Hello, and welcome back to our monthly newsletter! 

It's been a busy and exciting start to the year. After an incredibly competitive application process, we've appointed a new Digital Inclusion Officer to our wonderful Let's Get Digital team! We can't wait to say hello in a few weeks' time when they officially start in post. For now, keep a close eye on our social media channels to be the first to be find out more.

This month, we've also been exploring best practice in inclusive AI. In January, Senior Digital Strategy Officer Samuel Gilmore was thrilled to take part in the Royal Academy of Engineering's People's AI Stewardship Summit, a pioneering public dialogue event uniting members of the public with digital sector leaders to explore hopes, fears and expectations around AI. As discussions raised concerns about the extent that digital transformation initiatives are imposed on local people - adding to perceptions that change is happening to, rather than with communities - the importance of working with our city's residents to explore how they want to use AI was underscored. How can we embed AI in ways that meaningfully benefit people in our city without first including them in the conversation?

TIC Manchester & Capital Enterprise's AI Accelerator Showcase Event in February offered a glimpse into some of the possibilities that AI could offer our city, as TIC's second cohort of business start-ups shared 3-minute pitches outlining business proposals for AI-enabled solutions in climate, health and GenAI. With a range of creative concepts shared, we can't wait to see how these innovative ideas could develop!

In this month's newsletter, we're also reflecting on learnings around 'smart cities', placemaking and digital infrastructure; sharing the Local Government Association's bank of case studies around inclusive AI; and inviting organisations supporting older or disabled people to apply for free WiFi support.

Happy reading, and see you next month!

We've spent our Winter thinking about all things telecoms! 

In January, we were delighted to take part in techUK's first ever North West Telecoms Showcase. Bringing together experts from across industry, business and the wider public sector, the event offered opportunities to explore how digital connectivity could accelerate growth throughout the North West of England.

Joining a panel on the future connectivity needs of the North West, Senior Digital Strategy Officer Megan Lawless shared insights on how government authorities and infrastructure providers can work together more strategically for the benefit of local communities. Best practice examples from local authorities, such as Cheshire West and Chester Council, showcased unique models of collaborating mobile infrastructure providers that offered an inspirational approaches to supporting zones of innovation.

A few weeks later, we set out to London for the Future Telecoms Conference 2025, where we were pleased to contribute to conversations around the political regulatory landscape. As part of the Policy in Action panel, Megan joined a thought-provoking discussion exploring the investment challenges faced by telecommunications companies, the critical need to bridge the digital divide by extending reliable connectivity to underserved area, and the potential benefits of combining digital and energy infrastructure to improve resilience.

Throughout a winter of telecoms conversations, we've been encouraged to see collaboration between local authorities and telecoms providers emerge as a growing trend. By strengthening our relationships with industry, we hope to better understand the infrastructure landscape to work together to achieve more positive outcomes for people in our city.

Curious to find out more? Head over to the links below to explore other panels, and learn more about the conferences we've visited this year.

We're excited to share that the People’s Panel for AI has joined the Local Government's Association's bank of case studies showcasing the thoughtful, innovative & creative ways councils across the UK are using AI.

The LGA aims to share examples of best practice AI use in local authorities, showcasing ethical approaches to innovation that improve the lives of people in their communities.

The People's Panel for AI, delivered in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, aims to empower residents with the skills and training to shape the use of AI in frontline service delivery. We're incredibly proud to see the project sit alongside other pioneering examples of innovative, people-centred AI - including Hertfordshire County Council's AI-powered road maintenance robot and Kingston City Council's Magic Notes pilot.  

Through sharing our learnings from the project, we hope to support others to overcome barriers to AI adoption and champion approaches that prioritise human needs, values and participation.

To find out more, or explore other inspiring use cases from councils pioneering inclusive approaches to AI, head over to the LGA website below.

We're always curious to understand more about the ways that AI is influencing the world around us, and to explore how we can mitigate ethical challenges to make the most of the benefits it could bring to our city. 

Last week, we were delighted to be invited to attend the launch of Decoding AI, a month-long exhibition exploring the use of Generative AI in placemaking.

Created by students from the Manchester School of Architecture, and curated by the Infrastructure Space Atelier and Polina Chizhova Wright, the hands-on exhibition encouraged visitors to explore how Generative AI works through creative activities including collage, in-person prompt testing, and even card games.

Exploring themes including such as algorithmic opacity, tensions between generative data and local contexts, and the environmental impact of technology, Decoding AI was a thought-provoking exploration of the strengths, challenges and opportunities of Generative AI. 

If you'd like to learn more about the research underpinning the exhibition - exploring the the role that socially-engaged creative practices can have in making ‘smart’ cities more inclusive - visit the curator's website below.