Reflections on the AI Strategy session at the TDL MSc Innovation Week

The Data Lab MSc is a collaborative programme between The Data Lab and 12 Scottish universities. It facilitates industry involvement and collaboration, and provides full funding and resources for students. It is funded by the Scottish government through the SFC and the ESF/Developing Scotland's Workforce fund.

The key event of The Data Lab MSc programme calendar is Innovation Week where the whole cohort comes together. After a difficult year, this week was an opportunity for the MSc students to connect and collaborate with their cohort and get a sense that they are part of a wider, supportive data science community in Scotland. 

The event this year took on a slightly different slant in the form of an on-line programme curated to enable the students to practice their non-technical skills, develop some new technical skills and engage with some of the key issues that will shape their future, and the future of data science and AI in Scotland. From GIS to Git, Data Challenge to Data Visualisation, AI Strategy to Yoga, a lot was packed into the week.

We ran a two hour online session with the students on 2 June 2021 to get their input into what the Scottish AI Playbook (announced in Scotland’s AI Strategy, launched 22 March 2021) should be and what it should contain. Facilitated by Snook, this session was the culmination of two other engagement sessions we ran with the audiences of DataTalks and DataTech back in May 2021.

Here are some thoughts from the students on the session!

Frida de Sigley, MSc Artificial Intelligence student from University of Stirling:

The Scottish Government launched Scotland’s AI Strategy: Trustworthy, Ethical and Inclusive in March this year and it's amazing that this is already being implemented engaging the data scientist, programmers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) practitioners of the future. It is clear that both in terms of stakeholder engagement and in seeking to support the next generation of tech experts that Scotland is already taking steps to ensure an innovative and sustainable future and support a skilled digital workforce, which are both top-line principles laid out in Scotland's AI strategy.

Hearing people's views on this hot topic is always a real privilege especially when so many informed and insightful views are shared. Scotland’s AI Strategy workshop earlier this month, part of The Data Lab MSc Innovation Week, was an opportunity for just this.

We are in changing and sometimes challenging times and it was great to hear The Data Lab 2020/21 cohort share their informed views on the issues at an interactive workshop hosted by The AI Strategy team and facilitated by Snook. Steph Wright, Head of Scottish AI Alliance Support Circle introduced the session inviting us to consider- ‘if you’re someone who likes to speak a lot perhaps check in with that’- as an invitation to the quieter voices in the group to also have space to share their insights and this set the tone for some candid and open discussion.

Before the first computers were built figures such as Alan Turing were considering the degree to which computers can solve complex problems. However it is not until the last decade that accelerated hardware and our ability to utilise this really began to change all of our lives.

It was amazing to see how much focus was placed on ethical consideration, how AI will add future generations who already have new relationships with tech as well as some really amazing and insightful vows on how to ensure fairness within the systems of the future.

There was a tangible sense from the whole event as well as the feedback from the theme related sub-groups on the need for AI to support Scotland’s people as well as its importance in facing global challenges such as climate change. One particularly important and prominent theme was the need for clear governance, ethical frameworks as well and procedures and legislation to provide guidance as practitioners and a real insight into how AI is already changing our lives.

We are in the midst of solving new optimisation challenges that a global pandemic has caused as well as increasing complex and interdependent systems. Perhaps as important as the real infrastructures are the architects of the systems that support our way of life. It was clear from the expertise and clear considerations that were put forward during the Scotland’s AI Strategy group session that Scotland’s future is in safe, informed and skilled hands.

Fraser Buchanan, MSc Artificial Intelligence and Applications, University of Strathclyde:

Through the session on Scotland’s AI Strategy our The Data Lab MSc cohort 2020-21 had the opportunity to have our say on the shape of Scotland’s AI future.  We heard how the Scottish Government views the opportunities that data science could give to Scottish business and governance, as well as individuals studying the subject.  It was interesting to hear the thoughts of other students and heartening that many of our opinions align. The excitement about the potential is uplifting but tempered with the knowledge of limitations and ethical concerns. It’s not often that a sector asks government for guidance and regulation and, to me, shows a maturity already present in this new generation of data scientists.  

Thank you to all of the participants at the workshop (and to Frida and Fraser for their observations). The input from the students (and some of their course leaders too!) was fantastic and we will be taking it on board as we move forward with developing the Scottish AI Playbook, an open and practical guide to how we do AI in Scotland… watch this space!