Advancing The Future: The TAS Showcase 2024 Unites Robotics, AI, and Human Expertise
The Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) Showcase 2024, held at the IET, Savoy Place in Central London, was a major milestone of the £33 million Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Programme which started in September 2020. The Showcase was a focused platform for exploring the impactful outcomes of a number of interdisciplinary research projects undertaken as part of the programme, involving over 30 universities and 150 industrial partners.
The Showcase included 23 talks and panel discussions on the emerging challenges in the design, deployment, and governance of autonomous systems in the Creative Industries, Defence & Security, Energy & Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Transport and Technology sectors, whilst exploring how future AI and autonomous systems could be regulated and governed. It featured a number of demonstrations of AI-based systems and 25 robots designed to undertake tasks in a range of scenarios including cancer diagnosis, mental health support, triage in hospitals, and autistic children education among others.
Creative Industries: Bridging Creativity and Technology
The event kicked off with an inspiring demonstration from Jess+, a musical robot designed to make music composition more accessible to people with disabilities. This set the tone for a series of activities, from talks on research into dancing with machines to exquisite folk and jazz performances, which demonstrated the power of a machine-enhanced experience and the transformative potential of integrating AI and creative technologies into traditional art forms.
Discussions highlighted the importance of the creative sector to the UK economy and opportunities for broader societal inclusivity, with panelists calling for increased appreciation and support.
Defence: Strategic Innovations in Defence and Security
A critical component of the Showcase was dedicated to exploring the role of autonomous systems in Defence and Security. Projects supported by TAS grants and developed in collaboration with organisations such as DSTL, Thales and NASA, highlighted the research in trustworthy human-swarm partnerships and explainable AI for the safe operation of multiple UAVs. These projects evaluated the robustness, adaptivity and scalability of decision-making, in real-world scenarios.
Discussions emphasised the need for:
- transparency in data sources used for training AI models in safety-critical applications;
- auditing AI risk management profiles;
- a systematic approach to AI design and development;
- a multi-disciplinary approach to propose evaluation metrics for frontier AI models;
- an ethical framework to guarantee trustworthiness, while accommodating AI’s rapid development.
Energy and Environment: Pioneering Sustainable Solutions
The sessions on Energy and Environment highlighted innovative AI applications designed to mitigate the carbon footprint of digital technology and real-world activities.
They included:
- an app encouraging more sustainable life choices, helping individuals to reduce their carbon emissions from food, transport, and household energy;
- smart solutions for forest protection and electric vehicle routing.
Discussions highlighted the need to foster a collective approach in addressing climate change and underlined the potential that new technology offers.
Health and Welfare: Robots’ Role in Enhancing Wellbeing
Health and Welfare were also focal points, with highlights including:
- Kaspar, an educational robot which aids children with autism;
- DAISY, a prototype A&E triage system;
- an AI-powered machine learning tool to improve multidisciplinary treatment decision for oesophageal cancer.
These examples showcased the promise of AI in augmenting healthcare delivery and highlighted the importance of responsible development in autonomous health and wellbeing systems.
Transport
The transport discussions focused on self-driving road vehicles, with many insights being transferrable to autonomous systems on water or in the air. The challenges included ensuring safety and defining what counts as ‘safe’ or ’safe enough’ – including cyber and personal security as well as privacy. The panel coincided with the second reading in Parliament of the Automated Vehicles Bill, which will create new UK laws for the technology. It was considered that such laws might be the start of a road towards trustworthy innovations not the end.
Skills and Diversity: Preparing For The Future
The necessity for a coherent strategy for skills development and diversity was another key theme. Panel discussions highlighted the need for policies to be developed to support staff to re-train, ensuring that the workforce is equipped to navigate the evolving technological landscape. This should take place alongside the development of a school curriculum giving young people the skills to use new technologies safely.
Sessions also addressed the importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in ensuring the thoughtful and ethical development of AI technologies.
Governance and Regulation: A Global Perspective on Safety and Trust
Discussions reinforced the necessity of international collaboration, with all sectors of society working together to ensure that newly-developed technology was trusted and trustworthy.
The event featured international speakers like Dr Ramayya Krishnan, Chair of the AI Futures Working Group of the National AI Advisory Committee to the President of the United States, who emphasised the global imperative to address trust and safety in AI:
“Attending the TAS Showcase 2024 was very helpful in seeking to
address the fundamental topics of trust and safety in AI, issues of considerable interest to business leaders and policy makers internationally. In the US, there is a priority to operationalise responsible AI in consequential decision-making applications. We have developed AI models with the potential to help with key areas of national importance, such as responding to forest fires or improve healthcare systems. As AI is adopted and applied, we need to continue to monitor and assess its reliability. This means working together internationally to identify failures and ensure they are reported and resolved to create a safer ecosystem for everyone.”
Demonstrations And Community Building: Building A Collaborative Ecosystem
The TAS Showcase 2024 served as a testament to the collaborative efforts required to harness the full potential of robotics and AI. It provided a platform for researchers and technicians to share their results and obtain feedback from delegates. Examples included a smart wheelchair assisting people with eating, drone simulations and a “soft grabber”. It was a celebration of current achievements and a call to action for continued innovation and responsible development in the field.
Dr Cameron Ross, Senior Portfolio Manager in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at UKRI added: “At UKRI, we recognise the transformative potential of AI and autonomous systems, and the diverse community that is needed to ensure the success of these technologies. Our mission is to convene, catalyse, and invest in close collaboration with others to build a thriving, inclusive research and innovation system. We will continue working with the leadership of the investment as they go through their final year, to ensure TAS leaves a lasting legacy across the research ecosystem.”
The TAS Showcase 2024 was a convergence of minds and visions, offering a comprehensive view into the future of robotics and AI. It underscored the critical role of collaboration, innovation, and responsible stewardship in shaping a future where technology amplifies human potential and addresses global challenges.