8 November 2022, Maynooth Public Library, Main Street, Maynooth
Smile, you’re on camera! From taking the bus, to police surveillance and everything in between, we are now being monitored in a way we never have been before. An exciting event on Tuesday 8 November invites the people of Kildare to share their views, concerns and ideas on the use of video surveillance in Irish society.
The Science Foundation Ireland ADAPT Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology is collaborating with researchers at Maynooth University to deliver a “#DiscussAI Think-In” that will generate lively discussion on the increasing use of public surveillance through Artificial Intelligence and its impact on our day-to-day lives. The event will run from 6pm-8pm in Maynooth Public Library, Main Street, Maynooth.
At the event
Through fascinating discussion scenarios, attendees will explore and deliberate on the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI surveillance for individuals and society at large.
#DiscussAI Think-Ins are a forum for everyone – citizens, researchers, and industry professionals – to openly discuss the potential future we face as AI technologies evolve. These discussions allow a space to explore together if there is a safe and ethical way for us all to benefit from AI technology.
The event is open to all adults. Note that you don’t need any prior knowledge of AI to participate.
ADAPT's #DiscussAI Think-Ins one of 47 STEM enagement projects announced today
We are delighted that ADAPT’s #DiscussAI Think-Ins are one of 47 projects to receive funding through the SFI Discover Programme announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister for Education Norma Foley TD today. The projects are aimed at improving public understanding of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).
‘Citizens’ Think-Ins: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach To Community Engagement With STEM’ will bring people together to discuss and deliberate the benefits, risks and potential issues facing us in the digital age. The funding will enable us to address AI and data innovation challenges through idea generation, co-creation, transparent public deliberation, discussion and reflection. ADAPT’s Education and Public Engagement Officer, Dr Emma Clarke said “We are excited to continue the conversations about the impact that Artificial Intelligence and technology has on our lives. There will be numerous opportunities for people, organisations and communities to get involved throughout the year.”
Minister Harris TD said: “Through initiatives such as the SFI Discover Programme, we must support the public to have access to, and understand, the issues that impact our collective future, and the role science and technology can play in providing solutions. I wish all the recipients every success in the rollout of their projects.”
The awards will also see two school-focused projects from ADAPT’s #DiscussAI initiative supported:
AI in My Life: This programme encourages Transition Year students to evaluate the social, ethical and privacy implications of Artificial Intelligence, and consider the exciting range of careers available in AI. The workshops are currently being offered to 20 schools in communities via the DCU Access Service.
Technology in my Life: Aimed at primary schools the programme has been designed to provide 5th and 6th Class students and teachers with greater understanding of and appreciation for the technology that they use every day in school and at home.
Commenting on the announcement, Prof Philip Nolan, Director General, Science Foundation Ireland, said: “The SFI Discover Programme is a key part of our education and public engagement strategy and aims to grow opportunities for dialogue between the research community and the public. Our research improves people’s lives and we can only do that if we work in partnership with the public at all stages of the research process. The programme also aims to improve diversity and inclusion in science, broadening participation geographically and amongst less represented voices in research.
“STEM is such an exciting area to study and work in and we want to make it more accessible to a wide range of people. We are looking forward to working with these fantastic, creative education and engagement programmes.”
With the introduction of so many personal technical devices which record everything from our heartbeat to our sleep patterns, the concept of health information is evolving. To explore this, ADAPT is inviting the public to join a conversation on: ‘What is my health information?’
Researchers from ADAPT, the SFI research centre for AI-Driven Content Technology, will host an online public conversation, a Citizens’ Think-In, to discuss Digital Health Information on 4 March 2021 from 2.30 – 4.00pm. Members of the public are invited to register for the event to contribute their thoughts on the subject.
ADAPT’s Citizens’ Think-Ins are public forums that bring people together to discuss some of the ethical issues we face in the digital age. Members of the public have an opportunity to interact with researchers at the cutting-edge of AI research and development.
Participants will be introduced to the emerging topic of digital health information at the event, and asked to consider questions about what digital health information is currently captured and by whom. How should access to it be controlled, and should data collected on smart devices such as phone apps and wearable technologies, be considered relevant?
Dr. Derick Mitchell, CEO of the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry (IPPOSI) is the guest speaker for the Think-in. Derick will set the scene for discussions and will be speaking about an upcoming Citizen Jury on the topic of access to health information https://www.ipposi.ie/our-work/policy/health-information/citizensjury/
At the Think-In, members of the public will be invited to share their opinions in group discussions. Participants don’t need to have any expertise in the area – all necessary detail will be provided and the organisers are interested in hearing opinions from everyone.
The public opinions gathered during the Think-In will play an important role in shaping future ADAPT research into digital health information. Speaking about the ADAPT Citizens’ Think-In, Professor Gaye Stephens, from Trinity College Dublin’s School of Computer Science and Statistics said “Through this mode of engagement where researchers and citizens are working together to shape this large scale and diverse research agenda we aim to make the research outcomes more responsive to public needs.”
About ADAPT
ADAPT is the world-leading SFI research centre for AI Driven Digital Content Technology hosted by Trinity College Dublin. ADAPT’s partner institutions include Dublin City University, University College Dublin, Technological University Dublin, Maynooth University, Munster Technological University, Athlone Institute of Technology, and the National University of Ireland Galway. ADAPT’s research vision is to pioneer new forms of proactive, scalable, and integrated AI-driven Digital Content Technology that empower individuals and society to engage in digital experiences with control, inclusion, and accountability with the long term goal of a balanced digital society by 2030. ADAPT is pioneering new Human Centric AI techniques and technologies including personalisation, natural language processing, data analytics, intelligent machine translation human-computer interaction, as well as setting the standards for data governance, privacy and ethics for digital content.
