MKAI Inclusive AI Forum : Making the future of work, work for everyone

Forum Objective:

At this month’s Inclusive Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum, MKAI will explore fairness and the future of work. Our objective is to find ways to make the future of work more equitable and dignified for workers in the face of exponential changes, and to find answers to some interesting philosophical questions about the value and meaning of work. We will also inquire about the meaning of human lives in the fast-changing job market due to AI development and the possibilities of automation in different sectors.

Forum Abstract:

As AI develops, can we make the future of work more equitable?

In this forum, we will ask questions such as:

• What kind of society do we want to build long-term, and how is technology going to help us build that world?
• Is there a need to ‘focus on workers who will get impacted’ – while designing algorithms and systems to help them and treat them with dignity?
• And how do we retain the workers for another job or career?

The most important facet is to develop technology without turning a blind eye to consequences and AI is ultimately built by human beings. Human beings can have very diverse motives for why they create something. Unfortunately, there are huge differences between those that are involved in creating these systems and those that are impacted by these systems. The changes that AI will bring in the jobs that are done by humans will have marked consequences on workflows, societies, economies and labour markets.

There have been some great opportunities that robotics have presented, that enabled us to do work that was too dangerous or not possible for humans, and/or is done more effectively by a machine. There have been millions of jobs that have truly transformed because of the introduction of robots or AI, and that will continue to be the case. As a result of that, when technologists design future algorithms that are meant to replace people, we need to be very attentive to how we do that and how we design those systems so that they respect those individuals and treat them with dignity. When we think about AI, we always need to put people first.

Forum Outcomes:

Our intended outcome is to give attendees an understanding of how important it is for technologists and policymakers to have a mantra of ensuring that their innovation and policies are ethical and beneficial to everyone in society.

Also, we want to contribute to the discussion on what kind of society we want to build in the future, and how technology can help us in building a more dignified and abundant future for the workers that are going to get impacted by AI.

Forum Attendance:

MKAI events are inclusive. Our expert speakers are carefully selected for their ability to make the subject approachable and understandable. MKAI aims to help all people improve their AI-fluency and understanding of this domain. This forum is especially relevant for policymakers, governmental leaders and corporate decision-makers.

Forum Speakers and Contributors:

John Kamara – Founder, AI Centre of Excellence at Adanianlabs, Director, Machine Intelligence Institute of Africa and Member of AI Ethics Board

Dr. Naeema Pasha – Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Director of Henley Careers and Professional Development at Henley Business School

Sam Chaher – Data Science Recruitment Consultant; Data & AI Community Organiser at Austin Fraser

Maria Mac Andrew – Head of Diversity and Communities at AIEthics.World

Timi Olagunju – Tech Lawyer and Policy Consultant; Associate Partner at The Timeless Practice