The UK government has announced the names of board members appointed to its dedicated AI Council.
As one of the global leaders in AI, the global community will be looking to who the UK has appointed to its council and awaiting its guidance.
Digital Secretary, Jeremy Wright, said:
“Britain is already a leading authority in AI. We are home to some of the world’s finest academic institutions, landing record levels of investment to the sector, and attracting the best global tech talent, but we must not be complacent.
Through our AI Council we will continue this momentum by leveraging the knowledge of experts from a range of sectors to provide leadership on the best use and adoption of artificial intelligence across the economy.
Under the leadership of Tabitha Goldstaub, the Council will represent the UK AI Sector on the international stage and help us put in place the right skills and practices to make the most of data-driven technologies.”
Here’s a list of those who’ve made the cut:
- Paul Clarke (Ocado’s Chief Technology Officer)
- Dame Patricia Hodgson (Board Member of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation)
- Professor Adrian Smith (The Alan Turing Institute Chief Executive)
- Kriti Sharma (Founder of AI for Good)
- Mark Walport (UKRI Chief Executive)
- Professor David Lane (Founding Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics)
Each of the board members brings a vast amount of knowledge in AI. Clarke, for example, oversaw the implementation of AI at Ocado for personalising the shopping experience for shoppers while predicting demand and detecting fraud.
On the policy-side, Professor Smith of The Alan Turing Institute brings his organisation’s experience of identifying and overcoming barriers to AI adoption in society. This includes matters such as skills, consumer trust, and ensuring the protection of sensitive data.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said:
“The use of Artificial Intelligence is becoming integral to people’s everyday lives, from companies protecting their customers from fraud to smart devices in our homes.
The outstanding expertise of those joining our new AI Council will be invaluable as we look to develop this ever-changing industry into one that is world-leading, attracting the brightest and best to work in new highly-skilled jobs.
This AI Council follows our ground-breaking AI Sector Deal, and is a key part of our modern Industrial Strategy – investing now to secure the UK’s position on the world stage in these cutting edge technologies both now and long into the future.”
The creation of AI boards has often been deemed necessary, but some attempts so far have been met with mixed responses. Google famously created an AI ethics board earlier this year before swiftly disbanding it after backlash.
Hopefully, the UK’s attempt will fare better (and stick around for a bit longer!)
Related: Watch our interview with Ilya Feige, Head of Research at Faculty, discussing AI fairness and ethics boards at AI Expo Global 2019:
