Socitm, the public sector digital leadership body, has published guidance on AI adoption for UK government executives and decision-makers. The guidance addresses a persistent gap between AI vendor promises and the operational realities facing public sector organisations. Councils and central government departments struggle to move beyond pilot projects into scaled deployment. The recommendations focus on governance structures, procurement decisions, and workforce readiness—areas where public bodies typically lack internal expertise. Socitm's move signals growing recognition that generic AI frameworks do not transfer easily to the constraints of public administration: legacy systems, budget restrictions, and accountability requirements differ markedly from private sector conditions.