governed and inadequately protected. How can we fix this systemic issue?
https://buff.ly/yi1C5qV
#TheWeekinData: Knock on wood
*Datacentres targeted for attack
*AI improves breast cancer detection
*The lesser spotted woodpecker spotted (sort of)
Last week, we looked at the use of AI in modern warfare. This week, experts warned that data centres have become a new target in conflicts. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/knockonwood
Have you booked Solid World July? AI moves fast, but your sprints shouldn't suffer. TNE.ai takes the pressure off by teaching you Solid through conversation, building a digital payment flow in clicks, and helping you ship a working POC.
Book now https://theodi.org/news-and-events/events/Solid_World_July_2026/
#TheWeekinData: Happy Mondays
*Datacentre planning changes and opposition
*23andMe payout confirmed
*Skipping school
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has announced reforms to the Planning and Infrastructure Act, which now mean that datacentres can skip local planning and go straight to Whitehall for sign-off, with no statutory requirement for consultation beforehand. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/happy-mondays
#TheWeekinData: Twin town
*UK BioBank data exposed online
*Companies House glitch
*Digital twin helps traffic
An investigation by The Guardian published last weekend has revealed that confidential health data from UK BioBank has been exposed online dozens of times. UK BioBank holds medical records of 500,000 British volunteers, including genome sequences, scans, blood samples and lifestyle information. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/twintown
#TheWeekinData: Ctrl+Alt+Defeat
*Meta and YouTube found liable
*UK poverty data
*Join the Solid Hackathon
A jury in Los Angeles has found Meta and YouTube liable for deliberately designing addictive products that hooked a young user and led to them being harmed. The trial lasted six weeks, jury deliberations lasted nine days, and in the end, the plaintiff was awarded $6 million in damages as both companies were found to have provided inadequate warnings. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/ctrlaltdefeat
#TheWeekinData: Eggsistential crisis
*Data reveals knock-on effects of Iran war
*Data centres causing ‘heat islands’
*Easter eggs
As the war in Iran approaches its sixth week, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is being increasingly felt in the AI sector, choking the global supply of helium. The gas is used in computer chip production, as its heat-conducting properties help maintain a stable temperature in the manufacturing process. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/eggsistential-crisis
Our Data Ethics Professional webinars are a place for our alumni to share their expertise, offering practical insights and tips on ethical data use and embedding best practices within organisations. Catch up on all of them now.
https://theodi.org/insights/projects/data-ethics-professionals/
Digital ID - making public services work for you? Help us shape our response to the UK Government consultation at our online roundtable. This session is designed for those with technical and/or policy expertise who can help shape thinking in this space.
https://buff.ly/nlpSee7
#TheWeekinData: Sneak Pepys
*Speculative doomsday research
*Reddit fined by ICO
*Surviving the Great Plague
A speculative piece of research… sorry, a speculative Substack post from a US firm with the word ‘Research’ in their name… sent jitters around the US stock market this week, with foreboding predictions of how AI will change just about everything. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/sneak-pepys
#TheWeekinData: Small beer
*Digital ID scrapped
*Hugging Face hack
*Made up birds
In the UK, Andy Burnham took over the reins of power from Sir Keir Starmer this week, becoming the seventh prime minister in the last 10 years. A number that fans of Watford F.C. probably think is quite reasonable. His first big pledge, removing VAT from electricity bills, will be paid for by the prime minister’s decision to scrap the digital ID scheme, according to ministers. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/small-beer
Social media bans have met a mixed response from advocacy groups, researchers, those caring for young people, and young people themselves. In our latest blog, research by the CoCoDa project sets out three recommendations for better accountability of social media platforms in order to protect both young people and other users.
https://theodi.org/news-and-events/blog/social-media-platform-accountability-beyond-banning-teens/
Join us for a focused virtual roundtable on Digital ID – shaping responses to the UK Government consultation. This session is designed for those with technical and/or policy expertise who can actively contribute to this discussion and help shape thinking in this space.
https://buff.ly/nlpSee7
In our data-centric AI webinar series, we share our own work and invite world experts with their own research and experience to share key insights and recommendations for building the data infrastructure needed to make AI safer and trusted by everyone. Catch up on all of them now.
https://theodi.org/news-and-events/blog/learn-from-world-experts-on-the-data-in-ai/
🚨 Solid26 preview: Building personal apps and AI agents
📅 Tuesday 28 - Wednesday 29 April
📍Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX
The Open Data Institute is hosting a 2-day tournament (April 28–29) to coincide with the launch of Solid26 - the first annual release of the Solid specification.
🎯 Your challenge: to build a new generation of personal AI agents, apps, and websites that give people real control over their own data.
https://shorturl.at/ObwED
Last chance to book our FREE webinar A smarter way to spot data & AI harms. Independent expert Rowenna Fielding has rethought how we should be thinking about harm assessment in Data Protection Assessments, and built a practical toolkit you can use straight away.
https://theodi.org/news-and-events/events/data-ethics-professional-14-smarter-way-to-spot-data-ai-harms/
We are delighted to announce that Antonia Panayotova, DSIT, will be joining @imak.bsky.social, Open Opportunities, and Professor @elenasimperl.bsky.social, Director of Research, ODI in our discussion on Thursday on data portals - and the National Data Library in particular.
https://buff.ly/nQxtaVn
#TheWeekinData: Empire state of mind
*NY datacentre moratorium
*NHS Scotland data breaches
*Stay hydrated!
New York became the first US state to put a moratorium on new hyperscale datacentres this week as Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order slapping a one-year pause on 50MW+ facilities. Find out more…
http://theodi-748510.hs-sites.com/empire-state-of-mind
