iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Paul Maltby

Tom Loosemore @tomski.com · 04/08/2026

I've written a long blog post about AI Agents and the need for those running services to prepare - technically, operationally, commercially, strategically, legally and in terms of policy. AI Agents could be a properly huge deal. There. I wrote it. loosemore.com/2026/08/04/k...

loosemore.com

Know Your Agent: Why you should act now, to avoid playing catch-up later

Back in March, I was beaten by the bins. I’d spent a happy few evenings (and a great many tokens) trying to build a simple web app: share any UK address, find out which bins to put out, and w…

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Benjamin Welby @bm.wel.by · 26/02/2026

Vibe coding is lots of fun. So too is asking how does “one person cosplaying as a product team” translate into AI-assisted delivery for public services? I've written a very long thing about all of that. But here's a shorter thing to whet your appetite.

bm.wel.by

Public sector product management in a vibe-coded world

AI-assisted delivery is changing digital government. This post launches my paper on standards, governance and the craft of confidence at speed.

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Tom Loosemore @tomski.com · 25/02/2026

AI agents will join up government before government joins up government. This may be a mixed blessing. Blog post. with some reflections about my recent agentic adventures: loosemore.com/2026/02/25/a...

loosemore.com

AI agents will join up government before government does

AI agents will join up government before government joins up government. This will be a mixed blessing for citizens, with big implications for trust, equity and accountability. Let’s say you …

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Gavin Freeguard @gavinfreeguard.com · 03/02/2026

Some of us @transformgovtalks.bsky.social & some great govt policy people are planning @policycamp.bsky.social - a new unconference for people who want to make govt policymaking even better Help shape it - here's a short survey! Microsoft Form: bit.ly/MSPolicyCamp Google Form: bit.ly/GPolicyCamp

policycamp.org.uk

Policy Camp

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Some pretty crazy staff in the AI Security Institute AI trends report. For Chemistry & Biology it says frontier models now outperform PhD-level experts on open-ended questions, protocol generation, and lab-based troubleshooting

Graph of improving capability for chemistry/biology

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Signing off work for the year and actually feeling Christmassy. Here's my little festive musical contribution to the season on.soundcloud.com/GdTywHE9mhZu... 😁 🎄

soundcloud.com

A Die Hard Christmas

Listen to A Die Hard Christmas by Blap #np on #SoundCloud

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

First time playing music in public in a long, long time last night at the Tiny Gear Concert in Leicester - the theme was jazz samples. Lots of fun and such a warm bunch of folks

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zuz @zuz.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

I’m on the lookout for a new contract (preferably inside). I’ve got over a decade of experience working in the public sector, mostly in agile delivery management. Two weeks notice. Not got DMs here but Signal is zuz.1337, or LinkedIn is good. Thx :)

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Enjoyed Lucy's lecture just now at @blavatnikschool.bsky.social on how to create the process to create a longer-term National Strategy for the UK

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transformgovtalks.bsky.social @transformgovtalks.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

🚨 6PM, WED 24 September 🚨 Join us at the MoJ or online * Dr Moira Nicolson & Holly Marquez "Failing Forward: Why Planning for AI Disasters Unlocks Breakthrough Innovation" * Ben Sauer "Always Be Creating Clarity: Daily habits for strategic storytelling" luma.com/sm09nslz Please share! Thanks 🙏

luma.com

TransformGov Talks : September 2025 · Luma

Dr Moira Nicolson, Lead Behavioural Scientist (Cabinet Office) and Honorary Research Fellow (UCL) plus Holly Marquez, Senior Behavioural Scientist, (Cabinet…

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Sym Roe @symroe.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Where I have some thoughts on digital improvements that can follow from The Elections Strategy. I think the "digital notices" thing could be a really interesting pattern in legislation

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James Arthur Cattell @jacattell.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

UKGovCamp 2026 ( #ukgc26 ) will be in #Birmingham on Saturday 17 January 2026. We need a venue: 1️⃣ for 250 people, 2️⃣ 8 breakout rooms, 3️⃣ wheelchair accessible. @imhuyorks.bsky.social is leading the search. Please share and reply with ideas 🙂

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Chuffed to see we're getting more Mandy. The show is made sweeter because in my *greatest role* (Joseph, aged 5) Mary was the most beautiful girl at infants school, one Mandy Carter. There is a kind of resemblance too, makes me wonder if 80's Nottingham Mandy is more famous than I realise...

theguardian.com

‘I’ve not got a problem with making myself look disgusting’: the wild rise of Diane Morgan

From Avon lady to TikTok superstar, Diane Morgan has become a global comedy darling. As her ‘disgusting’ show Mandy returns, she talks about why she almost asked the BBC to pull it – and why she prete...

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

One for any of my old colleagues from the GDS registers team, ten years on. In a list of challenges for a big operational gov service today: 'There is no authoritive list of local authorities'. *weeps quietly in the corner* www.ukauthority.com/articles/dcl...

ukauthority.com

DCLG builds local authorities register | UKAuthority

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Peter Makeham was one of the best DGs I worked for in government and I hope this stirs up the debate about gov structures. I share similar frustrations but I'd favour a different response, eg collapsing policy/ops/digital around services rather than separating them out. But interesting nonetheless!

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

This is an extremely good piece from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social & speaks to many of the frustrations I've experienced and tried to overcome in public service reform over the years

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

I'm seeing much eye-rolling on my timeline about the 'futurist' (such a silly term!) piece about AI and jobs. My contrary take is that I think its sensible time to do scenario planning for potential disruptions to the labour market, 1/6

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Strong agree with @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social here. Love reading but *hate* reading books for work, especially as most work books could have been a blog post, most blog posts could have been etc etc. Use AI when it's the right tool to pick from the toolbox

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Coco @cocochan.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

My favourite unexpected benefit of working in the open open 💛 #CampDigital

Jukesie speaking in front of a slide that says “it allowed me to find my people”

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James Arthur Cattell @jacattell.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

I'm retiring as @ukgovcamp.bsky.social deliver manager (DM). I need an individual or jobshare to volunteer 1 to 2 hours a week of your time. You'll lead the best, annual #publicsector #unconference. Reply or email james@ukgovcamp.com please. Free hoodie included 🙂 www.ukgovcamp.com/about/

ukgovcamp.com

about

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Just got an email confirmation of my postal vote (re)application. Email subject line: 'To whom it may concern'. Bless, cute

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Still trying to work out how to take a photo of the authenticator QR code of the new gov.uk phone app using my phone. Do I print it out somehow? 🤔

gov.uk

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Watching Prodigy at Glastonbury and I quite fancy getting myself a Lazzzzer too. Reckon would look awesome early on a misty morning across the playing fields at the back of the house. Are they affordable these days? Could I plug it into the power in the garage? *Furiously searches web*

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Saturday morning East Midlands revelation. Palo Alto is Kettering, but millionaires

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Ethan Mollick @emollick.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

What happens if you let AI run a vending machine? Actually autonomously managing a money-making process is a very good test for AI. Anthropic did exactly that, and it lost money. But the flaws (& strengths) provide a great lens on what AI is good and bad at, and how those gaps might be closed.

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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

"Automation may be the final straw I reckon before white collar Britain goes into full revolt." @jameskanag.bsky.social didn't exactly cheer me up with this post but it's really worth reading! politicalwhiteboard.substack.com/p/the-collar...

politicalwhiteboard.substack.com

The "collar flip"....what if class politics shifted in the UK?

Why the rise of AI, might change our politics in the UK (and US!)

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Reposted by Paul Maltby

Ann Kempster @annkempster.com · 12/06/2025

There's a lot of AI shit out there, but this is proper good.

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Out with the dog to find some kidneys, tea and bread & butter for breakfast. Scant brown gravy. Turns out Cafe Nero mainly does coffee

Moss the Airedale terrier in the town square

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

For 20 years when I've wavered out of signal I've put on my *best* Bolton accent and irritatingly asked 'Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?!' just to amuse myself. Today, for the first time, someone asked is that from Phoenix Nights and I'm ecstatic and embarrassed in equal measure

Max from Max and Paddy. Legendary bouncers of Bolton's Phoenix Club

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

Took the teenagers for some Saturday night science at the Royal Institution. Enjoyable & inspiring; book ordered amzn.eu/d/2O5PYQg

Daniel m Davis, immunologist, presenting at the Royal Institution in London

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

Indeed. Government has to actually *do* some AI, and do it at scale with companies that know how to do it if they want to see the benefits this Parliament ‪@peterdt847.bsky.social www.civilservicereformuk.com/single-post/...

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 04/06/2025

Yep. This post tells you a lot more about the person using ChatGPT – and their understanding of / experience using it – than about the nature of ChatGPT, or AI itself. It’s definitely interesting! Just not necessarily for reasons the author (or people sharing it) think it’s interesting.

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

So much love in the room for Shonan Knife in Nottingham last night

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Bad sign for this place 😞

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Ethan Mollick @emollick.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

I wrote a history of recent AI development in 32 images of otters using wifi on airplanes, from images to video to code. It shows two big trends: rapid improvements in AI models of all types and the growth of open weights AI models. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/the-recent...

oneusefulthing.org

The recent history of AI in 32 otters

Three years of progress as shown by marine mammals

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Love closing the laptop on a Friday night, cracking a beer and making a deeply average 15min dad junglism creation (with sound effects from Moss the Airedale) 😁🎶🔊

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Reposted by Paul Maltby

Tom MacInnes @tommacinnes.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Been reading this by @richardpope.org in my lunch hours and it’s rewiring how I think about public services and the policy building behind them. It’s also really nicely written. Strong recommend.

A photo of the book Platformland by Richard Pope

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

I've spent c.3 decades working on public service reform and Total Place was the only one that I was involved in where I (and from what I could see others too) made zero progress. Nice in principle but without looking at its practical failures (& energy diverted from other reforms) seems a mistake

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

Not saying I'm struggling this morning but I just ordered a 'deflat' instead of decaf flat white at GDS towers. Might trademark that (and increase the caffeine)

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

'Because you created this account in the 90's before email we can't update your account, so fill in this PDF form and send it via your child instead'. Wow - quite the user journey there from Student Finance England's call centre 😲 Interestingly rare terrible gov transactional web experience

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

A dozen fresh warm Brick Lane bagels. Yum yum yum

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Paul Maltby @maltbyps.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Interesting framing from @bowsy.co.uk - goes deeper than just the personification of personal/organisational agents, but think we're already starting to see how important even this area of AI service design will be, especially for gov

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Reposted by Paul Maltby

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Looking for something to do in Manchester next weekend? Come along to the next Joy Diversion. It is fun and free, and you will always discover something. bit.ly/ODM-JOY17

Joy Diversion poster with text over layer in white and black strips over a line map of Manchester. The text reads:
Calling all ramblers, explorers and meanderers. Surveyors, cartographers and inquisitors. People who look up to the rooftops and down in the culverts.
The wandering returns
Joy Diversion - Saturday 17th Many 10am-4pm
Altogether Otherwise, 6-10 Hanover Street, Manchester M4 4BB. Price - Free
Join us for a day of mapping, exploring and wandering in Central Manchester and Salford
Viewed as a functional place of work, retail and leisure, our city centre bounded by Trinity Way, Great Ancoats Street and the Mancunian Way is imbued with history, iniquity, celebration and endeavour. Let us go out and find what's out there, discover the forgotten spaces, create stories and map our city.
This is not a guided tour - this is an adventure
Propose expeditions to unchartered territories, revisit previously known places, strange meanderings and any other diversions that you fancy.
You will need:
Yourself
Comfortable walking shoes or what ever you need to get around
Weather appropriate clothing (hopefully sun cream rather than waterproofs1)
Water
Contributions of biscuits and cake welcome.
Register here: https://bit.ly/ODM-JOY17

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