At Rise25 Awards, the future of AI is ethical, inclusive and responsible

The second annual edition Rise25 Price in Dublin was not just about celebrating 25 AI leaders. It was charting the future.

The Gardiner brothers, known for introducing Irish dancing to social networks Spotlight kicked off the evening with a performance that blended tradition and innovation. Siobhan McSweeney The Derry Girls actress hosted the ceremony and captivated the crowd with humour, joking: “AI is a sticky-fingered child who comes into the house just after you’ve cleaned it.”

The winners then took to the stage to outline the principles that guide their work. Here are the highlights:

The stories we tell about AI shape its future

Sinéad Bovellone of Rise25 2024’s Artist winners, works to prepare young people for a future driven by cutting-edge technologies. She emphasized that the narratives we create around AI are crucial; they frame public understanding and ultimately influence the direction of AI development.

“It’s a real honour to be recognised in the artist category because the stories we tell about artificial intelligence are so important,” Sinéad said. She noted that it’s easy to feel trapped in a binary narrative about AI, with the dangers and risks on one side and the benefits and opportunities on the other. “But the truth is that these stories are not separate. They’re intertwined,” she said.

Quoting technologist Jaron Lanier, Sinéad argued that to be a true optimist about AI, one must also be a fierce critic. “We need to continue to tell the stories of a future where AI is effective and transforms humanity for the better. But we also need to tell the stories of what got us there, the difficult decisions we made in the present, and how we chose to keep humanity at the center of technological advances.” For Sinéad, understanding and telling these nuanced stories is essential to guiding AI toward an ethical and inclusive future.

The effects of AI on individuals can be profound

Gemma Galdon-Clavella winner of the entrepreneur category, focuses on finding and fixing biases and flaws in predictive tools and large-scale language models (LLMs). She shared a deeply personal story that highlighted the profound impact AI can have on individuals:

“If my school had used an AI system to assess my chances, I wouldn’t be here today. My mother was 14 when she had me. I had huge behavioral issues growing up. If you had fed all that data into an AI system and asked, ‘Should this girl go to school? Should we invest in her future?’ the answer would have been no.”

Gemma highlighted the dangers of relying solely on algorithms to determine a person’s potential, as these systems often reduce complex lives to simple data points. “I’m here because I’ve managed to beat the odds, because no one has put my predictions into an algorithm.”

Her story is a powerful reminder of the need for rigorous oversight and auditing of AI systems to ensure they do not limit the futures of those like her who might defy expectations. “People, like everyone else, deserve a chance,” she concluded, arguing for a future where AI supports rather than stifles.

AI design choices have profound consequences

Philosopher and founder of the AI ​​Ethics Lab Cansu CancaA change agent The laureate spoke passionately about the critical importance of ethical design in AI, highlighting how every decision made in the design process has the potential to shape society.

“When we design AI systems, we’re not just making technical choices. We’re making moral and philosophical decisions,” she said. Cansu challenged developers to think about questions that go beyond the code: “What is a good life? What is a better society?” These questions, she argued, should guide every step of AI development.

“The design choices we make today will determine whether AI becomes a tool for justice or a mechanism that perpetuates inequality,” Cansu warned. She called for an approach to AI that integrates ethical considerations from the start, ensuring that systems are designed to promote fairness, transparency and respect for human dignity. “Ethical design is not an afterthought – it is the foundation on which AI must be built,” she said, emphasizing the far-reaching impact of these decisions on our collective future.

The untapped potential of AI lies in open collaboration

Researcher Aaron Gokaslana winner of the builder category, aims to keep the development of generative models open. He highlighted the immense and largely untapped potential of AI, particularly in the area of ​​open source development.

“We are now in the early stages of AI,” he noted, noting that while AI has already made significant progress, its full potential has yet to be discovered. Aaron emphasized that the true power of AI will be unleashed through collaboration and accessibility, allowing a wide range of innovators to contribute to its development.

“By sharing knowledge and resources, we can advance AI in a way that benefits society as a whole,” Aaron said.

Thoughtful AI policy is essential for an equitable future

Philippe ThigoA lawyer The Honourable and Special Envoy for Technology of the Republic of Kenya, stressed the critical need for thoughtful and proactive AI policy, warning that without it, AI could exacerbate existing inequalities and erode public trust.

“AI has the potential to revolutionise society, but without robust and thoughtful regulation it could also exacerbate inequalities and undermine public trust,” he warned. Philip argued that AI policy must prioritise fairness, transparency and accountability to ensure that AI development benefits everyone, not just a select few.

“We need policies that don’t just react to AI challenges, but anticipate them, setting clear guidelines for ethical development and use,” he said. Philip called for a collaborative approach to AI governance, involving not only policymakers and technologists, but also the general public: “By engaging a broad range of stakeholders, we can create a framework that guides AI towards the common good.”

As the winners made clear, AI will leave its mark wherever it goes, just like those “sticky fingers.” The challenge ahead is to make that mark a positive one. The evening was a powerful reminder that the future of AI is not just about innovation, but also about inclusion, ethics, and responsibility.