We are looking back on a very inspiring second edition of the Responsible AI Roundtable that took place right before the year’s end.
Many professionals from our community and beyond came together to share use cases and deep dive into the responsible AI opportunities and challenges presented by the table hosts and their guests. Not only were there many representatives from diverse industries and governmental organizations present, but we also had the privilege of hosting representatives from 10 different higher education institutions.
The event started with a keynote by Maartje Schermer, Professor of Health Ethics in a Technological Society at EUR. She spoke about the importance of translating abstract principles into actual practice, and how valuable AI can be as a health tool and the importance of co-creation and ethics by design.
Next, we had the privilege of encountering a structured debate among renowned responsible AI experts: Matthew J. Dennis – Assistant Professor in Ethics of Technology in the Philosophy & Ethics Group at Eindhoven University of Technology, Virginia Dignum – Professor in Responsible Artificial Intelligence and the Director of the AI Policy Lab at Umeå University, Cristina Zaga
– Assistant professor of the Human-Centered Design group and DesignLab at the University of Twente, and Vincent Blok – Professor in Philosophy of Technology and Responsible Innovation at Wageningen University & Research and professor in Philosophy of Data Science and AI at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
They debated whether tech companies should self-regulate and whether those impacted by AI should help shape its design. While their real views aligned in the end, the debate sparked intense arguments. Crafting intellectually challenging points that clashed with their own beliefs made it both entertaining and insightful, pushing them to consider new perspectives.
The roundtable sessions that followed sparked energetic discussions and explored possible solutions. From AI and creativity to remote health monitoring, institutional responsibility in AI, and AI in critical infrastructure, the diverse range of topics ensured everyone could find a table to contribute to. This remains the most important aspect- stimulating open discussions by connecting at our roundtables.
Many new connections were established and new projects arose among the participants. We want to thank our speakers, debaters, and table hosts for inspiring us with relevant and high-level content around responsible AI. Next, we want to thank our skilled moderators, Goda Mockute, Innovation Manager at EUR, and Marta Stachowiak-de Wit, our Head of Marketing and Communications at ECDA.
A big thank you to our partners: Erasmus Research Service at Erasmus University Rotterdam, ICAI – Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence , Convergence AI, Data & Digitalisation and Amsterdam AI for the fruitful collaboration. We are excited to work together on future initiatives.
