Artificial intelligence, a topic which has relevance to us all, is the subject of the Combined Inaugural Caius Termly Forum Lecture & Inaugural Annual Lecture in Science and Ethics, open to students, staff and Fellows of Gonville & Caius College.

Professor Alan Blackwell will present his lecture titled Moral Codes: Designing alternatives to AI, exploring the alternatives to AI, where algorithms are designed to support human flourishing and the desire for meaning, rather than financial optimisation. Other themes will include observations on regulation, surveillance and data, plus insights in machine learning and human behaviour to contribute to what is sure to be a fascinating discussion.

Three main issues with AI – bias, trustworthiness and explainability – will be discussed on Monday 2 October in a topic which is sure to grow in prominence.

The Professor of Interdisciplinary Design in the Cambridge Computer Laboratory and Fellow of Darwin College, pictured, said: “It's a time of very rapid change and that makes it exciting. But it also means that it can be a bit difficult to achieve the necessary perspective. My advantage is that I've been working in AI for 40 years so.

“I can put the recent developments in the context of change that has actually been pretty steady over the 40 years, to be honest. People get excited from time to time. Sometimes there's a little bit too much hype and there's a tendency amongst AI researchers to claim too much, and to optimistically assume that all the problems are going to be solved just around the corner.

“Every time that the younger and more enthusiastic people tell me this time it's true and I say, ‘well, this is the third boom I've lived through!’ and now it's the fourth.

“Recent advances are exciting, but there is a need for perspective, not least about the pace of change.”

The Caius Termly Forum is a new lecture series on a subject of intellectual value and interest to those working across the sciences, humanities and social sciences which is inclusive to all, enriching and strengthening our ‘community of scholars’.

Full details of the lecture, including how to sign up, are on The Venn (College intranet).