The Tech Faculty Lecture, this year examining the advantages, opportunities and challenges bought the advancement of artificial intelligence, is a flagship ICAEW Thought Leadership event, providing expert insight and opinion from leading minds on issues of technology facing the accountancy profession.

Artificial Intelligence is set to transform society in the coming decades in ways that have long been predicted by science fiction writers but are only now becoming feasible. While AI is still a long way from being as powerful as the human brain, many machines can now outperform human beings, particularly when it comes to analysing large amounts of data. This will lead to many jobs being replaced by automated processes and machines. As with all major technological revolutions, such advancements bring with it unexpected opportunities and challenges for society with a need to consider the ethical, accountability and diversity impacts.  

In this talk, Wendy Hall will lay out why we need to take a socio-technical approach to every aspect of the evolution of AI in society, to ensure that we all reap the benefits of AI and protect ourselves as much as possible from applications of AI that might be harmful to society.  

As Alice found when she went through the looking glass, everything is not always what it first appears to be. 

Date of event: 12 October 2020

• Watch the recording at https://tinyurl.com/TechFacLecture20