The world’s first Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, an advisory body dedicated to strengthening and improving the UK’s use of data and artificial intelligence (AI), has been established by the UK government.
In a bid to put the UK at the forefront of emerging AI technologies, the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation was first announced as a concept in the 2017 Autumn Budget. It forms part of the £1 billion AI Sector Deal, which provides funding and support for AI and big data projects; and has the potential to contribute up to £232 billion to the British economy by 2030.
The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation will be chaired by Roger Taylor, a co-founder of the healthcare firm Dr Foster, which pioneered the use of public data to provide independent healthcare ratings. The centre will operate as an independent advisor to the government, promoting and supporting ethical and innovative use of technology.
Expert advisors on the board of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation will also include Lord (Robert) Winston, Professor of Science and Society at Imperial College London and chair of the Genesis Research Trust, a collaborative research charity focusing on reproductive health; the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford and a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence; and Kriti Sharma, vice president of AI at Sage, who was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for advancements in AI.
UK Digital Secretary Jeremy White, who announced the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation board appointments on Tuesday, said: “We are a world-leader in artificial intelligence and our modern Industrial Strategy puts pioneering technologies at the heart of our plans to build a Britain which is fit for the future. But it is crucial that the public have confidence it is being used to improve people’s lives and we have the right expertise and framework in place to maximise its potential. I am pleased we have secured global leaders from academia and industry to work alongside us as we develop the world’s first Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation.”
