Ethics, Design and AI
No Harm Done?
A groundbreaking series of events on ethics, design and AI.
Curated in partnership between Edinburgh Futures Institute and Nile.
A groundbreaking series of events on ethics, design and AI.
Over 2023/4, we’re running a series of events that brings together perspectives from across sectors to drive the critical discourse on ethics in AI.
Businesses and academics are interacting with — or even building — AI tools, but lack the space to reflect on the ethical implications of those systems.
These events seek to fill the gap, bringing together perspectives from academia, design, business and law to think holistically about how we design new ethical pathways for AI.
We’ll look beyond the code, to the fundamental design challenges involved in creating a positive, equitable future with ethical artificial intelligence.
Read about our first event below or reserve your place now.
Our first event
Unmasking the Algorithm
Transparency and accountability in AI decision-making
Wed 4 October 2023, 4pm-6pm
InSpace, 1 Crichton St, Edinburgh
In a world where algorithms increasingly shape our decisions, how can we apply ideas from the humanities to avoid these systems becoming decision-making ‘black boxes’ – and ensure people are held to account when things go wrong?
Join three experts from the worlds of academia, design and business for lightning talks that will look beyond the code and examine the ethical and design underpinnings of AI, followed by an open discussion.
Speakers include:
- Dr Lachlan Urquhart, Senior Lecturer in Technology Law and Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Edinburgh
- Jonty Fairless, Principal Consultant, Nile
- Final speaker to be confirmed shortly
No Harm Done? is a collaboration between Edinburgh Futures Institute, the Institute for Design Informatics and Nile.
What to expect
At each event, three experts — selected from sectors such as business, academia, design and law — will deliver lightning talks designed to provoke an open and constructive dialogue around ethics and AI.
Attendees will then be invited to discuss the topics raised in a thought-provoking group setting, before a summary of the overall themes is provided at the end.
We’re creating an open and safe environment in which you can challenge assumptions, learn what’s happening right now and discuss what might be next.
This is an opportunity to hear from those involved in real-world applications of AI, and get involved in shaping its future.
Why we’re doing it
Making Edinburgh a hub for ethical AI
Inspired by Scotland’s AI Strategy, we want to establish Edinburgh as the hub for ethical AI innovation, and help position Scotland as a global leader in human-centred AI.
We believe it’s imperative to create a space in which the business, design and academic communities can share knowledge, gain insight and explore the potential impacts of AI now, in order to create a positive future with AI, and mitigate potential harms.
It’s hard to predict what path AI might take us down. The technology promises huge benefits, but also potentially serious risks if ethical considerations and human values aren’t taken into account.
Together, we will drive the discourse, exploring the steps we can take now to ensure the algorithms we design have ethics baked-in and help us build a fairer future.