AI & Society: Choices, Risks & Opportunities: A Canada-UK Colloquium Report

AI & Society: Choices, Risks & Opportunities: A Canada-UK Colloquium Report

Artificial Intelligence – AI – has become a controversial issue in recent times. In November 2018 a Canada-UK Colloquium on AI & Society: Choices Risks & Opportunities was held in Toronto. This presentation will summarise the key issues discussed including:

• Debunking the AI Revolution: The development and application of ‘Deep Learning’ and related AI approaches;
• Legal implications of AI research and applications;
• Applications of AI in everyday use, such as the impact of Big Data on innovation;
• The use of AI in defence, security and policing; and
• Economic implications of AI and the impact on labour force.

Founded in 1971 the Canada-UK Council exists to bring together leading politicians, officials, academics, businessmen, practitioners and members of the media to discuss matters of current public policy concern to each country. It does this through hosting annual colloquia, supported by the UK and Canadian Prime Ministers and held alternately in each country.

Speaker Bios

Anthony Cary, CMG is Chairman of the Canada-UK Council. He served as British Ambassador to Sweden (2003-06) and High Commissioner to Canada (2007-10). Previous diplomatic postings included Berlin, Kuala Lumpur and Washington DC. He served twice on secondment to the European Commission in Brussels, as deputy head of Leon Brittan's office there, and as head of Chris Patten’s. He has an MBA at Stanford Business School on a Harkness Fellowship.

David Barber is Director of the UCL Centre for Artificial Intelligence, which aims to develop next generation AI techniques. He received his BA in Mathematics from Cambridge University and a PhD in Theoretical Physics (Statistical Mechanics) from Edinburgh University. He has broad research interests related to the application of probabilistic modelling and reasoning. He is also a Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute and the CSO of re:infer, an AI spin-out from UCL.

Jim Norton, OBE is a Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, where he is Chair of its Community of Practice in Digital Systems Engineering and a member of its Audit & Risk Committee. He is also a Pro-Chancellor of Coventry University. Jim is a non-executive director of Applegate Marketplace Ltd and of the Canada-UK Council and he is a Trustee and Director of the Foundation for Information Policy Research.

Anneke Schmider - specialises in international development strategy, programmes and finance, with a specific focus on new ideas, evidence and innovation. She previously worked at the World Health Organisation, collaborating with countries and development partners in Africa and Asia, and working closely with global partners such as World Bank and UNICEF leading new ideas and innovation for women and children.