AI & Society: Bridging Innovation and Responsibility

On January 17th, Reykjavik University’s Open University hosted a noteworthy event, "AI & Society: Bridging Innovation and Responsibility," in collaboration with EDIH – European Digital Innovation Hub, CADIA – Center for Analysis and Design of Intelligent Agents, and IIIM – Icelandic Institute for Intelligent Machines. This conference brought together leading experts and professionals to discuss the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on society.

The day began with welcoming remarks from Ragnhildur Helgadóttir, Rector of Reykjavik University, and an inspiring opening address from Logi Einarsson, Minister of Culture, Innovation, and Higher Education, who highlighted Iceland’s unique opportunities and challenges in navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. The keynote speech was by Serge Belongie, head of the Pioneer Center for Artificial Intelligence in Copenhagen and Professor at DIKU, on the opportunities and limitations of generative AI.

Panel discussions addressed specific topics such as the opportunities and risks of AI in healthcare, the balance between efficiency and privacy in the public sector, and the growing concerns around AI and cybersecurity. The four thematic tracks—AI and Start-ups/Scale-ups, Healthcare, Governance, and Cybersecurity—fostered engaging dialogue on safeguarding privacy, ensuring transparency, and maximizing the societal benefits of AI.

Bridget Burger, Project Coordinator at Reykjavik University and a member of EDIH-IS, moderated the session on AI and Cybersecurity – Is the genie out of the bottle? The session underscored the importance of innovation balanced with responsibility in this rapidly advancing field.

The day concluded with the CADIA AI Festival, a public event open to all interested in AI. Serge Belongie opened with a talk about generative AI and its transformative potential. AI Consultant, Saga Úlfarsdóttir, delivered an insightful talk examining the dual nature of AI - how it can both amaze with its capabilities and falter on basic tasks, and Henning Ulfarsson, Chair of the School of Computer Science at Reykjavik University, addressed the challenges of teaching in the age of AI.

EDIH-IS is proud to have been a collaborator in this successful conference, furthering the dialogue on innovation and responsibility in AI.