“The AI revolution is not on the horizon, it is here now,” said Cindy Rose, Microsoft UK CEO, kicking off this morning’s NatWest annual technology conference.
Under the banner ‘The Only Way Is Ethics – how to get ready for a changing world’, the event brought together the country’s leading technologists to discuss the future of technology and its relationship with trust and ethics.
Giving her take on the future of AI, Cindy said industry professionals should take a Hippocratic oath to do no harm as they push technology to its limits. Meanwhile, asked for a view on how to ensure tech serves people and not the other way round, Tech London Advocates founder Russ Shaw called for a more ‘digitally capable’ population that could better respond to the ups and downs of innovation.
Other speakers included NatWest’s Market Strategist, Neil Parker; RocketSpace Ecosystem General Manger Priya Guha, Policy and Strategy Lead of Privitar Guy Cohen and Stephan Shakespeare, CEO and co-founder of YouGov plc. Seven Hills co-founder Michael Hayman chaired proceedings.
Software entrepreneur David Richards – founder, CEO and President of WANdisco – spoke passionately about the need for increased transparency when it comes to data collection. While Dr Deeph Chana, deputy director at the Institute for Security Science and Technology, reminded the audience that human beings tend to create the risks we are afraid of – not the technology itself.
The day’s panels, Q&As and interviews were coupled with a live demonstration from Soul Machines, who exhibited the ‘digital human’ creation, Rachel. YouGov founder Stephan followed – closing the day by calling on guests to understand that technology is not an innately positive force in the world, but rather should be embraced as a force for efficiency.
Find out more about NatWest and its work on the future of technology here.