On 22 November 2023, Christos Ntanos spoke at the 2023 Going Global Conference of the British Council, held in Edinburgh, Scotland between Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 November.

Since its inception in 2004, the British Council’s Going Global conference has provided a strategic forum for leaders in international education to connect, share knowledge and build a global network of senior leaders and policy influencers to shape the future of further and higher education.

Below is the summary of the Universities, AI and the Global Good session.

Universities, AI and the Global Good

Chairing the session Professor Rajani Naidoo asked what opportunities does AI present, and how can we protect ourselves from the risks and dangers? She drew together a panel with expertise in education, research and leadership from the UK, Kenya, Greece and Mexico to discuss how AI is being used , and where it could assist in future.

Heidi Fraser-Krass, CEO of UK digital and data services agency Jisc, talked about their study talking to students about their thoughts on AI. In the research – which was carried out alongside the University of Manchester – students said they mainly used AI to assist with writing, and adapting content to different forms. But they expressed concerns about data privacy and possible over-reliance on the technology, and wanted to discuss regulation and learn how AI was generating its content.

Professor Neil Hernández-Gress, Director for Research, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, said that his institution was exploring the potential of using data to create tools for recommendations, guiding undergraduates and researchers on how to advance and develop. He added that these kinds of projects were currently in the research phase at his institution.

Dr Christos Ntanos, Research Director at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, addressed the benefits and challenges associated with using AI in researching, diagnosing, managing, and treating complex brain disorders. He also explored the ethical implications of these technologies from the perspectives of both clinicians and researchers, as well as from that of patients, discussing issues such as privacy, job security, and liability. Looking ahead, he emphasised that transparent, interpretable, and explainable AI will be crucial in paving the way for a more ethical and equitable implementation of these groundbreaking technologies.

Joy Owango, Executive Director of the Training Centre in Communication in Kenya, discussed the value of AI and data in potentially raising the profile of research in Africa and the Global South. Research and patents from those regions are often less visible compared to better-resourced counterparts, but she noted the value of adding Persistent Identifiers to stored files to help people find this research and boost its visibility. She said it was a good opportunity to protect indigenous knowledge and culture and demonstrate its contribution to the field of international research.