Why We Need to Understand Humans as Well as Data. With Phil Harvey
What opportunities lie ahead in the world of AI? How can businesses prepare? And what must leaders do to avoid putting their business and wider society at risk? These are just some of the topics we cover with Phil Harvey, our guest in this week’s episode. Phil is a Senior Cloud Solution Architect for Data & AI in One Commercial Partner at Microsoft UK. He’s the co-author of Data: A Guide to Humans, which will be published in January 2021. And he’s talking in the Smart Cities stream at the conference in October.During our chat, we talk about the ways that data in smart cities relates specifically to people’s lives and why it’s essential that it’s handled ethically. Phil also explains why leaders who aren’t using AI responsibly risk damaging their business as well as the people they serve.We move on to discuss the need to educate wider teams to help identify business risks and Phil shares some key advice on implementing AI responsibly, including some of the steps already taken at Microsoft. Last, but certainly not least, we explore the importance of soft skills like empathy. Phil explains why we must have a deeper understanding of people, as well as the data that we’re working with. We loved talking to Phil and we hope you enjoy the episode. To get in touch with Phil or to find out more about his work and book, you can visit his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipdavidharvey/To catch his talk at the Anthropology + Technology Conference on 9th October, visit us online at anthtechconf.co.uk and sign up for our newsletter. We’ll be in touch as soon as tickets go on sale.