Engineering in the Age of AI: Safety, Security and Ethics

Seminario online Engineering in the Age of AI: Safety, Security and Ethics, tenuto da John McDermid.

Quando: Lunedì 1 dicembre, ore 16.30
Dove: Online al link: http://tiny.cc/8u7v001
Relatore: John McDermid, University of York (UK)

Abstract: Historically, engineered systems tended to fall within a single discipline, e.g. mechanical or civil engineering. With the introduction of computers and software over the last 40-50 years, engineered systems have become more complex and often integrate many disciplines, including software engineering and human factors. Software has now become dominant in many fields, and, for example, we talk about the software-defined radio or car. This has introduced new challenges, e.g. the impact of cyber-security on engineered systems, however the changes have been progressive. In contrast, the recent resurgence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its use in engineered systems, e.g. cars and ships, is a much more radical, and potentially highly disruptive change, which requires substantive changes in engineering methods and capabilities.
The talk will outline the nature of AI, especially machine learning (ML), and the challenges it brings in achieving and assuring safety, and indicate some of the wider ethical challenges introduced by using such technology. It will also consider the way in which autonomy, enabled by AI or ML, changes the nature of the security problems and highlights the interdependence of safety and security.
Rather than just presenting challenges, the talk will also outline work done in the Centre for Assuring Autonomy (CfAA) to provide solutions to these challenges and indicate where it is having an impact both on industrial practice and in approaches to regulation.
The talk will be illustrated by examples from several application domains, including automotive, healthcare and maritime.
The talk will conclude by outlining some residual challenges in terms of research, regulation and engineering competency.

Bio: John McDermid became Professor of Software Engineering at the University of York in 1987 and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Chair of Safety in January 2024. His research interests include systems, software, and safety engineering. He is Director of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation funded Centre for Assuring Autonomy (CfAA) which focuses on the safety of robotics and autonomous systems. The CfAA is developing assurance frameworks for autonomous systems and machine learning, either used as part of an autonomous system or stand-alone. These frameworks are being used across a range of sectors including healthcare and major transport modalities including aerospace, automotive, and maritime. He has advised government and industry on assurance and regulation of AI and autonomous systems, including contributing to the documents supporting the AI Summits in the UK, Korea and France. He became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2002 and was awarded an OBE in 2010.

Per ulteriori informazioni contattare:
- Prof. Daniele Quercia: daniele.quercia@polito.it