`Human clones talk about their lives': Media representations of assisted reproductive and biogenetic technologies

This article examines New Zealand print media representations of assisted reproductive and related biogenetic technologies, conceptualized as the products of a concordance of interest between media workers and reproductive specialists, biogenetic scientists and consumers. Such concordance is evident in the predominant use of media frames of anecdotal personalization and technoboosterism, which typically amplify the voices of proponents of emerging technologies while marginalizing and delegitimizing counterdiscourses. Thus, the perspectives of consumers and 'expert' sources are privileged at the expense of a more balanced assessment of the value and social, ethical, legal and health implications of assisted reproductive and related biogenetic technologies. Source dependence also detracts from much-needed recognition of the professional and financial interests at stake in the growing privatization and commercialization of these technologies, and in the local context potentially undermines journalistic independence and integrity

‘A double-edged sword. This is powerful but it could be used destructively’: Perspectives of early career education researchers on learning analytics

Learning analytics has been increasingly outlined as a powerful tool for measuring, analysing, and predicting learning experiences and behaviours. The rising use of learning analytics means that many educational researchers now require new ranges of technical analytical skills to contribute to an increasingly data-heavy field. However, it has been argued that educational data scientists are a ‘scarce breed’ (Buckingham Shum et al., 2013) and that more resources are needed to support the next generation of early career researchers in the education field. At the same time, little is known about how early career education researchers feel towards learning analytics and whether it is important to their current and future research practices. Using a thematic analysis of a participatory learning analytics workshop discussions with 25 early career education researchers, we outline in this article their ambitions, challenges and anxieties towards learning analytics. In doing so, we have provided a roadmap for how the learning analytics field might evolve and practical implications for supporting early career researchers’ development

A Narrative Approach to Human-Robot Interaction Prototyping for Companion Robots

© 2020 Kheng Lee Koay et al., published by De Gruyter This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This paper presents a proof of concept prototype study for domestic home robot companions, using a narrative-based methodology based on the principles of immersive engagement and fictional enquiry, creating scenarios which are inter-connected through a coherent narrative arc, to encourage participant immersion within a realistic setting. The aim was to ground human interactions with this technology in a coherent, meaningful experience. Nine participants interacted with a robotic agent in a smart home environment twice a week over a month, with each interaction framed within a greater narrative arc. Participant responses, both to the scenarios and the robotic agents used within them are discussed, suggesting that the prototyping methodology was successful in conveying a meaningful interaction experience.Peer reviewe

Future prospects for personal security in travel by public transport

This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/I037032/1]. No other funding support from any other bodies was provided.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Responsible personalised medicine: Exploring the ethical, legal, social, political and economic issues of manufacturing, distribution, access and reimbursement. A Report of the Responsible Personalised Medicine Project, UCL Future Targeted Manufacturing in Healthcare Hub

This report provides an overview of the ethical, legal, social, political and economic (ELSPE) issues underpinning the “manufacturing, business and regulatory challenges” that confront the development and delivery of affordable and accessible new targeted biological medicines. We specifically focus on the evolving definitions and its implication for the public understanding of personalised medicine (section 1), issues of manufacturing and distribution of Personalised Therapies (section 2) and institutional readiness (section 3) specifically focusing on emerging regulatory and reimbursement pathways (section 3.2) and how these are shaping or being shaped by ‘real world evidence’ (section 3.3). This is followed by our reflection on the implications of and for the entangled, complex and contingent interrelationships between personalised medicine, society and responsibility (section 4). Finally we conclude with discussion of the gaps and priorities for future ELSPE research on manufacturing of advanced biotherapeutics in terms of access, reimbursement, skills and infrastructure, regulation, responsible research and innovation (RRI) and the international political economy of emerging personalised medicine markets (section 5). This is a necessarily narrower review of the spectrum of ELSPE issues that attend personalised medicine activities and reflects this report’s aims to focus on those aspects of personalised medicine addressed by the UCL’s Future Targeted Manufacturing in Healthcare Hub

Automating democracy: Generative AI, journalism, and the future of democracy

Sophisticated AI systems are increasingly everywhere. In many ways, we have already been affected by the rollout of AI systems into more and more areas of life, from insurance and law to healthcare and the media – often without really noticing. However, 2023 will likely prove to be a particularly critical moment in the history of AI. Ever since the public release of ChatGPT, a so-called Large Language Model (LLM), in December 2022 by the US start-up OpenAI, we are witnessing a proliferation of a form of AI that has been labelled ‘Generative AI’ due to the ability of these systems to create seemingly everything from realistic text to images. ChatGPT reached 100 million users in just two months and has now been built into Microsoft’s Bing search engine. Various applications rely on the system, which is increasingly integrated into other software, too. Meanwhile, the ‘AI race’ is heating up, with Google releasing its own chatbot and other technology companies vying to get a piece of the cake by building and releasing their own models.Powerful and technologically impressive as some of these developments are, they also raise important questions about their democratic impact. Up until now, we could take for granted humans’ central role in shaping democratic deliberation and culture. But what does it mean for the future of democracy, if humans are increasingly side-lined by AI? Does it matter if news articles, policy briefs, lobbying pieces, and entertainment are no longer created solely by humans? How will an increasingly automated journalism and media culture affect democratic participation and deliberation? How can we protect democratic values, like public deliberation and self-governance, in societies which stand to be reshaped through AI? And how might these new technologies be used to promote democratic values? To investigate this situation and to gauge the opinions of experts and academics, the Balliol Interdisciplinary Institute project ‘Automating Democracy: Generative AI, Journalism, and the Future of Democracy’ convened a group of experts for a public symposium at Balliol College Oxford, in collaboration with the Institute for Ethics in AI and the Oxford Internet Institute. The aim of the symposium, organised jointly by Dr Linda Eggert, an Early Career Fellow in Philosophy, and Felix M. Simon, a communication researcher and DPhil student at the Oxford Internet Institute, was to identify key issues in this space and start a conversation among academics, industry experts, and the public about the questions outlined above. The symposium featured three panel discussions on ‘The Technology, Context, and Socioeconomics of LLMs,’ ‘How Generative AI is Impacting the News Media,’ and on ‘Regulating Generative AI Democratically and Globally.’ Speakers included leading experts on AI, the news, and democratic theory: Hannah Kirk, an AI researcher and DPhil student at the Oxford Internet Institute; Hal Hodson, a special projects writer and technology journalist at The Economist; Laura Ellis, the BBC’s Head of Technology Forecasting; Gary Rogers, co-founder of news agency RADAR and Senior Newsroom Strategy Consultant at Fathm; Dr Gemma Newlands, Departmental Research Lecturer in AI and Work at the Oxford Internet Institute; Polly Curtis, the Chief Executive of think tank Demos; Prof John Tasioulas, Director of the Institute for Ethics in AI and Professor of Ethics and Legal Philosophy at the University of Oxford; and Prof Hélène Landemore, Professor of Political Science at Yale University. After briefly introducing and defining LLMs and Generative AI, this report provides a summary of the main themes that emerged during the symposium and outlines a list of open questions to be addressed in future research and discussions