University Professor joins expert panel to provide Higher Education perspective on artificial intelligence

Professor Yanguo Jing, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Computing and Digital Industries at Leeds Trinity University, was part of an expert panel discussing the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) at the recent Big Data Belfast event.

A Professor of AI with a strong research interest in applied AI, Professor Jing’s work has been applied in areas such as the medical domain, business analytics, sports analytics and user behaviour pattern recognition in social networks and extra-care/assisted living settings.

He was approached by the British Computer Society (BCS), The Chartered Institute for IT and Big Data Belfast organisers, Analytics Engines, to provide a Higher Education perspective on AI during a discussion titled Navigating the Ethical Waters of AI: Trust and the Role of IT Professionals. The event took place at ICC Belfast on Thursday 26 October.

Professor Jing was joined on the panel by renowned figures within the technology industry, all of whom hold senior positions at BCS — The Chartered Institute for IT. The panel was hosted by Rachel Steenson, Vice Chair of BCS and featured Rashik Parmar, Group CEO of BCS and Sharon Ann Moore MBE, Chair of BCS, alongside Professor Jing.

During discussions, Professor Jing referenced information and guidance that is given to students on the MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence degree at Leeds Trinity University. As part of the course, students complete an ‘Ethics, Transparency and Accountability’ module designed to provide them with opportunities to explore what it means to be responsible and accountable for their actions when examining data solutions, developing powerful models and assessing their potential impact on humanity and the greater good.

Professor Yanguo Jing, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Computing and Digital Industries at Leeds Trinity University, said:

“I was pleased to be a part of this esteemed panel of experts in ethics and AI, and to share with the conference the University’s approach to teaching students about ethics on our AI programmes.

“We live in such an exciting time of AI, but we also need to understand the risks. I am particularly encouraged to see that the UK is hosting the AI Safety Summit this week, attended by world-leading tech and AI experts, policy makers, and policy influencers. We will continue our work with colleagues and BCS in addressing these challenges.”

Rashik Parmar MBE, Group CEO of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said:

“We were delighted to have Professor Yanguo Jing, a fellow of BCS, join the BCS panel to delve into the practical strategies for navigating the Ethical Waters of AI at Big Data Belfast 2023. Ensuring societal trust in AI and unlocking its untapped potential is a crucial endeavour. I look forward to collaborating with BCS to advance the responsible computing agenda for IT professionals.”

The Office for Students recently announced a further £8.18 million will be spent on supporting the delivery of up to 818 scholarships in the 2024/25 academic year. Leeds Trinity University is among 31 Higher Education providers in England that have been chosen to receive these scholarships.

For more information on the scholarships available for the MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence degree at Leeds Trinity University, visit the website.