SCI CURIOUS EVENT REVIEWS... BIOMETRIC MIRROR DISCUSSION PANEL

Event reviews by our Sci Curious members

Biometric Mirror panel discussion: a discussion on digital ethics and society

Review by James

Following Adam Peacock’s talk from the previous night, I found myself sitting in front of four panelists eagerly preparing themselves to delve deep into the world of AI, biometrics and digital ethics. It was great to see a wide range of perspectives being presented, accurately representing the reach of digital ethics and technology in our society through industry, art, philosophy, computer science and research and how each field reacts accordingly to different emerging technologies. Whilst it’s easy to label new technologies as either “good” or “bad” based on their outcomes and potentials, this discussion aimed to discuss the ever-growing gray area of digital ethics – where lines are blurred, and boundaries are unclear – and to investigate how our world has been, is, and will continue to be shaped by evolving technologies. In the future, who knows if we will even be able to keep up with AI? If computers can read our emotions and predict our behaviours, how will they then be able to shape consumer culture, manipulate our access to information and affect our overall happiness? What if we’re unfairly judged by machines based on our looks, our upbringing, our ancestry, our genetic history or medical conditions? Further, what if the predictions and assumptions made by the AI are incorrect and false truths are then recorded into databases? Will our escape from the pressures of AI be unplugging from technology – becoming fugitives from our own inventions – and returning to offline modes of human interaction? I left the lecture theatre with a bittersweet feeling, not quite knowing what to think about the constantly changing world around us, but that’s what the Science Gallery’s about… generating speculation of future technologies through thought-provoking discussion and controversial conversations.