AI to Enhance Knowledge Exchange
Knowledge exchange bridges the gap between academics and policymakers, fostering collaboration between these two communities for mutual benefit. But successful knowledge exchange often demands specialist knowledge or skills, particularly interpersonal skills, alongside the delivery of many routine tasks such as horizon scanning and impact tracking.
Through a collaboration between UCL STEaPP and PIU, we are exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance knowledge exchange activities, including making those routine tasks easier and simpler. We hope that by doing this we can strengthen processes and increase productivity in knowledge exchange, freeing up the valuable time of those working in this field.
We have tested the application of generative AI to enhance knowledge exchange activities in four key areas: event delivery, event reporting, image-based discussion prompt production, and social media content generation. The tests aimed to increase the efficiency and capability of professionals in delivering knowledge exchange activities – particularly events, which can be time-consuming and logistically heavy – not replace professionals’ core functions.
To capture and share our process and learnings, we have produced the AI to Enhance Knowledge Exchange Toolkit. While this toolkit highlights a few specific ways to use AI, there are a plethora of other applications to explore. We encourage event organisers to keep experimenting with new approaches and share their experiences with the wider knowledge exchange community. By learning from each other, we can continue to improve knowledge exchange and increase our collective impact.
Our Previous Work Using AI to Enhance Knowledge Exchange - ARI Live!
ARI Live! is a concept designed by PIU to act as a forum for policymakers and academics to come together and delve deeper into specific Areas of Research Interest. We held a pilot event in July 2024 that explored the impact of AI on productivity and future skills needs, with participants from policy, academia and industry. AI was used in this event to produce live summaries of discussions, generate images to prompt reflection and support the live production of an event report that was projected at the end of the event.
You can access the live pilot event report here
Find out more about the ARI Live! format here
The Future of Academic-Policy Engagement – Scenarios workshop report
Using a bespoke version of the PIU Futures Forum methodology, we worked with the Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE) project to deliver a workshop to discuss the future of academic-policy engagement in the UK and long-term integration of evidence in policymaking. AI tools were used in this event to aid the production of discussion prompt materials and to produce the event report, with rapid dissemination.
