TAS invites partners to come together to accelerate its research impact
The UKRI TAS Hub is inviting existing and future collaborators to come together in celebration of the achievements of the £33M UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Programme at the TAS Showcase 2024 event in London.
This event will take place on 5-6 March 2024 at Savoy Place. Partners from industry, government, charities, academics, members of the public and international collaborators are invited to register
The event will host discussions, introduce robots and demos and share the fruits of the programme’s research into the development of socially beneficial autonomous systems.
Professor Sarvapali (Gopal) Ramchurn, Director of the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) Hub explained: “One of the key strengths of the programme is its adoption of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles across the projects it has funded. This approach ensures we build, for example, cancer diagnosis tools that fit within the working practices of clinicians, or robot swarms that companies can assure to be safe for the operators and the public.
“Autonomous systems are becoming embedded in almost every aspect of our lives in complex ways, some of which are more visible than others. While such systems hold the potential to help address many of the most fundamental socio-economic challenges on a personal and global level, they can also invoke a fear to many of losing control to machines. We are taking this challenge head on by working with researchers, industry, the public, and government, to ensure benefit for everyone, particularly those at the margins of society.
“It has been a great privilege to lead the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) Hub over the last four years. We have been granted a timely opportunity to develop the best practices for world class research that will enable the development of autonomous systems that are both trustworthy in principle and trusted in practice by individuals, society and government.”
Professor Joel Fischer, TAS Research Director from the University of Nottingham added: “The TAS Hub has funded and initiated 76 multidisciplinary projects on diverse topics concerning Trustworthy Autonomous Systems, spanning more than 20 institutions and involving over 100 partners. We are proud that all TAS projects have demonstrated a commitment to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) as part of their research plan. We are hosting the TAS Showcase 2024 as an opportunity to share some of the highlights.”
The TAS Hub also coordinates six research nodes across the UK which collate expertise from diverse areas including computer and social sciences as well as the humanities, to pioneer best practice for the design, regulation and operation of autonomous systems who will also represent their work at the event.
TAS Impact Director, Professor Michael Boniface from the University of Southampton explained: “The TAS Showcase 2024 will demonstrate impact from research in sectors of societal and economic importance with transformation across Cultural & Creative Industries, Health and Wellbeing, Defence and Security, Energy and Environment, Transport, Science, Governance and Regulation. From improving acceptance of autonomy in healthcare through to regulation for safeguarding AI, novel public engagement in research and increasing participation in creative experiences for people living with disabilities, the TAS programme has shown how autonomous systems can improve lives, create a more inclusive society and contribute to a productive economy.
“Our Showcase event will provide two inspiring days filled with an exciting interactive exhibition of TAS technologies, discussion with leading experts sharing the knowledge gained through our outstanding research, as well as exploring the opportunities and challenges ahead. We are encouraging a diverse community to join us.”
Ends
The provisional schedule and registration information is here.