Our opening keynote speaker is Rachel Coldicutt.

Rachel Coldicutt is a researcher and strategist specialising in inclusive, community-powered innovation and the social impacts of new and emerging technologies. She is founder and executive director of research consultancy Careful Industries.

She was previously founding CEO of responsible technology think tank Doteveryone where she led influential and ground-breaking research into how technology is changing society and developed practical tools for responsible innovation. Prior to that, she spent almost 20 years working at the cutting edge of new technology for companies including the BBC, Microsoft, BT, and Channel 4, and was a pioneer in the digital art world. Rachel is an advisor, board member and trustee for a number of projects, companies and charities. From 2020-2023 she served as a non-executive director at Ofcom and is currently a sub-committee member of the UK government’s Digital Inclusion Action Committee. In 2019, Rachel was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours for services for the digital society.

Just enough AI?

Is it possible - or even desirable - to be an AI pragmatist? Can the ethical and environmental impacts of AI be aligned with a values-based approach to technology development? This talk will explore some of the moral and ethical implications of operating in an increasingly AI-first world and suggest some practical, long-term approaches to weathering the hype.