One year on from the launch of Scotland’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Scottish AI Alliance is set to host figures from government and the AI industry at its inaugural flagship conference, the Scottish AI Summit, this March.

Delegates of the event will have the chance to participate in discussions, debates and workshops, as well as listen to content submitted by Scotland’s AI community and keynote talks by both Scottish and international AI experts.

Speakers include Irakli Beridze, the Head of the Centre for AI and Robotics at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute; Professor Virginia Dignum, Wallenberg Chair of Responsible AI at Umeå University, Sweden; and Professor Annalu Waller, OBE, Academic Lead for Computing at Dundee University. Other keynote speakers include the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Kate Forbes MSP.

“AI offers huge economic and social benefits for Scotland, and will play a vital role in supporting us to build a sustainable and prosperous economy,” said Forbes.

She added: “Scotland is already home to a thriving tech sector and the Scottish Government launched the AI Strategy to strengthen our network of startups and smaller businesses.

“We have established the Scottish AI Alliance to lead and encourage collaboration and innovation across sectors and are supporting the next generation of businesses and professionals to become leaders in AI.”

Taking place online and in-person at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on 30 March, delegates will also see the Scottish Government’s Chief Data Officer Albert King, launch the Scottish AI Playbook, an open and practical guide to AI development in Scotland. A year on from the launch of Scotland’s AI Strategy, the playbook will be a collaborative resource to help the people and businesses of Scotland on their AI journey.

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Gillian Docherty OBE, Chair, Scottish AI Alliance, said: “The first Scottish AI Summit and the launch of Scotland’s AI Playbook mark important steps towards realising Scotland’s ambition of being a world leader in the development of inclusive, trustworthy and ethical AI.

“Many feel that integrating AI within their organisation or daily life is still out of reach, and so the launch of the playbook will help facilitate discussion and debate which will in turn help the industry move forward and promote best practice. It is also our hope that many more will be encouraged to turn to AI to help drive growth as we look to recover from the pandemic.”

In tandem, the Scottish AI Alliance will publish its State of AI report at the one-day conference, detailing its progress in the delivery of the Strategy’s visions for Scotland to become a leader in the development and use of ethical, trustworthy and inclusive AI.

The Scottish AI Alliance, the body tasked with the delivery of the strategy, involves a partnership between The Data Lab, Scotland’s Innovation Centre for Data and AI, and the Scottish Government.

In person tickets for the free-to-attend Scottish AI Summit are now sold out however more tickets may be released next month so you can add yourself to a waiting list at www.scottishaisummit.com. Delegates can also participate online by registering via this link: www.scottishaisummit.com.