Agile Rabbit

Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day and the pioneering research of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A discussion with world leading scientists and thinkers on Artificial Intelligence and equality. From benefits to healthcare and the environment, there is a lot that is exciting about AI and its contribution to our society. However, the risks – including algorithmic bias, invasion of privacy, and the power of big business – are well versed. So how can we ensure that data science and AI is working for and not against us? Hear about how ideas from computer and data scientists – particularly women – are empowering diversity, cooperation and prosperity for all. As many of us turn to generative AI to increase productivity at work, how can we be sure that the everyday tools we use are ethical and fair? This event is for The Joint Centre for Excellence in Environmental Intelligence. SPEAKERS JUDY WAJCMAN Principal Investigator for Women in Data Science and AI Alan Turing Institute Judy Wajcman is Principal Investigator for Women in Data Science and AI at the Alan Turing Institute. She also is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics (LSE). Her previous positions include the Anthony Giddens Chair in Sociology at the LSE and Professor of Sociology in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. She has also held posts in Cambridge, Edinburgh, Manchester, Sydney, Warwick, most recently holding the Mellon Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Judy has published widely in the fields of science and technology studies, feminist theory, work and organisations, and is probably best known for her analysis of the gendered nature of technology. Her books include The Social Shaping of Technology, Feminism Confronts Technology and TechnoFeminism. ANNA BALDYCHEVA Assistant Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Electronic Engineering Department of Engineering University of Exeter REBECCA KESBY Journalist BBC EKATERINA HERTOG Associate Professor in AI and Society Oxford Internet Institute University of Oxford

The man behind much meaningful analysis of election statistics visits the South West for an exclusive event with Agile Rabbit. Sir John Curtice is in conversation with former Radio 4 presenter Ritula Shah. Using the latest poll data, Sir John will be sharing potential outcomes and reflecting on the implications for both politicians and the electorate. Sir John famously provides poll analysis on election nights for the BBC and is a regular contributor across the media. 20th June 2024

Professor Sabina Leonelli, Professor Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh, Professor Anthony King, Rebecca Kesby. Whether it’s a deepfake of Taylor Swift or Rishi Sunak’s summit at Bletchley Park, news about Artificial Intelligence seems unescapable. And it’s accelerating at an unprecedented rate. With a group of world experts, we’re getting behind the headlines to look at what’s really happening in AI safety, particularly the role that law and politics play in providing regulation and reassurance. The AI landscape is complex, ranging from positive impacts such as healthcare advances to those more negative that affect real-life opportunities and services. So, what are the risks of AI as well as the transformative opportunities? This event was part of AI UK Fringe and in partnership with the University of Exeter’s Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and the Alan Turing Institute.

What fills the space between stars in our universe? Pure nothingness? After sparking interest with our curious audience at Standon Calling, Tessa Baker visited us in Exeter. She discusses how space, in fact, isn’t empty and still, but can twist and stretch like a piece of elastic. And when it does, it produces special ‘sounds’ called gravitational waves, which we can hear with some incredible instruments. Tessa Baker is Professor of Cosmology and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Portsmouth. She take us on a journey through outer space, black holes, and the most violent events in the universe, to explain one of the most exciting scientific discoveries of the century, and what it means for our understanding of the cosmos.

DEATH STARS AND DEMOCRACY The hugely popular Star Wars films famously came about from George Lucas’s desire to tell a ‘Vietnam War in space’. Since then, the Star Wars films have always focused on repurposing contemporary events in a science fiction setting. We’ll discover the fascinating ways in which Star Wars is inspired by real-world events and history. This event explores the films and their responses to real world moments. We also look at the books and computer games in the franchise, to see how they responded to the fall of the Soviet Union, genocides and ethnic cleansing in the 1990s, and both 9/11 and the Global War on Terror.

Thursday 22 June 2023 Exeter Phoenix Prof David Butler FREng, Professor Tania Kovats, Trevor Bishop, Dr Sarah Ward, Anu Anand Hear four speakers passionately discuss the implications of our changing world on a key area. Climate Change and water are intertwined, from flooding and drought, to increased demand and varying quality. We’re looking at the 10 key changes you need to know: what we are already experiencing, alongside what to expect in the coming years, and the positive ways scientists and engineers are building resilience. We’re sharing the research behind the headlines, with a particular focus on the work of the Centre for Water Systems at the University of Exeter. We’ll examine the science behind attribution; is there evidence that individual extreme flooding events were affected by Climate Change? How can we become more resilient in a changing world to extreme weather events and how does the artistic community work with scientists to communicate their work? This event is in partnership with the Centre for Water Systems at the University of Exeter, which is celebrating its 25 year anniversary.

A lively discussion with some of the world’s leading thinkers as we reassess our relationship with the internet and set out a positive vision of how it can be improved so we can reshape the digital world into a space where we can all flourish. In partnership with the Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Exeter HELEN MARGETTS OBE Director of the Public Policy Programme, Professor of Society and the Internet The Alan Turing Institute University of Oxford SILVIA MILANO Lecturer in Philosophy of Data and Data Ethics Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (IDSAI) University of Exeter CHICO CAMARGO Lecturer in Computer Science (E&R) Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (IDSAI) University of Exeter RITULA SHAH (CHAIR) Lead Presenter, The World Tonight BBC Radio 4