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Friday 27th March - Sovereign AI

Skills to work in a GenAI world

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities are developing at an extraordinary pace. In an AI-enabled world, it matters who influences and builds the models, data, and AI infrastructure that are increasingly present in our lives.”


The sessions are outlined below with suggested discussion points that may be addressed


09:30 10:15 "Cautionary tales" - nuancing of sovereign AI from basics and what it means for research


PANEL SESSION
Goal: Address cultural and ethical challenges in AI use

Discussion Points:

  • How can we prevent unethical behaviours in GenAI use—can the genie be “put back in the bottle”?
  • How do we counter hype, misinformation, and oversimplification of AI in public discourse?
  • Are funders creating pressure to use AI for every problem? Should institutions push back?
  • How do we elevate technical nuance beyond “AI = ChatGPT” narratives?

Chair: Martin Callaghan, Open University


10:15 - 10:45 REFRESHMENT BREAK


10:45 - 11:30 Responsible AI in Research – Governance and Integrity

PANEL SESSION
Goal: Define policies and roles for ethical AI use in research

Discussion Points:

  • How should institutions balance promoting AI use with research integrity (RIO) guidelines?
  • Are DPIAs (GDPR) for AI projects meaningful, and what standards should apply?
  • If AI-generated content becomes indistinguishable from human work, how should disclosure policies evolve?
  • Should ethical guidance for AI fall under DRI’s remit?

Chair: Chris Jewell, Lancaster University


11:30 - 12:00 REFRESHMENT BREAK


12:00 - 13:00 GenAI Competency/ Skills matrix and gap analysis

ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION

Facilitator: Martin Callaghan, Open University


13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH


14:00 - 15:00 Tales from the trenches, wrapping up, and beyond..

Alan Real (Durham University) and Martin Callaghan (Open University)


15:00 END OF MEETING


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