Introduction
The Nuffield Foundation has appointed Sir Alan Wilson as Executive Chair of the Ada Lovelace Institute.
Sir Alan, who will step down as CEO of The Alan Turing Institute next month as we welcome Sir Adrian Smith as our new Director, will take up his new role with immediate effect. He will lead the 18-month development phase of the Ada Lovelace Institute, an independent research and deliberative body with a mission to ensure data and artificial intelligence (AI) work for people and society.
Sir Alan’s first priority as Chair will be to lead an open recruitment process for the Board – which will set the strategy and remit of the Ada Lovelace Institute – and a Director. He will work with independent recruiters Saxton Bampfylde. Recruitment for the Director opens today, and Board opportunities will be advertised in the next few weeks.
The Alan Turing Institute is one of a number of partners which established the Ada Lovelace Institute in 2018. The new Institute will promote more informed public understanding of the impact of AI and data-driven technologies on different groups in society. It will guide ethical practice in their development and deployment, and will undertake research and long term thinking to lay the foundations for a data-driven society with wellbeing at its core.
Dame Colette Bowe, Trustee of the Nuffield Foundation and Chairman of the Banking Standards Board said:
“We are delighted that Alan has agreed to lead the development of the Ada Lovelace Institute. As CEO of The Alan Turing Institute, he has long been an advocate for greater understanding of the social and ethical implications of data science and AI for a range of industries, while also recognising the social benefits of these technologies.
“These themes are fundamental to the new Ada Lovelace Institute, which will promote informed public understanding of the impact of data and AI on society, guide ethical practice, and undertake research to lay the foundations for a data-driven society with well-being at its core.”
Sir Alan Wilson said:
“The Ada Lovelace Institute presents a rare and exciting opportunity to harness the power of data and AI for people and society, and I look forward to leading its development over the next 18 months.
“A key component of the Institute’s mission is to convene diverse voices to create a shared understanding of ethical issues in data and AI, and my first priority as Chair will be to recruit a Board that reflects this diversity. We are seeking people from different sectors and disciplines to set the strategy and remit of the Ada Lovelace Institute and to actively participate in its work. The Board will connect academic fields such as philosophy, data science, and social science, with civil society and public deliberation, policy and regulation, and international perspectives."
Conclusion
Find out more about The Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Foundation.
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