Is AI eroding public confidence in technology? Can AI be trustworthy? In the second Turing Lecture, Abeba Birhane will unpack the biases in data and its downstream impact on AI systems and shows how it can lead to unfair outcomes in our daily lives.

Abeba Birhane will look at why this happens, why it’s such a big issue and how researchers, activists and policy makers are tackling the problem.

By the end of this talk, you’ll have an improved understanding of the AI systems that increasingly shape our world. You’ll be better equipped to ask critical questions about AI technologies and understand why rigorous testing of AI systems and accountability of tech corporations is so crucial – no matter your background, you’ll learn something valuable.

This event will last approximately 2 hours, including an interval.

About the speaker:

Dr Abeba Birhane is a cognitive scientist researching human behaviour, social systems, and responsible and ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI). Her interdisciplinary research explores various broad themes in cognitive science, AI, complexity science, and theories of decoloniality. More specifically, Birhane examines the challenges and pitfalls of computational models of human behaviour.

About Turing Lectures series:

In this series we’ll explore the complex relationship between artificial intelligence and society, examining its impact on our democratic processes, decision-making systems and, crucially, trust.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, we face key questions about its role in shaping our future. From its influence on political landscapes to its potential for perpetuating societal biases, AI presents both opportunities and challenges. This lecture series aims to equip attendees with a comprehensive understanding of these issues, exploring how we can harness AI’s potential responsibly.

By exploring AI’s impact on government, decision-making processes, and our broader society, these talks will provide valuable insights for citizens, policymakers and technologists alike. The series will ultimately help guide us towards a future where AI serves as a tool for progress, without compromising the core human elements that define our societies and interpersonal relationships.

This series of Turing Lectures is presented by The Alan Turing Institute, in partnership with Knowledge Quarter.