London hackathon unearthing safeguarding insights for introducing AI robotics into society

London hackathon unearthing safeguarding insights for introducing AI robotics into society
London hackathon unearthing safeguarding insights for introducing AI robotics into society

London hackathon unearthing safeguarding insights for introducing AI robotics into society London innovation consultancy Big Radical, in partnership with transformative Agritech start-up Small Robot Company is running a 2-day hackathon on the 27th and 28th of April in their Clerkenwell studios.

The hackathon aims to produce insights for a first-of-its kind commercial Human Robot Interaction guide that considers and neutralises the dangers of humanising artificially intelligent robotics. Driven by the growing concern of the ethical, economical and safety implications of developing a society where AI robotics are developed to coexist with humans, the hack is designed to utilise experts across the agricultural, robotics, psychology/sociology, healthcare and artificial intelligence industries and disciplines that will provide the stimulus and information needed for attendees to collaborate, explore and co-create conceptual prototypes that define the optimal interaction between humans and robots.

Over the 48 hour sprint, attendees will consider the balance of intrinsically human virtues and the benefit of robotics in society, considering factors that influence and affect the stakeholders involved in each interaction. Concluding the exploration and design function of the hackathon the judging panel comprised of specialists in robotics, analytics and psychology will review and critique the effectiveness of the solutions and select a winner. As a leader in agritech and robotics, Small Robot Company wants to develop a commercial Human Robotics Interaction guide to help pioneers in commercial robotics frame how we shift towards a harmonious and collaborative human and robot – or ‘cobot’ – society. Founder, Ben Scott-Robinson says “Autonomous vehicles and entities will become all pervasive in the next 20 years.

For a long time, machines will have to live and work alongside people in industries from construction to transport to agriculture. The way they behave to us when they are working with us will determine their success or failure. What we are designing here is doing no less than defining the next industrial revolution.” Big Radical is a team of innovation focused consultants that help organisations de-risk ambitious decisions, by quickly identifying the right questions and methods of practical testing. Head of Product Development at Big Radical, Seth Campbell says the London-based team jumped at the opportunity to lead the project, commenting that “we’re in a time where the convergence of multiple technological shifts provides us with the potential to truly improve the way we work, live and look after ourselves and the planet. We want to ensure the steps taken by progressive organisations to embrace these opportunities are properly prioritised and considered, and that a value-creating, sustainable approach is applied.

Designers, product owners, technologists and strategists are invited to register to participate in the 2-day hack via Eventbrite.

Small Robot Company is an agritech company building robots that will make farming more profitable, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. They are looking to create seamless, empathetic human-robot interaction experiences for farming.

Big Radical is an innovation consultancy that use business strategy and practical design to deliver tangible, evidence-based investment cases for businesses, products or services.