2 November 2023
Description
In addition to our regular monthly or bimonthly seminars, we plan to arrange larger events annually, and we are thrilled to kick things off with the important topic: “AI and Human Rights” with the renowned author, professor, and human rights lawyer, Flynn Coleman, moderated by Prof. Andreas Diedrich, University of Gothenburg
We are also happy to announce that during the Apéro, there will be a few interactive presentations with students and recent graduates working on “AI4Good” projects.
Why the theme of Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights?
What does artificial intelligence mean, where is it going, and how will it affect us? We’re currently on a very steep part of the technology curve, and Flynn Coleman is a wonderfully astute, perceptive, and reliable guide as we ascend into our future.
Human rights laws are intended to protect and preserve every person’s humanity. They were created and agreed upon internationally “to define freedoms and entitlements that would allow every human being to live a life of liberty and dignity.*” Artificial Intelligence redefines what it means to be human because it is changing the human experience. For instance, AI will affect;
– Public policy
– Human autonomy
– Lifestyles and professions
– The nature and scale of conflicts
– The relationship between the individual, the state, and corporations*
The AI revolution will impact everyone—creating both opportunities and risks. This talk is intended for a diverse audience and will not be too technical. Flynn has a rare talent for explaining complex topics in a fun, engaging way that is easy for everyone to understand.
AI4Good: Interactive Presentation
David Alonso del Barrio and AI4Media, Research Engineer at the Idiap Research Institute
David Alonso del Barrio is a Spanish Telecommunications Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He did his second year of his Master’s degree at the Computer Science section of the EPFL, where he started his career in the world of Artificial Intelligence. Currently, he is a Research Engineer at the Idiap Research Institute in Martigny, Switzerland. He is a member of the Social Computing Group led by Prof. Daniel Gatica-Perez of EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), where his passion for applying technical knowledge to societal challenges has driven his work.
Over the past 2 years, David has been actively involved in the European project AI4Media, a pioneering initiative focused on the application of AI techniques in the context of European newspapers. Within this project, he has contributed to several publications exploring the intersection of AI and media.
David’s presentation at the event will delve into the intriguing concept of frame analysis. In simple terms, this technique involves identifying the perspective from which journalists approach a given topic, such as a moral or economic approach or one that emphasises a conflict, or approaching a topic from a more emotional angle by humanising the subject or attributing responsibility for the problem or solution to a person or institution. David will illuminate how cutting-edge language models, such as LLM (Large Language Models), can play a pivotal role in enhancing this identification process, shedding light on the nuances that might be missed otherwise.
His work underscores the potential for AI to make meaningful contributions to our understanding of how information is framed in news reporting, with the aim of exploring new techniques in the identification of bias in the news.
Impressions
* Jones, K. (2023), AI governance and human rights: Resetting the relationship, Research Paper, London: Royal Institute of International Affairs, https://doi.org/10.55317/9781784135492.