Agenda
Is tech regulation raising the bar for digital ethics?
Is tech regulation raising the bar for digital ethics?
Plenary
Policymakers across the world are increasing their efforts to address digital ethics issues, many of them looking to regulation to do so. At the Summit's opening plenary panel, we are exploring the relationship between ethics and regulation, and particularly the implications of this relationship for digital innovation.
We will discuss the role of regulation in the digital ethics debate, and whether its proliferation wll encourage organisations to continue to focus on ethics, or if digital ethics will be put to one side as compliance takes the lead. Panellists will reflect on whether a shift towards compliance is positive or negative for the digital ethics discussion, and what we can do to encourage industry to continue their pursuit of ethics.
Speakers
Professor Luciano Floridi
Dr Chris Anagnostopoulos
Carly Kind
John Edwards
Sue Daley
Online safety legislation - where are we now? (Powered by Clifford Chance)
Online safety legislation - where are we now? (Powered by Clifford Chance)
Breakout
Join this interactive panel session where experts from Clifford Chance, alongside speakers from the Alan Turing Institute's Online Safety team, will take you through the UK's upcoming landmark Online Safety law.
The draft law has at times had a tumultuous journey as it moves through the consultative and legislative process, and many important questions remain unanswered. The session will track the progress of the law and where it stands, cover unresolved policy and compliance concerns in the UK and beyond, and discuss practical takeaways based on extensive academic research and industry experience.
Speakers
Digital ethics in the public sector: are we making headway? Powered by Sopra Steria
Digital ethics in the public sector: are we making headway? Powered by Sopra Steria
Breakout
The awareness of data ethics has steadily been increasing across sectors; from securing representative datasets to ensuring data-driven technologies do not reinforce or exacerbate existing inequalities, ethical principles are guiding decision-making. In the public sector, this is perhaps most crucial, as the technologies applied here are some that we all rely on – and that we all need to trust.
In this session, we will hear the results of new research assessing the digital ethics maturity of public sector bodies, and we will explore where the main strengths and weaknesses lie. Panellists will discuss what drives greater progress in some areas compared to others, and what next steps are necessary to gain and keep the public's trust.
Speakers
Michaela Omelkova
Katherine Holden
Dr Kevin Macnish
Sam Nutt
Areeq Chowdhury
Calum Inverarity
How can we learn from mistakes?
How can we learn from mistakes?
Plenary
Greater access to advanced digital technology and an understanding of its benefits has been accompanied by an increasing awareness of the ways in which tech sometimes goes wrong. Even so, most people would agree we should not give up on tech altogether – rather, we need to ensure that advanced data and digital technologies are developed and deployed responsibly to build and maintain public trust.
In this discussion, panellists will share what they think we can learn, and perhaps have already learned from the way technology has failed or been misused in the past, and the impact this has had on public trust. We will discuss if there are ways we can get better at the learning process itself and identify key lessons that must be taken away.
By examining the past, the panel will explore how we can move into a future where we encourage more ethical progress rather than getting stuck in a cycle of blame.
Speakers
Professor Jack Stilgoe
Antony Walker
Professor Fraser Sampson
Nina Alag Suri
Catherine Dunkerley
How can the latest breakthroughs in technology truly benefit humanity?
How can the latest breakthroughs in technology truly benefit humanity?
Plenary
If the past few years have taught us anything, it may be that science and tech innovation is even more urgent than thought previously. From the need for technology to help us cure or immunise against diseases, to solutions to help combat the rapid environmental deterioration caused by climate change, to addressing the needs of increasing numbers of vulnerable citizens, the news cycle serves as a constant reminder that innovation is not just a nice-to-have but essential to our future well-being.
In this panel discussion we will explore what the future could look like if science and technology live up to our highest expectations and the difference advanced data and digital innovation would make to the lives of people across the world if we get innovation right for people, society and the planet.
We will also take a critical look at whether the tech industry is able to strike a balance between speed and ethical innovation, as well as navigating the potential pitfalls that stand between us and a better tech future.
Speakers
Bea Longworth
Jen Rodvold
Dr Janet Valentine
Sue Daley
Julie Dawson
The tech industry’s role in protecting human rights – Powered by BT
The tech industry’s role in protecting human rights – Powered by BT
Breakout
Since the emergence of digital ethics as a flourishing field of interest within industry, academia, and broader public debates, it has been clear that some of the most central tenets of the ethics debate, such as fairness and transparency overlap with efforts to protect our human rights. These include efforts to secure people's right to privacy and the right not to be unfairly discriminated against.
As technology evolves and new risks emerge, what action needs to be taken to ensure technology is developed and deployed in ways that help people to flourish and protect them from harm?
In this session, we will discuss how companies can use ethics and human rights frameworks to anticipate and navigate technology use and misuse that may lead to harm, from the earliest stages of design and development, through to sale. In particular, we will ask where industry's responsibilities begin and end and discuss how best to put principles into practice. We will also explore the role of other stakeholders in the tech ecosystem and how emerging policy and regulation can support a responsible tech approach.
Speakers
Collin Kurre
Tehtena Mebratu-Tsegaye
Dr Anjali Mazumder
Jan Kleijssen
Keeping people safe in the metaverse
Keeping people safe in the metaverse
Breakout
Predictions suggest the coming of Web 3.0 will forever change how we interact online, and our relationship with the internet as a whole. The metaverse is an important part of the Web 3.0 and while the definition is broad – ranging from fairly simple use of avatars in gaming settings to realistic immersive spaces using haptic technologies – there is no question it can lead to more intensive online interactions.
It's therefore worth asking if our perception of online harms needs to be revisited for the metaverse, and if the balance between the value of online anonymity and keeping everyone safe in online spaces shifts when it comes to more immersive experiences.
In this discussion, an expert panel will consider what our most important tools are in protecting people from metaverse harms, and what it will take from policymakers, industry and regulators to implement these well.
Speakers
Gabriela De Oliveira
Timothy Scott
Asha Easton
Cristina Criddle
Fred Langford
Obsessed with sentience? What language models are teaching us about our expectations of tech and humanity
Obsessed with sentience? What language models are teaching us about our expectations of tech and humanity
Plenary
2022 has been a year where the attention paid to large language models has exploded, spurred on by impressive performances in human-machine interactions; from the breakthrough conversation technology seen by the release of LaMDA to the both realistic and artistic imagery generated by DALL-E 2, AI has truly started to capture the public’s imagination.
The results of these and other technological innovations have given us all a small glimpse into an AI-driven future. However, they have divided opinion; some say we should start considering ‘rights’ for AI, others urge preparation for the risk of hostile super-intelligent AI, but many also caution that the hype is distracting from other, more pressing AI issues. Join us for this fascinating dive into what the future holds for AI’s relationship with humanity. We will ask experts what they think causes such a variety of strong opinions on this topic, whether we are in danger of becoming obsessed with the notion of sentience, and how they react when they see evermore realistically ‘human’ behaviour from AI.
Speakers
Ivana Bartoletti
Professor Beth Singler
Dr Adrian Weller
Antony Walker
Hetan Shah
