Departmental news

Evidence submitted by Professor Thiemo Fetzer to the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry into the Use of AI in Government has been cited in the Committee’s final report.

Presenting the report, committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP said:

“This Committee’s role is to help ensure efficient Government policy delivery through our recommendations. The potential for AI to secure widespread efficiencies is obvious, and the need for digital improvements is a theme that will run through all our inquiries as through a stick of rock.

“Transparency is key here, as public trust that AI will work for them is central to any successful use of it. We still have a long way to go in this area.

“The Government has said it wants to mainline AI into the veins of the nation, but our report raises questions over whether the public sector is ready for such a procedure.

“A transformation of thinking in Government at senior levels is required. We hope the recommendations in our report aid the Government in succeeding in bringing public sector systems into the 21st century for their users, where other efforts have failed.”

In his evidence Thiemo highlighted that successful deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the public sector offers an unparalleled opportunity to redefine the role of the state and revolutionize governmental operations.

He noted that by easing skills constraints, enhancing data integration and management, increasing the accessibility of public services, and improving data collection and dissemination, AI can deliver significant improvements in efficiency, service delivery, and citizen engagement.

His full submission also emphasized that embracing AI thoughtfully and proactively will enable the public sector to meet future challenges effectively, delivering better outcomes for citizens while upholding transparency, accountability, and ethical standards.

Thiemo said:

“I am glad to see that my evidence submission to the Select Committee’s inquiry into Use of AI in Government was referenced in the full report.

“I set out a number of policy implications and also shared some case studies from my experience of trying to work with local councils to collect and analysis some of their data.

“Some simple steps to address the skills gap and give greater flexibility to council staff could break the AI logjam. While big flagship projects may grab the headlines, it’s often the little things that add up to a big difference.

“This is an area where I believe the HE sector can make a unique contribution”

The Government now has two months to respond to the recommendations and points of concern raised in the report.

• Use of AI in Government - Eighteenth Report of Session 2024–25
• Professor Fetzer’s evidence: committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/132636/html/

We are delighted that Soumya Dabriwal, a former student of the Department of Economics has been selected for the Forbes India Directory 30 Under 30. The list, published by Forbes annually, recognises exceptional achievements of 30 individuals under 30 years old, in 19 different categories.

Soumya, who graduated with a BSc Economics degree in 2016, has been listed in the NGO & Social Entrepreneurship category alongside her enterprise partner Aradhana Rai Gupta, for creating Project Baala, working to provide quality, low-cost menstrual products, and creating awareness about menstrual hygiene and health.

Soumya and Aradhana’s Forbes’ profile states that since 2017 their enterprise has reached a million beneficiaries across 28 states in India, apart from Ghana, Nepal, and Tanzania.

In a news article on the Warwick Alumni webpage Project Baala: Breaking the cycle of taboo, published two years ago, Soumya said that it was her visit to Ghana as part of the Warwick in Africa scheme and later her volunteering for Warwick in India programme during her BSc Economics studies, inspired her to set up Project Baala.

Soumya commented on her success:

“Being recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30 is an incredible milestone for both Baala and myself. This recognition is not just about me, it’s about the incredible people, stories, and resilience that have shaped Baala. We’re just getting started.”

We congratulate Soumya on this fantastic success and wish her and Project Baala further successes in the future.

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Forbes India 30 Under 30 2025: Meet our young groundbreakers and trendsetters

Project Baala: Breaking the Cycle of Taboo 

Emeritus Professor Marcus Miller and Economics Alumnus and Honorary Warwick Graduate Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin have been invited to join a prestigious commission that will address the sovereign debt and development crises affecting countries across the Southern Hemisphere.

The Commission of Experts is an initiative of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) and Columbia University’s Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD). It is inspired by the Roman Catholic tradition of the Jubilee, an annual event once every 25 years, which can include calls for social and financial justice.

The Commission’s members are tasked with developing reforms to the international financial architecture that would enable countries across the Southern Hemisphere to achieve sustainable debt levels; allowing them to increase investment in healthcare, education, clean energy, and climate adaptation.

Professor Miller said:

“Joseph Stiglitz is, I guess, the prime mover behind the idea of producing a Jubilee Report on the Debt and Development Crises in Countries from the South, ably supported by Martin Guzman and Sr. Helen Alford.

“Inspired by the impact that previous pressure in the year 2000 had in promoting the HIPIC program for reducing the debt of many Heavily Indebted Poor Income Countries, they’ve contacted academics and practitioners in the fields of development and debt with the goal of generating an agenda of positive steps 25 years later.

“Having written on debt restructuring with Joe Stiglitz, I was invited to join the panel, which started with a nuts-and-bolts workshop last week.

“As well as debt write-downs and interest relief for the poorest countries, matched by commitments for promoting health and education and tackling the issue of over-borrowing, options for improving debt contracts and for IMF reserve allocations to assist with liquidity and rollovers were outlined.

“These and other proposals are to be embodied in a Report which - with the moral support of the Catholic church - is to be presented to the Finance for Development Conference in Seville in June.”

UN envoy Mahmoud Mohieldin, PhD and recent Honorary Graduate from Warwick, is also a key member of the Commission, advocating a greater role for Multilateral Development Banks and a comprehensive revision of IMF quotas.

Dr. Mohieldin said:

“I am honoured to join the Jubilee Commission among distinguished scholars and experts. Our task to suggest reforms to address the sovereign debt and development crises affecting developing countries is indeed challenging but very pertinent.

“Public debt in developing countries has surged at twice the rate since 2010, with median external public debt service rising from 5% of government revenues in 2010 to 8.8% in 2022. The creditor landscape has shifted significantly, with over 60% of lenders now being private, making debt more expensive and restructuring more complex. Concurrently, debtor countries now face a growing challenge of balancing essential public spending with debt service obligations. Given their costly debt service bills, many developing countries are forced to de-prioritize spending on basic social services, such as health and education, as well as essential investment in long-term infrastructure, ending up with limited capacity to achieve SDGs, the most important of which is combating extreme poverty. The problem today is not just countries defaulting on commercial debt but rather defaulting on development.

“As the United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and also mandated by the UN Secretary General to lead a group of prominent experts to promote solutions for resolving the debt crisis, it is my conviction that the debt crisis of developing countries must be treated through a development-oriented approach that aligns suggested solutions with the SDGs. I am looking forward to continuing working with my fellow commissioner to present concrete, fair, inclusive, actionable and durable recommendations that inform the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), which will take place from 30 June to 3 July 2025, in Sevilla, Spain.”

• Read more on the PASS website: Press Release Jubilee Commission

The THRIVING Food Futures project, a consortium of researchers including Professor Thijs van Rens of the University of Warwick, has been awarded a five-year funding grant by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

This new research hub aims to develop policy solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of our diets whilst maximising health benefits.

It will bring together the public, policymakers and academics to co-design and evaluate policies for healthy, sustainable diets, with a focus on changing how food is marketed and sold.

As well as helping the country meet its legal Net Zero targets, sustainable diets can address public health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and health inequalities.

Members of the THRIVING Link opens in a new windowhub include researchers from Oxford, Cambridge, Strathclyde, Warwick, Queen Mary University London and City St George’s University London.

Professor Thijs van Rens will lead a team working on the development of metrics, algorithms and tools to support the project. A new Nutrient and Environmental Profiling Model will classify and rank foods based on their nutritional content and environmental impact, to help inform policies for healthy, sustainable diets.

The team will also create novel digital tools, such as smartphone apps, to collect data and evaluate the effect of interventions in real-world shopping environments. These tools will allow for large-scale testing of proposed policies independent of commercial partnerships, and enable rigorous evaluation of how different policy approaches influence food choices and sustainability.

Thijs said:

We cannot deliver on net zero promises without significant change to our diets, because production of food, particularly of ruminant meat, is responsible for a third of carbon emissions globally. At the same time, making diets healthier to halt the obesity epidemic and the public health crisis is just as urgent.

Healthier, more sustainable diets are a responsibility of all. But we cannot wait for everyone to be on board, and we cannot rely on the large commercial players in the food system to do the right thing. Urgent action is needed now.

In the THRIVING project, we want to not only clarify what foods are good for human and planetary health, but also find ways build public support for these diets, and gather real-world evidence on what policies will be effective in encouraging dietary change.

Pete Scarborough, Professor of Population Health at Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, and project lead, added:

“The THRIVING Food Futures research hub is a great opportunity to reshape the UK’s food system in a way that benefits both our health and the environment.

“By working closely with policymakers and the public, we will create evidence-based solutions that are not only effective but also widely accepted and viable. If implemented, these policies can contribute to a healthier population and a healthier planet.”

This ambitious project is part of a new wave of transdisciplinary research hubs funded by UKRI and NIHR, designed to support transformative change. The THRIVING Food Futures project will not only provide valuable real-world evidence but also develop tools and policy maps that can be used beyond the life of the project.

• For more information about the project and its goals, please visit the THRIVING Food Futures webpageLink opens in a new window

• A new study finds that reducing users’ exposure to toxic content on major social media platforms reduces their engagement across a variety of metrics, creating a dilemma for platforms which need engagement to survive
• Users whose feeds were filtered to reduce exposure to toxic content increased engagement with other unfiltered platforms
• Toxicity is contagious – users reading toxic posts are more likely to post their own hateful, profane or harassing content
• Profanity and hate speech have different effects on user welfare
• The study also offers insights into the benefits and limitations of automated toxicity detection.

With 5.24 billion social media accounts active around the world, decisions on what content is allowed and what should be restricted have global significance.

Social media providers are often accused of prioritising controversial content in order to maximise user engagement and increase their profits, without regard to welfare concerns for individuals or society as a whole. But the relationship between toxic content and engagement has not – until now - been proven.

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the University of Warwick, the University of Chicago and Columbia University recruited 742 volunteers to take part in a live experiment to explore how toxic content impacts user engagement on three major social media platforms.

Over six weeks in 2022, the volunteers used a custom-built browser plug-in to curate their social media feeds. During the experiment the volunteers consumed 11 million pieces of social media content across 30,000 hours of social media use.

Half the volunteers received whatever the Facebook, YouTube and Twitter algorithms served up for them. The other half received a filtered feed in which toxic content was hidden in real time. The volunteers did not know the specific way in which the browser plug-in curated their social media content.

The key findings, presented in Toxic Content and User Engagement on Social Media: Evidence from a Field Experiment, are:

• The average toxicity of text content seen by users in the moderated group was 73 per cent lower than the unfiltered group.
• Users in the moderated group engaged less across a basket of measures including time spent on the platform, ads clicked, and content consumed. For example:

• • Active time spent fell by 9 per cent on Facebook and 7 per cent on YouTube
  • Content consumed on Facebook fell by 23
  • Adverts consumed fell by 27 per cent on Facebook and by 6 per cent on Twitter
  • Ad clicks and post clicks decreased on both Facebook and Twitter

• Users in the moderated group spent on average 22 per cent more time each day on 38 other websites which were not moderated by the experiment, such as Reddit, discord, tumblr and telegram.
• Reducing exposure to toxic content reduced the average toxicity of content posted by the volunteers themselves on Facebook (by 30 per cent) and Twitter (by 25 per cent)

Dr Stalinski explains:

While this experiment is very clear that exposure to toxic content is a strong driver of social media engagement, the mechanisms behind this were less obvious.

The impact on welfare was also unclear from this first experiment. It is important not to assume that the welfare of the group who had reduced exposure to toxic content automatically improved.

To shed further light on these questions, a second online experiment asked 4,000 people to transcribe posts which varied both in their level of toxicity and the reason they had been so classified. Some posts were hateful but not profane; while others were profane but not hateful.

Dr Stalinski added:

The results of this larger study, using a different experimental design, were in alignment with our field experiment. Encountering more toxic posts increased the likelihood of clicking to see the comment sections by 18%, even though the comments were not part of the transcription task.

We also found that participants’ welfare was more adversely affected by hateful posts than profane ones. Overall, toxic posts triggered their curiosity, while profane posts specifically were also seen as more entertaining.

For the live experiment, toxic content was automatically hidden by a machine-learning algorithm trained to assess whether the content was likely to have been defined as toxic by more than 3 out of 10 human moderators. Over the six weeks of the experiment 7 per cent of posts, comments and replies met this threshold and were hidden.

The researchers note that their findings create a dilemma for social media providers. If the same approach were rolled out across the board, exposure to toxic content would fall – people would see fewer toxic posts and create fewer themselves – but engagement, ad clicks and content views would also fall, decreasing platform revenue; and users might migrate to less-moderated sites. It also does not necessarily follow that reduced toxicity enhances welfare – the welfare effects are more subtle and depend on the type of toxic content.

Dr Stalinski said:

Our evidence suggests that social media platforms’ private incentives to curtail toxicity may not be in alignment with social needs.

We therefore hope that our results will be useful to platforms, policymakers and regulators as they seek the right balance between freedom of speech and protection from harm.

We also hope that the tools to automatically detect and moderate toxic content that we experimentally assessed will be of interest to stakeholders such as social media platforms, online forums, and news sites who may wish to detect and hide toxic content in real time.

• Toxic Content and User Engagement on Social Media: Evidence from a Field Experiment. George Beknazar-Yuzbashev, Rafael Jiménez-Durán, Jesse McCrosky and Mateusz Stalinski. CAGE Working Paper 741/2025
• Download the full paper here.Link opens in a new window
• Read more about the study on the CAGE website here.

"Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the long-run evolution of the Indian economy."

In a new book published by Cambridge University Press, Professor Bishnupriya Gupta offers a major new economic history of India from the reign of Akbar in the sixteenth century to India’s post-independence integration into the global economy.

Using concepts and theories from economics and economic history alongside extensive new data, Professor Gupta builds a new framework for understanding the economic impacts and legacies of British rule. She charts India’s transition from precolonial economy to colonial rule and evaluates its economic performance from a comparative perspective, particularly in the context of the Great Divergence between Europe and Asia.

An Economic History of India examines India’s post-independence economy and the evolution of social and economic inequality through to the turn of the twenty-first century. By taking a long view, the book sheds new light on the persistent effects of historical institutions as well as the impacts of policy-driven changes.

About the Author

Bishnupriya Gupta is Professor of Economics at University of Warwick and CAGE Research Director. She has published widely on industrial development in colonial India, gender norms in India and is a key contributor to the debate on the Great Divergence.

• An Economic History of India: Growth, Income and Inequalities from the Mughals to the 21st Century can be purchased from Cambridge University Press
• Listen to Bishnupriya Gupta discuss colonialism and the economic history of India in the On Humans podcast