Opportunities and Challenges for Ethical AI

Academics at Manchester Metropolitan University including Professor Keeley Crockett and Mr Edwin Colyer have launched a case study booklet entitled: Opportunities and challenges for ethical AI,  Greater Manchester SME perspectives on current practices and future regulation. The booklet presents a series of real-world case studies which highlight that SMEs are prepared to adopt ethical and responsible approaches to AI development and deployment in Greater Manchester.

SMEs across Greater Manchester have voiced their experiences to contribute to regulatory development and help investigate how businesses and organisations assure their AI solutions are ethical from the outset.

The academics hosted a round table with SMEs in Greater Manchester to gather some initial perspectives. Eve Lugg from Policy Connect who has worked with the academics on the Our Place Our Data: Involving Local People in Data and AI Based Recovery | Policy Connect national inquiry also joined in the consultation. A selection of SMEs then consented to take part in follow up 1:1 interviews to develop the case studies that form the booklet.

Through Policy Connect, this work will feed into a new APGDA (All-Party Parliamentary Group for Data Analytics) inquiry which seeks to build a comprehensive picture of UK data policy and explore the implications of AI development in the UK.

Other key areas of this work are linked to the Greater Manchester AI Foundry, of which some of the SMEs are engaged with and also the Greater Manchester Responsible Tech Collective.