This panel discussion event will take place on Monday 15th November 2021 in the Lecture Hall at the British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH, and will also be streamed online. Details, including the booking link, can be found on this page.

Artificial intelligence (AI) brings opportunities and uncertainties for the future of work, and there is currently a widely acknowledged digital skills gap in the UK. Enabling and upskilling the workforce to take full advantage of AI will be vital in both a post-Brexit and post-COVID-19 world. However, there remains little consensus on the ways that AI could or should intersect with work, or the place of AI in the wider political, economic and social discourse. Likewise, questions remain as to how Government will be able to support the investment in lifelong skills and training that will be required to shape AI for the benefit of all.

This event is part of a collaboration between UCL and the British Academy on AI and the future of work, which seeks to address critical questions for policy, business, practitioners and society on the ways in which AI could and should impact on the future quality and equity of work in the UK.

The event will feature two discussion panels. The first panel will focus on AI, work and people. How is AI shaping new ways of working for different groups of people, and how do some people benefit from this change while others bear more risk? How have AI innovations shaped, and been shaped by, changes to work prompted by the pandemic? The panel will consider the relationship between AI and inequality, how digital inequalities intersect with other social and structural inequalities, and the importance of inclusivity in wider debates around AI and work.

The second panel will focus on AI, work and place. How do the impacts of AI differ across workplaces of different sizes and in different sectors? What does AI mean for small businesses? Are there geographical impacts of AI that we need to pay more attention to, whether regional, national or global? What opportunities and risks does AI pose for place-based policy initiatives, such as the Levelling up agenda?

Event convenors:

The British Academy

UCL Public Policy

SCHEDULE

10am - Registration

10.15am - Welcome

10.20am - Introduction from the Chair

Chair: Professor Jack Stilgoe, Department of Science & Technology Studies, University College London

10.30am - Discussion 1: Artificial Intelligence, Work and People

This will be followed by an audience Q & A

Panellists

• Anna Thomas, Co-Founder and Director, Institute for the Future of Work
  
• Dr Ekaterina Hertog, Department of Sociology, Oxford University
• Tim Cook, Office for Artificial Intelligence, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
  
• James Farrar, App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU)

12pm - Lunch break

Lunch will be provided for those attending the event in-person. Please inform us of any dietary requirements when at the booking stage for an in-person ticket.

1pm - Discussion 2: Artificial Intelligence, Work and Place

This will be followed by an audience Q & A

Panellists:

• Maria Axente, Responsible AI and AI for Good Lead, PwC UK
• Dr Zeynep Engin, Department of Computer Science, University College London
• Martin McIvor, Prospect
  

14.25pm - Closing remarks from the Chair

14.30pm - Event finishes

Free, booking required
When booking, please select either an online or in-person ticket. Booking a place at a British Academy event constitutes your acceptance of our terms and conditions. All events are staged in line with the government’s COVID-19 guidelines and our venue’s COVID-19 guidelines. Measures are subject to change in accordance with government guidance; attendees will be notified of any changes prior to their visit.

ABOUT THE BRITISH ACADEMY

The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future.

From artificial intelligence to climate change, from building prosperity to improving well-being – today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, cultures and societies.

We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone.

Booking form privacy notice: The personal data you provide to us on the event booking form is being collected so that we can administer the event efficiently, contact you with important updates about the event (where required), ensure that your accessibility requirements are accommodated, notify event partners or individuals shaping the event about the event guest list and to pass on an evaluation survey after the event. By signing up to the event, you agree for us to share your data with our event partners, UCL Public Policy. Data will be retained for the duration of the project, the end date for which is 31 July 2022. It will only be used by the British Academy and UCL Public Policy for the purposes noted above and it will be securely deleted at the end of the project.

This privacy information does not apply to the processing of your personal data by TicketTailor which will be governed by their privacy policy or by Zoom which will be governed by Zoom’s terms and conditions. If you have any questions or concerns about how we use your personal data, please contact the British Academy’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@thebritishacademy.ac.uk.