Great Debate 2024 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Threat or Opportunity?

Duration: 48 mins
Publication date: 19 Mar 2024
Part of series The Great Debate

Abstract

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in businesses is not new. However, generative AI such as ChatGPT has propelled the interest in digital transformation in businesses and their customers.

Early adopters of generative AI have shown promising results like improved customer experience, enhanced customer satisfaction, personalised services and marketing, better productivity and enriched interactions.

However, businesses must consider the challenges:

AI requires good data (data literacy, integrated systems, data skills and capabilities).

The implementer of AI has additional responsibility to assess ethical issues like bias, privacy, security, fairness, autonomy, societal impact, dignity, safety and job security.

At this year’s Great Debate four speakers will address different aspects of AI implementation and the benefits and challenges they entail. Regulation will also be discussed.

How will AI affect our life? - Andrew Lea, Head of AI, PXP

Boom or bust / Challenges facing AI - Mona Ashok, Assoc Prof, HBS UoR

Bias and inequality - Dan Remenyi Hon Prof, SMIG

How should/can we control and regulate it? - Alan Mosca, CTO nPlan

Keywords:: The Great Debate

ban on microbeads

design and manufacturing

life without plastics

plastic packaging tax

plastic waste

reduce greenhouse gas emissions

research and innovation

waste management

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Communications

Communities

Manufacturing

Speakers

Dr Eugene Mohareb

University of Reading

Responsibilities:Research Group Lead - Energy and Environmental EngineeringModule Convenor, Projects (CE1CPR), Resource-Efficient Built Environments (CE3RES), Life Cycle Assessment (CEM219).After completing my bachelor's and master's degrees in biological engineering from the University of Guelph, I worked for four years as a consultant in the food industry.I completed my doctoral thesis, entitled Quantifying the Transition to Low-Carbon Cities, in Civil/Environmental Engineering at the University of Toronto.My postdoctoral work included assisting with capacity building for rural infrastructure improvement in partnership with UN-HABITAT and the Lao Clean Water Agency (Nam Sa'at), consulting as a policy analyst for the Pembina Institute (an energy think tank) and conducting research as a visiting scholar within the Centre for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge.
Dr Mona Ashok Mona Ashok

University of Reading, Associate Professor of Digital Transformation

Mona Ashok’s experience in Higher Education ranges from teaching undergraduate and masters level modules, marking assignments and examination papers, and supervising masters and doctoral programme members.Mona has extensive industry experience, having worked for global IT and BPO organisations, an Accounting firm, and a Business School, covering a wide spectrum of customers. Her professional and academic projects cover topics such as: process improvement, programme management, research methodology, accounting, financial, functional, managerial and consulting. Mona has lived and worked in India, UK and the USA. She holds Certified Software Quality Assurance (2002), is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt (2002), and is trained in Change Acceleration Process (CAP) methods. Mona Ashok is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Professor Keiichi Nakata

University of Reading, Head of Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting (BISA)

Director of Informatics Research CentreDirector of AI in the World of Work InstituteProfessor of Social Informatics.Keiichi Nakata is Professor of Social Informatics at the Informatics Research Centre, Henley Business School at the University of Reading, UK. His main research interests lie at the interface between technology and people, in the areas of computer-supported collaborative work, cognitive systems engineering, and information systems. Recently he has been engaged in research into acceptance of pervasive systems, social media, and participatory systems. Prior to the current appointment, he was Dean of School of Information Technology at International University in Germany. His past appointments include Associate Professor at the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Tokyo, and Research Scientist at German National Research Centre for Information Technology. He obtained his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh, UK, and M.Eng. and B.Eng. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tokyo.

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