Pioneering research demonstrates the power of AI in tackling society’s biggest challenges
The Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) Showcase 2024, taking place in London on 5-6 March, will celebrate the results of this £33 million UKRI-funded programme. Led by the University of Southampton, alongside the University of Nottingham and King’s College London, TAS is one of the largest, single-country AI grants in the world.
Over two hundred attendees, from the Russell Group and wider academic sector, government and industry, will gather to celebrate the progress made in using AI to tackle society’s biggest challenges around climate change, security, healthcare and equality, amongst others. Discussions will address the fundamental topics of trust in AI and safeguarding.
Notable achievements from the programme include the creation of Daisy, a prototype which heralds new possibilities for hospital emergency care; Kaspar, a robot assisting children with autism; Jess+, a musical robot helping break down barriers for people with disabilities; a Citizen Carbon Budget app to assist individuals in monitoring carbon usage.
Professor Sarvapali (Gopal) Ramchurn, Director of the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) Programme, from the University of Southampton, said: “AI will proliferate over the coming years in a variety of ways. It is important to anticipate the potential impacts of such technologies and help to prepare regulators, businesses, government and the public. We are bringing together the evidence required to inform this and the TAS Showcase 2024 will help accelerate these conversations.”
TAS Impact Director, Professor Michael Boniface from the University of Southampton, added: “AI has enormous power to bring new technology to help solve old problems. Our research demonstrates what can be achieved by scaling up the use of automation, responsibly, to improve lives, create a more inclusive society and contribute to a productive economy. We’re doing this through the development of socially beneficial autonomous systems that are both trustworthy in principle and trusted in practice by the public, government and industry.”
TAS Research Director, Professor Joel Fischer from the University of Nottingham, added: “I’m proud to say that the TAS Hub has funded and delivered 76 projects, spanning more than 20 academic institutions, and involving over 170 partners. These include protecting whales from shipping strikes, monitoring soil in challenging climate conditions and evaluating the impact of driverless cars. Our projects also include supporting people with mental health conditions, protecting people from online harm and diagnosing cancer.”
The event will show TAS’ commitment to integrating Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), with TAS-supported research methods having been adopted widely in the field.
Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton added: “TAS has been instrumental in helping to equip future generations of researchers at every level, from school children to professors, with enhanced knowledge and skills, through its events and wider engagement activities. I’m looking forward to witnessing this legacy at the TAS Showcase 2024 and for years to come.” Michael
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Follow #TASshowcase24 on X (@tas_hub) and Instagram (@tas_hub_programme) for live updates.
For more in-depth research information and case studies, access the TAS impact Brochure here
The TAS programme was awarded a grant from the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund