Cummings calls on data scientists to join No 10

In a long post on his personal blog that also invited ‘weirdos and misfits’ to apply for jobs, Cummings said No 10 is recruiting for an ‘unusual set of people with different skills and backgrounds’ to help shape decision-making.

He issued a recruitment call for data scientists and software developers with an understanding of machine learning, economists, policy experts, project managers and communication experts as well as ‘junior researchers’ – one of whom will be appointed as Cummings’ personal assistant.

Cummings argued there is a ‘confluence’ of large policy and structural decision-making changes necessitated by Brexit, an increased willingness for risk-taking in government, and a government that has ‘little need’ to be concerned about short-term unpopularity as it attempts to solve problems.

He claimed there is a ‘huge’ opportunity in the intersection of training of people for ‘high performance’ and the ‘science of prediction’, along with artificial intelligence, data science and cognitive technologies, and ‘decision-making institutions at the apex of government’.