The future of AI: Leading experts come together at Manchester Met
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools must be designed with inclusivity at the forefront to address the common barriers preventing people from using and adopting the technology in their everyday lives, says a Manchester Metropolitan University researcher.
At the ‘Artificial Intelligence in Government and Academia Conference’, hosted at Manchester Met, Professor Keeley Crockett shared insights from her pioneering work in AI for Public Good.
This includes the community-based PEAs in Pods project (Public Engagement Ambassadors), funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The project empowers communities through public engagement and co-production, helping people build trust in AI and data science.
Prof Crockett, Professor in Computational Intelligence at Manchester Met, said “Our PEAs in Pods project is using co-production of community based public engagement for AI research to demonstrate that if you work with people, it can make research better, more practical, and more impactful.
“This is taking place by engaging meaningfully with traditionally marginalised communities. It’s important that anyone who feels they don’t have a voice is able to engage and feel more empowered, which is being achieved through the delivery of public engagement activities around ethical and responsible AI and data driven technologies.”
The conference was the third in-person event of the UK Government’s AI Community of Practice and brought together 200 delegates from across government, academia and industry to explore the transformative potential of AI in public service.
The event was co-hosted by Professor Crockett and Dr Tommaso Spinelli, Senior AI Change Manager at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and featured keynote addresses from leading voices in AI policy and research including Professor Tom Crick MBE, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
A panel discussion titled Forging the Future: Cross-Sector AI Collaboration for Public Good brought together experts from across disciplines to discuss how AI can be responsibly scaled to serve society.
Dr Spinelli said “By bringing together public servants, researchers, and technologists, the summit created a space to forge new ideas and strengthen existing ties. The focus on showcasing real-world projects and peer-reviewed research highlighted how the UK is moving from talking about the potential of AI to actively delivering on it.
“Our AI community believes that collaboration between academia and government remains essential for building long-term AI capability, attracting global talent, and translating cutting-edge research into real-world impact in safe and responsible ways.”
Following the AI in Government and Academia Conference, we hosted senior civil servants who learned more about Manchester Met’s AI research.
At Manchester Met, as well as our AI and data science degree, we are leading the way with a new generation of degrees that combine AI with subjects that students are passionate about, such as science, fashion and languages.
To hear more about Prof Crockett’s research in citizen-led AI, listen to the latest MetCast podcast episode here.
