The age of AI

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The proliferation of generative AI tools – which provide images, audio and text in response to short prompts – has meant that discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) have entered the mainstream. Conversations about the social impacts of AI are no longer unique to technical presentations, legal policy papers and academic conferences. Questions about how novel AI tools will impact artists’ work, can be used to cheat on exams, and already support healthcare services have become common but remain challenging. Indeed, while informed by very different levels of awareness, AI rarely leaves people indifferent.

At the RSA, Fellows have recently been reflecting on how our Design for Life mission can inform interventions on advancements in AI, so that the public forms a shared level of understanding, and that such innovations enable us to flourish as a society. This post outlines some of the insights gained through the process. But first, let us place these endeavours in their historical context.

AI at the RSA

The RSA has been working on the societal implications of AI since at least 2017, when a partnership with Google resulted in a report on The Age of Automation. This suggested that “AI and robotics could put the UK on the path to a better world of work, so long as we can implement automation on our own terms”. Later, in 2018, two documents were published following efforts funded by DeepMind. In the report Artificial Intelligence: Real Public Engagement, the case is made for ”entering into a public dialogue with citizens about the conditions under which this technology is used”. In the toolkit Democratising decisions about technology, a model for running “citizens’ juries” to inform technological developments is proposed.

RSA Fellows have been reflecting on AI and technological advancements for much longer, as a quick query on RSA Comment shows. However, the recent and seemingly sporadic emergence of “generative AI” tools (relatively accessible software that can be easily manipulated to produce images, text, video or audio) has brought AI to the attention of many more Fellows. Along with so many others, we have been asking “What is AI?” “What does it mean for our working lives?” “How can people learn about AI?” “How will it impact democracy?” “How about the arts?” And we have many more questions.

To channel these questions into more fruitful discussions, Faye Brookes, the RSA’s online community manager, and I established the Fellow-led AI Interest Group in May 2023. This currently has over 160 Fellows of the 2,400+ on our online community platform, Circle. The group grew through May and June  – in membership and engagement – and we eventually decided to run workshops to facilitate even more targeted discussions.

AI agenda

We ran two workshops in July 2023 on ‘Shaping Our AI Agenda’; one in-person at RSA House on 7 July, and one online on 21 July. The first event was led by Ian Stobie, FRSA and me; and three attendees took us up on the chance to facilitate substantive discussions for the second event – seeking leaders within the group will be key to our success.

The first event served as a pilot. The goal was to identify and inspire tangible projects. Several activities were trialled during the event, from pre-event questionnaires to presentations, open discussions and breakout groups. It was in breakout groups where the most constructive discussions were held. Crucially, we framed the groups as an exploration of the relationship between the RSA’s Design for Life’s mission and AI.

Design for Life – our mission to enable people, places and the planet to flourish in harmony – stands on three pillars:

• Building capabilities – supporting people to learn and to lead change;
• Growing hubs – effecting change through social networks; and
• Developing infrastructure – leading long-term and systemic change.

In what follows, I share some of the insights gained from the conversations and link them to the three pillars.

Building capabilities

To discuss Building capabilities, we parted from the need for greater 'AI literacy'. The question was “what is the content of AI-related educational resources?” Indeed, what is AI literacy?

From the discussions, AI literacy was argued to encompass two major elements: accurate knowledge about AI, and responsible practices for the usage of AI. On the one hand, the group valued introductions to technical notions in AI. On the other hand, AI literacy should include practical skills for using AI tools. The question then was about the audience of such learning materials.

As RSA Fellows, we value lifelong learning. We identified two broadly defined venues for hosting AI-related educational resources: schools for students, and organisations for staff. This way, we intend for current and future workforces to be well-informed about the latest tech they have access to.

Growing hubs

Growing hubs emerged as a delivery mechanism for the change we want to lead as Fellows. The most significant insight was the need to map the organisations where group members have connections, and clusters of networks we can tap into.

It is worth noting that some Fellows in the group already lead AI networks, such as We and AI, and AIAAIC. This raises the question of the group’s value proposition, or what makes our community unique. Two responses were immediately proposed: we are building on a lengthy history of leading change as RSA Fellows, and we are wonderfully multidisciplinary.

Ultimately, the RSA is about 'the arts, commerce and manufacturing', and that fosters multidisciplinarity among its members. Our workshops of 21 strong already brought together psychologists, performers, technologists, journalists and business consultants. We will continue to foster multidisciplinarity among our membership and celebrate its potential to inform advancements in AI technologies and policy.

Developing infrastructure

As RSA Fellows, we strive to lead systemic social change, and our discussions about Developing infrastructure identified two areas our efforts can influence: technological infrastructure, and public policy.

By technological infrastructure, the group discussed how government could make hardware and software available to the broader public so that the type of computing power needed for AI developments is not concentrated in big tech, nor requires academic affiliation. This suggestion was not too different to what has been suggested by organisations such as LAION and the Tony Blair Institute, and researched by organisations like the UNDP, and companies like Google DeepMind.

Crucially, any digital public infrastructure for AI would require adequate expertise and regulation. The discussion on policy touched on the need for educating policymakers and – for the group’s initiatives to be as impactful as possible – RSA Fellows.

Collective experience

It is still early days for the RSA’s Fellow-led AI Interest Group, but we are already over 160 Fellows from a great range of disciplines, and with many years of collective experience in driving social change. The Design for Life mission will be crucial for our success to foster collaboration across networks, inform public policy and promote better education such that AI systems and research are harnessed for the good of society. We are excited about what is to come, and the systemic change we can achieve together.

Ismael Kherroubi Garcia is the founder and CEO of Kairoi, where he consults on AI ethics and research governance, focusing on organisational policies and training to foster more responsible tech cultures. 

Fellows can join the RSA AI Interest Group here.