Centers & Initiatives
UVA Conference on Leadership in Business, Data and Intelligence
The Value Chain of Ethical AI
Note: This event has concluded. Please be on the lookout for details about next year's conference!
UVA Darden Conference Links Ethical Value Chain to AI Boom
The Darden Report
By Dave Hendrick
In December, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business recently hosted its first public event for the LaCross Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Business. The conference, themed “The Value Chain of Ethical AI,” brought together thought leaders from academia, industry, and government to address the promises and challenges of AI's rapid evolution.
Artificial intelligence is a top priority for many, as its impacts are expected to positively impact all aspects of our lives. For businesses, these impacts include increased efficiency, novel insights, and accelerated innovation. For individuals, they include increased productivity, easier access to specialized knowledge, and potentially longer and healthier lives.
While the opportunities appear limitless, to some, so do the risks. It is no wonder then, that money is flowing freely into the AI sector and headlines are dominated by hype and hope reflecting the scale and breadth of these opportunities and risks.
Given the extraordinary investments in AI and the dizzying pace of innovation, business leaders are undoubtedly wondering where AI will be five years from now, and how their organizations can capitalize on the opportunities and manage the risks presented by artificial intelligence. At the same time, many are wrestling with the ethical considerations that arise in all facets of AI, from infrastructure and data, to tools and technology, and application and impacts.
The breadth of activities that exist along this path are what we call the Value Chain of Ethical AI. It includes AI infrastructure, such as data centers and processors; data and related topics including privacy, security, and value; technology, including tools and techniques; implementation including deployment, use and monitoring; and outcomes, including measurement, monitoring and management of outputs and impacts.
Successfully navigating these “once in a generation” times requires a range of expertise that is uncommon in business during these early days of artificial intelligence adoption. Yet, as responsible leaders in business, we know that it is our responsibility to shape where AI is headed, understand the opportunities and risks that it entails, and guide our organizations over the next five years. And, we must do all of those things ethically.
The Value Chain of Ethical AI, an event organized at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business by the LaCross Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence, will bring together experts from UVA and industry to discuss these important topics during a day-long exploration featuring keynotes, talk, panels, demos and other content specifically for responsible leaders whose organizations are working to advance the capabilities of today’s AI solutions and realize the benefits of Ethical AI in their organizations.
2024 Conference Archive
Travel Information
Inaugural Event: "Responsible Leadership in the Age of AI"
The inaugural event in December 2023 brought together more than 100 business leaders, scholars and policy makers to Darden's Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn, Virginia to discuss the role of leadership in ensuring that artificial intelligence is developed and employed in beneficial ways.
Key takeaways and other highlights are available here.
Download the resulting whitepaper, "Building Stakeholder Trust in AI" [PDF]
