[22/06/23] Partner News: Tech ethics expert announced for Edinburgh keynote
The Data-Driven Innovation Initiative has announced that broadcaster, author, and tech ethics expert Stephanie Hare will deliver the keynote talk at the ‘DataFutures, AI Futures’ conference on Wednesday 27 September 2023.
The broadcaster and author Stephanie Hare is to deliver the keynote talk at this year’s Scotsman/University of Edinburgh data conference, on Wednesday 27 September 2023.
The ‘DataFutures, AI Futures’ conference takes place at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh and will explore challenging themes, including how data and AI are shaping the future of the workforce and sustainable energy supplies; how they can be used to make the world a safer place for children and our ageing population. It will also address the much-debated dangers of AI and the fact that it has been with us for longer than many people realise.
Stephanie Hare is the author of Technology is Not Neutral: A Short Guide to Technology Ethics. Published in 2022, the book addresses how to create and use tools and technologies to maximize benefits and minimize harms. Drawing on the author’s experience as a technologist, political risk analyst and historian, it offers a practical and cross-disciplinary approach that will inspire anyone creating, investing in, or regulating technology.
Stephanie has worked as a Principal Director at Accenture Research, a strategist at Palantir, a Senior Analyst at Oxford Analytica, and a consultant at Accenture. She held the Alistair Horne Visiting Fellowship at St Antony’s College, Oxford after earning a PhD and an MSc in Theory and History of International Relations, both from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jarmo Eskelinen, Director of the University of Edinburgh Data-Driven Innovation initiative, said:
We’re delighted that Stephanie Hare will join us for what promises to be a fantastic day, marking the fifth anniversary of the University’s Data-Driven Innovation initiative. As the potential of AI – and its challenges – moves further up the political agenda, we need leading thinkers like Stephanie to bring valuable insights and measured perspectives to the debate.
The conference will bring together experts to discuss data’s role in AI, and its implications for society and the economy. Other speakers include: Deborah Fry, Professor of International Child Protection Research and Director at Childlight; Shannon Vallor, Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the Edinburgh Futures Institute; Thusha Rajendran, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Heriot-Watt University.