A Cambridge University report has found that Sign Language AI systems are being procured across public services without adequate Deaf community involvement, creating institutional risks
Dr Louise Hickman, Dr Alexa Hagerty, and Rose Powell said the rapid deployment of AI across UK public services presents both opportunities and significant risks for equality and inclusion.
They said the tension is particularly acute in the emerging field of Sign Language AI, adding that technologies designed to support BSL are increasingly being procured and deployed with inadequate community oversight and linguistic expertise.
Released by the Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy at Cambridge University, the report states that Deaf linguists, third sector organisations, and BSL users themselves are more frequently testing pre-built Sign Language AI systems rather than co-designing them.
It also suggests a series of actions for procurement teams, policy leaders, and oversight bodies across public institutions to implement Deaf-led frameworks.
Among the recommendations is to establish BSL-specific procurement standards, a National BSL Expertise Network and independent BSL AI oversight. The report also calls for BSL expertise to be integrated into digital transformation and for mandates to bring in public reporting and Deaf-led impact assessments.
The report’s authors said: “Commissioning Sign Language AI tools through current governance frameworks could bring immediate and long-term harm to Britain’s Deaf communities. Deaf people accessing AI-enabled public services could experience communication breakdowns, cultural misrepresentation, and developmental harm.
“The interpreting profession could be destabilised, BSL could be eroded to simplified gestures, and those in need of support may disengage from public services altogether. Structural changes to how commissioning decisions are made are urgently needed to assure Deaf communities hold decision-making authority at critical stages.
“The need for improved procurement procedures is urgent as Sign Language AI technologies are no longer experimental – they are already being planned, piloted, and deployed across healthcare, education, employment, and digital government platforms.
“A Deaf-led approach to AI procurement will ensure that government consultation processes enhance the accessibility, and quality, of public services and new technologies do not worsen outcomes for Deaf people across the country.”