Whilst Rishi Sunak hosted the world’s first AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park recently, we were also talking about all things AI here at WPG.
We were joined by Professor Fred Oswald, a leading expert and US government advisor in AI for an insightful and refreshing Wine and Wisdom event.
Our Wine and Wisdom events are a regular opportunity for us to come together as a team for some informal learning and development that focuses on the latest research from leading experts.
Fred is a Professor in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Rice University, Texas and contributes to several high-stakes committees focussing on AI. He is a member of the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee that advises President Biden and the National AI Initiative Office on a range of issues related to AI and is Chair of the Board on Human Systems Integration and SIOP which is involved in the revision of AI principles and revising the standards of test development.
The session was led and facilitated by our Director, Professor Fiona Patterson, who created an engaging discussion with Fred. We learnt more about Fred’s role, how we as industrial and organisational psychologists can keep up to date with the fast-moving developments in the world of AI, and the future of AI.
This discussion was framed around the impact of AI on assessment practices. Not only looking at relevant legislation internationally but also how we can best support our clients in navigating the best use of AI within their context.
For us, this was a great chance to ensure that we are keeping up-to-date with key developments in this field so that we can inform our policies, processes, and practices. We are lucky here at WPG to be connected to so many globally recognised experts. It is vitally important that we engage with leading experts in this field, especially when navigating such a complex, fast moving and topical subject.
We know that this session will undoubtedly inform the way we work for our clients moving forward. Ensuring that our client work is always guided by the most up-to-date studies, research and guidance.
For those uncertain about the impact AI will have on our future, it was refreshing to understand from experts the measures that are being put in place to help us manage AI and its uses. As one of our team reflected, “Although AI is the future, there is still a significant role to play for humans”.
Bias in AI has been a high profile topic of conversation for some while, with some claiming AI can help to eradicate this in assessment and others illustrating how AI may acutely accentuate bias. In discussing this, Fred encouraged us to continue to seek out the evidence base, for example in relation to the validity and reliability of assessments, as these criteria for evaluation will remain as relevant in the future world of AI and assessment.
The recent event at Bletchley Park was viewed by some as a diplomatic breakthrough where more than 25 countries and the EU signed an international declaration that recognised the need to address risks represented by AI development. Alongside President Biden’s Executive Order to establish new standards for AI safety and security this will continue to be a subject of ongoing conversations for organisations. At WPG, we plan to continue to engage with thought leaders in this space with more learning and development planned for next year.
We know AI is something that will be being discussed across many organisation at the moment – it would be great to hear from you and what the future of AI might look like in your context.
