Director of Digital, Data & Technology at UK’s Dept for Business, Innovation, Science & Trade 🏛 / ❤️ public service / All views my own! 📢 / https://jasonkitcat.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3myfgdsvgi224Like most organisations, BIST are looking for opportunities to automate and improve our ways of working where possible. In our latest post Mia talks through how she automated elements of our editorial process to free up time to better support post authors https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/10/20/want-to-automate-your-work-start-with-a-data-spring-clean/21 Oct 2026 15:05 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3myfgdsvgi224https://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mxydsqe3ps2jReally lovely on AI and writing "language is power—not only because, through writing, one can learn to express oneself better and thereby empower oneself, but because there is something magical and transformative about working through a piece of writing" https://on.substack.com/p/model-behavior-george-saunders16 Oct 2026 10:15 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxydsqe3ps2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mxjluceqe225Really enjoyed reading this https://ayushithakkar.substack.com/p/how-to-find-meaning-in-ordinary-days?r=2f2nj10 Oct 2026 13:29 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxjluceqe225https://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mwqizqkxz225Lovely Council Spend Map exploring open data on local government spending. bentossell.com/council-spend/ Can't see big vendors like Microsoft or Google? Because they are bought through resellers e.g. Phoenix Software, Softcat or Insight (via always great @densediscovery.bsky.social) https://bentossell.com/council-spend/30 Sep 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwqizqkxz225https://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mwlqeub2nc2mCracking post from the team “The fastest way to improve policy is to build it” - delivering value every day https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/09/28/the-fastest-way-to-improve-policy-is-to-build-it/28 Sep 2026 16:30 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwlqeub2nc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mwlfuwlvd22fDelighted to share the evaluation report of our AI tool Redbox@DBT (now snappily renamed to BIST Assist!) - as public servants it's so important that we share our work and learning in the open https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redboxdbt-trial-evaluation-report28 Sep 2026 13:22 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwlfuwlvd22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mw23twn6bc2zWe've been experimenting with using AI to make it easier to query our complex graph databases, read more in our latest post https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/09/09/making-graph-databases-more-accessible-with-ai/21 Sep 2026 16:07 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw23twn6bc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3muk2h5fj7s2yAt BIST we've been using machine learning in building our Business Finder, an internal product to help our advisors focus on the companies most likely to benefit from our support. https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/26/building-technology-with-purpose-how-we-developed-business-finder/02 Sep 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3muk2h5fj7s2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mrmvnfkngc2oWe're keeping on with learning and evaluating how to make best use of AI in public services. Here's my latest thoughts and provisional conclusions https://jasonkitcat.com/2026/07/26/more-thoughts-on-ai/27 Jul 2026 12:31 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrmvnfkngc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mrcknkjh7c26Lovely post from Rainbow in our team, reflecting on their journey delivering Digital & Agile Basics training "What I learned when I started teaching agile" https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/07/22/what-i-learned-when-i-started-teaching-agile/23 Jul 2026 09:48 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrcknkjh7c26https://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mozpfnehj22kIn today's post we share more about how we built and evolved 'Ask DBT' our internal AI tool for staff to access key policies and guidance around working for the department. We chose to build most of the tool in-house to reduce costs, find out more https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/24/introducting-ask-dbt-our-new-ai-tool-for-making-sense-of-the-intranet/24 Jun 2026 10:28 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mozpfnehj22khttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mmyagakddk2wWe've been running our AI cubed model (AI lab, factory & operations) for more than a year now in Department for Business and Trade. In this post, Anthony Love shares 10 things we've learned running our AI experiments touching on ethics, sandboxes and more https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/05/27/10-things-we-learned-running-rapid-ai-experiements/29 May 2026 09:37 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmyagakddk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mlswi6mcxc2hWe implemented one of the first uses of MCP in government, connecting our DBT Assist AI tool with our CRM to help automate and improve how briefings on companies are produced. Read more from the team on how they did it safely and securely https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/05/14/using-single-sign-on-and-mcp-to-safely-connect-ai-to-live-government-data/14 May 2026 13:31 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlswi6mcxc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mlpvvvtua22fSuper interesting discussion on interoception - how comfort & convenience may undermine our development in understanding our body’s signals https://stevemagness.substack.com/p/the-hidden-cost-of-comfort13 May 2026 08:43 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlpvvvtua22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mlnteoyoc22gWe recently wrapped up our annual Data Challenge in DBT, which is a great opportunity to encourage collaboration and innovation across the department. Read more about how we run it, and what we did this year https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/05/12/dbt-data-challenge-2026-from-ideas-to-impact/12 May 2026 12:52 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnteoyoc22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3ml3xy6sd322oHere's a case study in how our work attracting talent to the UK was reviewed to improve the online journeys as part of our quarterly Firebreak week https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/05/05/britain-gets-talent-fixing-a-fragmented-offer-to-attract-global-talent/05 May 2026 10:26 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml3xy6sd322ohttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mkkgjdi2ss2dFor the last few years teams across DBT & gov collaborated on the Global Supply Chains Intelligence Programme. We used cutting-edge technology, analysis & data to bring insight into how supply chains connect our economy: https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/28/global-supply-chains-intelligence-programme-an-ai-enabled-big-data-analytical-platform-for-government/28 Apr 2026 10:59 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkgjdi2ss2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mjwn3t53o22hOur content team at Dept Business & Trade are doing fantastic work thinking deeply about what it means when AI is the primary source of information for citizens. Read more about how we're preventing AI misinformation https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/20/how-were-preventing-ai-misinformation-at-dbt/20 Apr 2026 14:03 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwn3t53o22hhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mhskjuern22uUser research on how businesses experience government support is key to how we develop the Digital Business Growth Service, read more about how we do it from our lead user researcher https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/24/how-were-making-strategic-decisions-based-on-the-needs-of-businesses/24 Mar 2026 12:16 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhskjuern22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mgrxndn6oc2hDelighted to share our experiences running a multi-disciplinary co-lab to help develop DBT's Business Growth Service, more in the post: https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/11/strengthening-business-support-through-user-centred-evidence-led-collaboration/11 Mar 2026 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgrxndn6oc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mg7vbljr5k2cWell this is lovely - Haruki Murakami and Harry Styles in conversation about running (News+ link) https://apple.news/ABXj0KVisTzKLV5iO6PFfbw04 Mar 2026 08:43 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg7vbljr5k2chttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mg5tdlrths27Lovely post on Flickr's URL structures https://unsung.aresluna.org/unsung-heroes-flickrs-urls-scheme/ - I absolutely adored how Flickr was built and worked hard to emulate it. Cal Henderson ran a brilliant workshop sharing more of their engineering process for scaling, which became essential for managing growth at Netmums03 Mar 2026 13:03 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg5tdlrths27https://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mg5rihbevk2mTracey Wilson writes about how Department for Business and Trade are working on improving our published content in a world of AI summaries. https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/03/content-isnt-static-what-i-learned-about-content-ownership-in-the-world-of-ai-summaries/03 Mar 2026 12:30 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg5rihbevk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mg5c4prx4c2aRe-posting for morning readers 👇 [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Mar 2026 07:55 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg5c4prx4c2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mg3qzgbvcc2wMore pondering on AI as I wrangle with what it means for public servants... Here's where I've got to so far: There is a useful path to take between hype and doom. It's time to keep experimenting and learning as nobody knows what the future will bring. https://jasonkitcat.com/2026/03/02/some-thoughts-on-ai/02 Mar 2026 17:16 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg3qzgbvcc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mfod2ym5wk2oWe can’t be sure an AI “ClawBot” did post a nasty blog post when their code was rejected, but an ArsTechnica journalist did use AI hallucinated quotes when reporting the story….25 Feb 2026 09:02 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfod2ym5wk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonkitcat.bsky.social/post/3mf2hhivamk2fIt's so easy to fall into a "build it and they will come" mindset when creating digital products & services. We work to overcome this with our wonderful Engagement & Strategic Adoption team, here are reflections on how we've boosted adoption of our CRM tool https://digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk/2026/02/17/driving-success-through-digital-adoption/17 Feb 2026 11:27 +0000at://did:plc:b6adlebad46oykpmxqtpnc2l/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf2hhivamk2f