I work with multiple organisations on topics around technology, digital, data and artificial intelligence and tend to do a mix of technically-savvy policy and policy-savvy technology delivery. Some people call me a technologist, others a policy wonk, others a “Peter-of-some-trades”.

I like to work in teams, think about systems, ask questions, have opinions, and get useful stuff done. I like to work with multiple organisations simultaneously. I am motivated by reducing the harm caused by technology and trying to make it benefit everyone. I care a lot more about people than I do about technology.

If you want to work with me then there are several ways to get in touch. Try peterkwells@gmail.com, peterkwells@protonmail.com, mastodon, twitter or even linkedin.

If you just want to chat about interesting things then I’m experimenting with keeping an hour a week open for chats. Click the calendly link, follow the instructions, and create a video conferencing thing for us to use.

Background

I spent 20 years working with a mix of very large and very small telecoms businesses in most European countries before accidentally starting a second career in public policy.

In 2014 I worked in a voluntary role to organise an independent review of digital government for the UK Labour Party. From 2015-2019 I worked in the policy team at the Open Data Institute (ODI). Since then I have freelanced with a range of public, private and third sector organisations.

Some work

In progress

Working with Dr Natalie Byrom to develop recommendations on data governance for people-centred justice systems.

A campaign to open up the UK address file, and related geospatial things.

Committee member of the Royal Statistical Society’s Data Ethics & Governance section.

Working with ProjectsbyIF on:

  • improving consent practices for a North American healthcare provider.
  • improving AI fairness processes for a global social media firm.

Completed

Work with ProjectsbyIF on various things including:

  • a project funded by Luminate to explore a responsible future for digital advertising and explaining how advertisers and publishers can start to make that future a reality.
  • explaining how AI will change services not through chatbots, but through connections.
  • research for Ofcom, the UK’s comms and digital regulator, on how to make future TV interfaces work for vulnerable consumers.
  • responding to a consultation on foundation models to say they need to be trustworthy to help other people build better services.
  • imagining and explaining a future in which charities create more value from data.
  • imagining what public services enabled by digital identity, data sharing, and personalisation might look like in 2030.
  • developing principles for generative AI services that provide control to service users, the principles are now embedded in a global social media firm’s processes and products.
  • reimagining accountability in digital services for a global technology firm.
  • a discovery project for a service that supports people to participate in genomics healthcare and research.
  • helping develop ProjectsbyIF ‘s Responsible Technology by Design framework.
  • exploring design challenges in how the EU Digital Markets Act changes consumer choice.

Advisory member of the Digital Catapult’s MI Garage Ethics Committee.

Working with Oxford Insights to

  • develop recommendations for how a government can run a data sharing pilot, and how to select between data trusts, data commons and data marketplaces as an approach.
  • understand data sharing in the UK agriculture ecosystem with Agrimetrics

Supporting the Centre for Public Data on geospatial data.

Working with ProjectsbyIF to

Co-chair of the UK Open Government Network working group developing commitments on algorithmic transparency and data ethics for the next National Action Plan. Sadly, the UK Government backslid on its commitments.

Recommendations on approaches to algorithmic accountability for a philanthropic funder.

The Hidden Middle for FutureDotNow: the case for businesses to invest in the essential digital skills of their workforce.

Reboot Britain for the Alliance for Full Employment: research and policy recommendations for closing the UK’s digital divide.

Exit through the App Store for the Ada Lovelace Institute: a rapid evidence review on using technology to transition from the first COVID-19 lockdown.

A book chapter on the UK’s initial approach to digital contact tracing.

Older work for the Open Data Institute:

Making Digital Work for Everyone: an independent review of digital government for the UK Labour Party.