From start-ups and online harms to climate change, comedy and love, AI UK 2022 promises to be the Turing’s most exciting and wide-ranging event yet.
Struggling to decide what sessions to attend? You’re not alone. If there’s one thing we’ve learned so far as co-chairs of this year’s event, it’s that there’s an awful lot of cool stuff happening across the UK when it comes to AI and data science.
To make your task a bit easier, we’ve selected the sessions that we’re most looking forward to across the four stages (‘The conversation’, ‘Public policy’, ‘In the lab’ and ‘Climate action’). However, there’s so much going on that we’re only just skimming the surface, so do check out the full programme.
Day 1
The UK’s got talent (The conversation, 10:00-11:00)
Rachel: “There’s been so much discussion lately about the National AI Strategy, and this session gets at the heart of one of the key challenges: training, recruiting and workforce preparation. With speakers including Tabitha Goldstaub, Obum Ekeke and Caroline Gorski, this session is top of my list.”
Tech entrepreneurs: what I wish I knew (The conversation, 12:00-13:00)
Mike: “Many of us in AI have thought about creating a start-up (I tried at the end of the 1990s – it didn’t end well). In this session, those who made it will tell those of us who might want to try just what it took to succeed. It should be fascinating stuff: I predict a big audience.”
Online Harms Observatory (Public policy, 14:00-15:00)
Mike: “We are all aware of how, for all its benefits, the online world brings very real dangers and harms. This work introduces a new Turing initiative: the Online Harms Observatory. We’ll find out what it hopes to achieve and how it will do it. Let’s all hope they succeed!”
The role of computational social science in policy-making (Public policy, 16:00-16:45)
Rachel: “Billed as the launch of the Modelling for Policy Theme at the Turing, this session is on my list because, from my viewpoint, it tackles an incredibly important (and evergreen) challenge: the ways in which social science, and especially computational or analytical social science, can be employed for policy development, implementation and evaluation.”
Day 2
AI for cities (The conversation, 09:00-09:55)
Rachel: “Bright and early on Day 2, we’ll hear UK mayors and data science and AI experts discuss how to achieve the levelling up agenda and where technology, and especially AI, fits in. I can’t wait to hear the perspective of mayors and others on the ground, who are dealing with how to improve their cities’ infrastructure and services.”
Climate and environmental change: what’s the cost to our health? (Climate action, 11:00-12:00)
Rachel: “We have a whole stage dedicated to climate action this year, and this session promises to be a highlight. We’ll hear about one of the oft-forgotten impacts of climate change: human health. What can we do to mitigate the risks?”
Jeanette Winterson: love, life and AI (The conversation, 12:00-13:00)
Mike: “I’ve seen Jeanette speak before, and based on my experience, this will be a memorable session indeed! It will be wonderful to see what one of the world’s leading novelists makes of AI.”
Global Partnership on AI (Public policy, 13:00-15:10)
Mike: “Launched in June 2020, the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) is a major international initiative for sharing research and promoting trustworthy AI. Over four sessions, we’ll be treated to fascinating insights from researchers involved in the GPAI’s data governance working group.”
Foundation models: the new kid on the block (In the lab, 15:15-16:00)
Mike: “The pace of change in AI is breathtaking, and it is astonishing that we have a session on a topic that didn’t even exist this time last year. Foundation models are AI models trained on large, broad datasets, which can then be specialised for specific applications. Many researchers are betting that they will be the next big thing in AI: let’s find out!”
Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas (The conversation, 16:15-17:15)
Rachel: “Important issues can be covered in a light-hearted, but incisive, way and I expect the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas to deliver. Hosted by comedian Susan Morrison, we’ll see (serious) academics presenting their (serious) work with a dollop of humour. I can’t wait.”
Browse the full programme and secure your place at AI UK 2022
