Three public sector bodies have been unveiled on a shortlist for the first Futurescot AI Challenge.

Following an extensive process during the summer, during which 35 ideas were submitted from over 20 organisations, the successful applicants going forward to the next stage are:

  • Scottish Parliament – Developing an AI system to transform the way citizens engage with Scottish Parliament live webstreams.
  • National Library of Scotland – Using AI to help audiences discover and connect with Scotland’s rich audio-visual heritage.
  • NHS Forth Valley – Harnessing AI technology to improve both the processing of complaints data and to draw out insights and learnings for service improvement.

Paul McGinness, founder of Edinburgh-headquartered Storm ID, said: “Congratulations to the three organisations shortlisted for the Futurescot AI Challenge, in association with Storm ID.

“We were delighted by the response levels from Scotland’s public sector agencies. It just goes to show that there is a huge groundswell of support to try and use AI for the public good.

“The range and quality of applications made it a difficult task for our judging panel, but we reached consensus that the three selected for the final stage were highly innovative and potentially transformative in the way they deliver services to citizens.”

He added: “We know it will be disappointing for the organisations who submitted Challenge ideas not to be selected on this occasion, but we thank them for their time, enthusiasm and dedication to transforming Scotland’s public services.”

The three selected entrants will receive a workshop from Storm ID to develop ‘proof of concepts’ (POCs), which will be showcased at Digital Scotland on November 26 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

The winner will be announced at the event and offered £20,000 of free technical support from Storm ID to progress the POC towards potential future adoption.

For further information visit here and stay tuned to hear about the Futurescot AI Challenge 2025 – launching soon!