Strategic AI Advisory Group meeting: 24 November 2025

Chair: Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
Rachel Purchase, Admiral
Alexander Iosad, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
Shavanah Taj, Wales TUC
Walter Pasquarelli, Advisor on AI and Synthetic Reality
Marloes Pomp, European AI Forum
Gina Neff, Queen Mary University of London
Santosh Takoor, Microsoft UK
Ruth McGuinness, Kainos
Louise Harris, Tramshed Tech
Myra Hunt, Centre for Digital Public Services
Matt Lewis, Cross Public Sector AI Leadership Group in Wales
Lindsey Phillips, Welsh Local Government Association
Glyn Jones, Welsh Government
Jas Pal Baydal, Welsh Government
Mike Thomas, Welsh Government
Janine Pepworth, Welsh Government
Liberty Hill, Welsh Government
Michael Groves, Welsh Government
Andy Hunt, Anglesey Freeport
Paul Spencer, Bangor University

Apologies

Anthony Tracey, Hywel Dda University Health Board
Diane Gutiw, CGI

1.1 The Cabinet Secretary welcomed Louise Harris as a new member of the group. 

2.1 Welsh Government officials provided an update on the implementation of the AI Plan for Wales, outlining its aims to support economic growth, improve bilingual public services, and build AI skills.

2.2 The group noted the establishment of the Office for AI, including ongoing recruitment and new roles to strengthen AI capacity across the public sector.

2.3 The group discussed the rollout of the UK civil service-wide AI training initiative, ‘One Big Thing’, emphasising the importance of accessible, tool-agnostic learning, continuous skills development, and practical challenges around participation for all staff.

2.4 Developments in AI in education were discussed, including the publication of a thematic report by Estyn. Welsh Government’s response focused on ethical, informed use of AI in schools and the potential for AI to support teaching, learning, and inclusion.

3.1 Welsh Government officials delivered a presentation on Welsh Government’s AI fund portfolio, which consists of eight projects aimed at demonstrating the practical benefits of AI in the public sector. 

3.2 The group discussed the importance of ensuring that the projects deliver practical value, support knowledge sharing, and address challenges such as skills development, equitable access to resources, and the need for robust Welsh language support.

4.1 Welsh Government officials, alongside colleagues from Anglesey Freeport and Bangor University, provided the Group with an overview of the recently announced AI Growth Zones in North and South Wales.

4.2 Site selection, infrastructure, partnerships, economic impact, and policy challenges were discussed.

4.3 The Group identified the need for coordinated infrastructure investment and skills development to maximise the benefits of the AI Growth Zones for Wales.

5.1 The Cabinet Secretary announced that she will be stepping down as Chair and a member of the Group, with Professor Gina Neff confirmed as the Chair for future meetings.

5.2 The Cabinet Secretary also confirmed that efforts were underway to invite higher and further education representatives to the Group.

6.1 The Group proposed discussing language equity in AI models and public service delivery in Wales at a future meeting.

6.2 Welsh Government officials confirmed that the next meeting will be held online in late February 2026.

7.1 The group agreed the following next steps:

• To ensure all Welsh Ministers complete the civil service-wide AI training ‘One Big Thing’.
• To promote public engagement through social media content of Welsh Ministers participating in AI training.
• To share existing AI training materials with the group to inform advice and avoid duplication.
• To explore ways to improve accessibility of mandatory AI training for all public service staff.
• To connect with national language programmes to strengthen Welsh language support in AI tools.
• To provide suggestions for future agenda items.

Next meeting date:

Late February 2026.