We were delighted to host digital leaders from across Leeds during this year’s Leeds Digital Festival, as we premiered our last Tech Flix film, “AI & Robotics: A Near Future You’re Not Prepared For”, followed by an insightful panel discussion lead by Director of Technology & Solutions at NashTech, George Lynch.  

Our incredible panel included: 

The event was jam-packed with discussions on the future of technology, AI, regulations and self-driving robots, among so much more. Lucky for us, we were able to pick George’s brain about the event and have a full break-down of the event. 

Leeds Digital Festival through the eyes of George Lynch 

I was charged with ‘looking after’ our panel members who represented a range of local and international organisations and managed to grab a few minutes with them as we waited for the film to start. It was amazing to see how all the leaders provided so much insight which spanned across so many different sectors and areas within technology, robotics and AI. 

Having then invited our guests to join us in the theatre we viewed the short but compelling Tech Flix documentary, “AI & Robotics: A Near Future You're Not Prepared For” presented by David Savage, Technology Evangelist at Nash Squared. 

I first viewed the documentary at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh a few months ago and it was amazing how even in that short period of time things have moved on again… 

Inevitability though the documentary does explore some areas where the answer is unknowable i.e. as “overall productivity increases but individual productivity reduces” what impact will this have on the global economy? 

The panel provided insightful and challenging answers to the questions I posed. Everything from data governance & self-regulation to commercialisation of AI and the impact of talent. I was left with a sense of cautious optimism. The panel and all our guests viewed the documentary as both a challenge and a call to action… and it’s the word “action” that is most important to me.  

Key takeaways from our panelists 

Lisa Johnson, VP of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for Starship Technologies not only talked eloquently about the legal and regulatory challenges facing robotics and AI they also just happened to have one of Starships autonomous self-driving robots for all to see. 

“Be an ambassador for AI & Robotics and talk positively about it. Fundamentally, politicians need to do more around regulation." 

Adam Rooney, CEO and Founder of Calls9, gave his views on how digital leaders can create policies for responsible AI that foster innovation rather than act as a barrier.  

"SME's need to understand more. Do not wait for the government or anyone else to tell you that this is important, it's important now!" 

Crispin Read, CEO & Founder, of the Coder’s Guild had already attended a few Leeds Digital Festival events. Crispin’s unique perspective on education and awareness of all things Robotics and AI was very much appreciated as we wrestled with the role of software engineers in the medium to long term. 

"Progress is a shared responsibility. Economic and social sustainability is the goal." 

Finally, I managed to spend some time with Marcus Hunter, CTO of Evri, who was able to share how Evri has already created an AI policy and framework to ensure AI is not perceived as a threat but rather a business enabler. 

"It's a playground out there! Play, but play responsibly and sustainably." 

Conclusion 

As digital leaders, we need to act now so that our organisations can take advantage of recent breakthroughs in AI & Robotics whilst exerting our influence on policy makers, governments & big tech to make sure we embed ethics and good practice in everything we do. 

It’s worth calling out the National Robotarium which provided a fusion of academia and industry allowing SMEs to innovate and adopt a “fail fast” approach to product development. 

The telltale sign of a great event is the number of guests who linger to discuss the big topics raised by the film and panel discussion. Needless to say, the discussions at the Everyman Theatre went on late into the evening. 

For more information about this event, please contact Charlie Deacon at Charlie.Deacon@harveynash.com 

If you’re interested in finding out more about how Harvey Nash can support your hiring needs, please contact us here. 

About the author 

George Lynch is the Director of Technology & Solutions at NashTech, our sister brand as part of the Nash Squared business. With over two decades of experience in the tech world, George has a real passion and understanding of technology, and how business can use it to their advantage.