The University of Glasgow is playing host to the leading figures from the UK’s artificial intelligence (AI) community
For three days this week the Lovelace-Hodgkin Symposium will bring together academics, researchers and policymakers to consider and tackle the complex ethical challenges posed by AI.
The event, at the at the University’s Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre, will inform the development of a groundbreaking new course on AI ethics.
The event is named in honour of Ada Lovelace, the pioneering 19th-century mathematician who recognised the early potential of computing, and Dorothy Hodgkin, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist who made key contributions to the development of X-ray crystallography and who advocated for social justice throughout her life.
The course aims to provide students with the skills required to think critically about how AI is developed, consumed, and communicated, and will be co-created by students and led by the University’s Dr Ciorsdaidh Watts and Dr Lydia Bach.
The first day of the symposium will examine the current state of AI, with a focus on higher education, culminating in a panel discussion on AI in research and teaching, with senior university figures as well as voices from the student body.
The second day will focus on approaches to tackle inequality and bias in AI, featuring discussions on AI and race, gender, the environment, children’s rights, and how AI is communicated and consumed.
The final day will involve participants collaborating to create an ethical framework for inclusive AI.
The event has been organised with support from the University’s Centre for Data Science & AI, launched in September last year. The Centre brings together hundreds of academics from across the University’s four Colleges with the aim of tackling global grand challenges and creating a better future for all.
Professor Ana Basiri, director of the Centre for Data Science & AI, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the Lovelace-Hodgkin Symposium with the support of key stakeholders from inside and outside the University of Glasgow.
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“Together, we will examine the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence across a wide range of perspectives, amplifying the voices of individuals from a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences.”
Dr Ciorsdaidh Watts, a senior lecturer in the School of Chemistry, said: “AI is already changing the face of education, affecting how we teach, learn and conduct research. Involving students as key contributors in the symposium will help us understand how they currently relate to AI.
“Their input will inform the development of the online course, which will help guide students in using AI responsibly, critiquing the use of AI from multiple angles, and advocating for inclusive AI use.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming attendees to the symposium, where we will work together to drive forward progress in AI ethics.”
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