#7 Red Tape and the Algorithm: Navigating AI Public Procurement w/ Prof. Albert Sánchez-Graells

In this episode, we explore the intersection of AI and public procurement with Professor Albert Sánchez-Graells. The discussion covers the current state of AI adoption in the public sector, the risks associated with generative AI, the importance of AI literacy for civil servants, and the challenges posed by governance and regulatory frameworks like the EU AI Act. The conversation emphasizes the need for stringent standards in public sector technology and the role of public procurement in shaping digital technologies.

If you're interested in following Albert on LinkedIn (and there you'll find his blog 'How to Crack a Nut'):   / albert-sanchez-graells  .

You'll be able to find Albert's recent book on 'Digital Technologies and Public Procurement: Gatekeeping and Experimentation in Digital Public Governance': https://global.oup.com/academic/produ....

We touched upon a few existing initiatives relating to the integration of AI in the public sector. Follow through on those moments directly via the links below:
3:54, Irish authorities issuing prohibition on off-the-shelf generative AI tools on 'Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service': https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-p....
3:54, Dutch authorities issuing prohibition on off-the-shelf generative AI tools on its 'AI Impact Assessment': https://www.government.nl/documents/p....
4:27, UK position on 'go-and-experiment' with generative AI: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/la....
4:35, UK Government Digital Service report on experimentation with Microsoft 365 Copilot: https://www.gov.uk/government/publica....
5:50, Application of generative AI in minute-taking: https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/....
6:26, New generative AI models confabulating more than old ones: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/18/ope....
8:47, Computing power needed for gen AI impacting resources in rare earth elements and minerals: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/24/earth....
8:51, Tagging of data builds on exploitative practices in data labeling: https://aijourn.com/ais-race-to-the-b....
9:47, Madrid City Council advanced with data science team: https://www.madrid.es/UnidadesDescent....
10:34, Albert's Two-Sided Gatekeeper Problem surrounding AI in the public sector: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.c....
12:12, CMA's cloud assessment refusing to acknowledge problems in procurement: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/cloud-se....
16:06, EU AI model contractual clauses: https://public-buyers-community.ec.eu....
18:27, Meta 'cheating' on its benchmarking of Llama 4: https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/0....

Key moments

00:00 Introduction to AI in Public Procurement
01:18 Public Sector vs. Private Sector in AI Adoption
03:20 Risks of Generative AI in Public Sector
06:40 AI Literacy and Training in the Public Sector
10:08 Governance and Regulatory Challenges in AI
15:03 The EU AI Act and Its Limitations
19:29 Shaping Digital Technologies through Public Procurement

To learn more about Dr. Alba Ribera Martínez and her research, we invite you to visit her website: https://www.albariberamartinez.com.

She also writes, from time to time, in her newsletter, the DMA Agora, about the latest developments surrounding the European regulation: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relati....
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