Centre for Technomoral Futures Director to co-lead AHRC Programme on AI

Prof. Shannon Vallor, a woman wearing round glasses and a dark suit with dark hair, stands to the left of Prof. Ewa Luger, a tall woman with blonde hair in a grey top, against a blue ombre background — Prof. Shannon Vallor (left) and Prof. Ewa Luger (right)

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), have appointed Professors Shannon Vallor (our Director) and Ewa Luger to direct the £3.5 million programme ‘Enabling a Responsible AI Ecosystem’ in collaboration with the Ada Lovelace Institute.

The Programme Directors will work closely with the Ada Lovelace Institute to define and shape the research priorities and themes, and deliver other activities to support a responsible AI ecosystem.

Logo of the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council

The research programme will mobilise expertise from arts, humanities and social sciences to create an environment within which AI and data-driven innovation is responsible, ethical, and accountable by default.

Through harnessing the expertise of researchers and innovators from a range of disciplines the programme will develop a responsible AI ecosystem which is responsive to the needs and challenges faced by policymakers, regulators, technologists, and the public.

The programme includes experts in philosophy, human computer interaction, law, art, health, and informatics.

The programme will build connections between academia, industry, policy, regulation and the public to help build confidence in AI, enable innovation, stimulate economic growth and deliver wider public benefit.

Professor Shannon Vallor commented, “For AI technologies to be successfully integrated into society in ways that promote shared human flourishing, their development has to be guided by more than technical acumen. A responsible AI ecosystem must meld scientific and technical expertise with the humanistic knowledge, creative vision and practical insights needed to guide AI innovation wisely. This programme will work across disciplines, sectors and publics to lay the foundations of that ecosystem.”

Enabling a Responsible AI Ecosystem is the first large-scale research programme on AI ethics and regulation in the UK.

The project will be delivered with the Ada Lovelace Institute to broaden the existing foundation of responsible AI research and contribute to the wider UK vision.

Click below to read the full article on the University of Edinburgh website.

Research, Funding, CollaborationsCTMF Admin6 December 2022