7 August

We recap our AI & Equitable Opportunity webinar

If you missed it…

On 15th July we hosted a webinar on AI & Equitable Opportunity, diving into how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace and what that means for social mobility.

To kick things off, Abubakar Mehdi presented findings from Progress Together’s recent research in partnership with Accenture, highlighting how AI is impacting the workforce and who currently has access to AI tools.

Our Chair for the session, Ian Hedberg, a Senior Associate at Ashurst and Social Mobility Network Co-Chair, summed up the discussion:

"AI has a real potential to be a force for good, but it needs to be handled in the right way to ensure it pushes us in the right direction rather than the wrong direction."

The panel discussion further explored how employers can take intentional steps to ensure AI supports equity rather than deepening existing divides.

Check out our top 5 takeaways before catching up on the recording

1. AI has the opportunity to be a powerful tool for equity. If businesses take action now to widen access to AI skills, AI has the potential to help level the playing field. Alkim Mete, Azure Data & AI Lead at Microsoft, said ‘I feel very optimistic about our opportunity, especially when it comes to education’.
2. Now is the time to act. Businesses have a responsibility to ensure AI’s benefits are accessible to all, not just the most privileged.
3. Avoiding bias comes down to data. Tackling bias means auditing your data and diversifying decision-makers across all business areas.
4. Digital poverty is still a significant barrier. As Lynne Peabody, CEO of the EY Foundation highlighted, we can’t assume young people are all able to be digital natives now. Channelling investment into this issue is crucial.
5. AI upskilling is for everyone. Across levels and roles, everyone can benefit from building AI literacy and free resources on platforms like LinkedIn can widen access.

Catch up on the full webinar and share it with your colleagues here