The British Science Association (BSA) recently co-hosted a panel discussion, Charting the Path Forward: A Call for UK Leadership in AI and Innovation, with our strategic partners 3M, and the New Statesman.

At Digital Catapult in London, business and technology leaders discussed the challenges and opportunities that the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created, and might create in future.

Our CEO, Hannah Russell, joined 3M’s Global Digital Innovation Leader, Paul Cardno, New Statesman Business Editor, Will Dunn, and Sarah Armstrong, EMEA Modern Work and Gen AI Director for Microsoft, in a panel chaired by journalist Jane Wakefield.

The discussion explored why some people find AI scary while others find it exciting, and delved into how AI, sustainability, and skills development can build a path toward a future of innovation, with the UK a global leader in science.

Here, Hannah Russell summarises her key points from the event, exploring why a large percentage of the public are either concerned about, or totally disengaged from, AI, and how we can help change that.

Fear and uncertainty

A recent report from 3M on ‘the state of science’ found that that 73% of people in the UK, across different age groups and other demographics, believe that AI will change the world as we know it. There’s a huge amount to discuss when it comes to predicting what that change might look like, and there’s a lot to unpick in that 73% statistic. What percentage think that AI will change the world negatively, and what percentage believe change will be positive? What are people really thinking?

Published in February this year, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Public attitudes to data and AI survey asked people to sum up their feelings on AI in one word and by far the most common term was ‘scary’, followed by ‘worry’, and ‘unsure’. They were either fearful about AI, or they didn’t understand it or know what to think about it. There’s clearly a big job to do around public engagement with the subject.

We know that the public do see benefits – the recent AI@CAM report from the University of Cambridge on public services and how AI is supporting them showed this – but it also highlighted real concerns from people worried about losing their jobs and being replaced by AI. They’re worried about diversity in data and the security of data, too. We can’t ignore these things when we’re getting excited about new developments.

The perception of AI can be scary. During the recent panel discussion, Chair Jane Wakefield highlighted the media’s contribution toward that perception, through stories about nightmare or end-of-the-world scenarios, or by illustrating AI-related stories with a picture of The Terminator. It’s not going to be easy work to shift public opinion.

Engaging people builds trust

At the BSA, we know how vital it is to ensure there’s a diversity of voices in this conversation. BSA is part of Sciencewise, an internationally recognised public engagement programme which enables policy makers to develop socially informed policy with a particular emphasis on science and technology. Through this work, we consistently find that it doesn’t matter what the new technology is, people want to know: Who will govern it? Who benefits from it? And is it safe?

For many people, AI will have seemed to have come out of nowhere in the last two years. Engaging the public with AI is the right thing to do when it is something that has, and most likely will, change their lives and livelihoods. Engaging them is also about public trust.

If we want to increase public trust in AI then we need to hear different views, from different voices, not just from people already engaged with it.

Bringing the public together with researchers is also where the magic happens – communities bring insight on things researchers may well not have thought about. Bringing people into the conversation makes better science and more thoughtful, inclusive and durable solutions. This means it’s also an economic imperative for business, and for the country as a whole, to bring people into the room.

Transparency and inclusion in policy

The regulation and governance of AI might be the “boring” part of the conversation for some, but it’s vital that the public are included in it.

Transparency and inclusion are vital in generating regulation and there has to be open communication for there to be trust. There are so many ways in which to engage the public in the policy process, including public dialogues which bring the public together with subject experts and policy makers, allowing the public to learn about new technologies, deliberate and provide recommendations. It allows us to develop more inclusive regulation that’s more durable as a result, and the best way to protect society while allowing innovation to flourish.

The developments people care about

There’s a lot to get excited about in the AI conversation, and through our youth insights work we know that climate change and medicine are key concerns for young people.

There are currently developments in public health which could have a huge impact. Our BSA President, Professor Kevin Fenton, recently talked about the use of AI to support doctors in diagnosis, and its potential for personalised health and personalised medicine – he sees AI making a huge difference to how quickly and effectively patients can be helped.

He’s also spoken about how small developments in technology, such as an app that parents could access to see their child’s immunisation record, and get automated reminders, could have an enormous impact in improving rates of vaccination. These are really exciting developments in the areas people really care about.

More diversity in industry

If there’s one change that would have the greatest impact on the UK’s AI and innovation landscape over the next five years, it’s improving the diversity and supply of talent and skills. To put it in perspective, around 1.6 million people work in tech in the UK but just 21% of the tech workforce are women.

Catapult innovation funding supports projects across the UK, but we know that the majority of tech businesses are still in London and the south east.

Only 11% of the tech workforce are people with disabilities, compared to 14% of the total UK workforce. If any sector should be supporting people with disabilities, surely it’s tech?

There’s also work to be done right through the education system. There needs to be greater recognition of the value of skills alongside knowledge and particularly of technical skills, and there must be a strategy to build a diverse pipeline and then retain people in the workforce. That’s going to make the biggest change.

Reaching underrepresented communities

73% of people said they believe AI will change the world but we should also be thinking about the other 27%. When you work within the STEM sector, it’s easy to assume everyone is interested in engaged in AI, but that’s clearly not true. From the BSA’s perspective, we need to focus on reaching communities who are typically underrepresented in science.

Through national campaigns like British Science Week and the British Science Festival, we have the opportunity to showcase cutting edge technology and the diversity of people and roles in tech industries.

Through programmes like the CREST Awards, we give young people opportunities to roll up their sleeves and get involved in science projects that feel relevant to them. They get to ask questions and investigate them further, often as part of a team. That’s what real science is about. The BSA and our partners are working to support teachers, especially at schools in challenging circumstances, so that we can give children a chance to try things out, be innovative and spark creativity.

Yet our research shows that only 8% of people aged 14-18 can think of a scientist who looked like them. We need to keep finding ways to reach people in a way that feels authentic, which is why we work with  grassroot communities across the UK to  engage them in science-related projects which they care about and put them at the heart of research and innovation.

True public engagement isn’t just about showcasing cutting edge science and technology but is about having a two way conversation that values both lived and learned experience: we have to go to people where they are and not assume they’ll come to us.