Note: Speaker information is preliminary and subject to change

The last decade has seen huge leaps in Machine Learning and AI, with benefits across industries from the arts to health, from public services to consumer electronics. However there is growing concern about the safety, fairness and broader societal impact of AI. We'll see how machine learning and AI works, its strengths and weaknesses. We'll then discuss scenarios which demonstrate how poor or naive application of AI can lead to confidently inaccurate results, bias against some communities, loss of customer trust in your business, and further widen the digital divide. Issues will include poor and biased data quality, algorithmic transparency, tech culture and engineering discipline, explainability, and the more challenging question of corporate ethics. Tariq will then guide us through the emerging global consensus around frameworks for understanding and assessing the safe, responsible and ethical use of AI in your organisation. This talk is suitable for all, and is designed for non-technical leaders in particular.

Session takeaways

• understand machine learning and AI.
• insight into the risks and dangers of poorly developed or naively implemented AI.
• understand emerging industry frameworks for assessing safe, responsible, and fair AI.

Bio

Tariq Rashid was originally trained as a physicist, and later gained a masters in machine learning and data mining. He's worked in technology for 20 years, including almost a decade in central government, leading on the modernisation of technology and security. Tariq is passionate about open source, developing communities, and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. He led the London Python meetup, and now runs a children's CoderDojo Cornwall and the Data Science Cornwall community, as well as the London based Algorithmic Art group which has grown to over 4,500 members. He also writes books on machine learning and creative computing, one of which has been translated into 6 languages. He is currently developing Digital Dynamics, a new business specialising in independent risk assessment of client's use of machine learning and data, with a focus on safe and ethical use of AI.