An Introduction to Responsible AI for SMEs

Overview

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Everywhere you go, people are talking about AI, but the stories they tell are increasingly contradictory. UK businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), need a way to cut though this noise and the increasingly mixed messages about what AI can or cannot offer them. They need the confidence to decide whether their business can benefit from adopting AI tools, and which types of AI might be a good fit for their needs. And for the businesses that do choose to deploy AI, they need to learn how to implement these technologies responsibly, without harming the customers, clients, communities and employees they depend on. Responsible AI for SMEs helps businesses answer the increasingly pressing question: ‘Should I be using AI in my business, and if so, how can I do so in a way that is responsible and trustworthy?’ Designed by academic experts at the University of Edinburgh, Responsible AI for SMEs integrates insights and real-world experiences from UK SME business owners and responsible-AI leaders across industry and civil society. (Course Image by Alan Warburton / © BBC / Better Images of AI / Plant / CC-BY 4.0)

Syllabus

Introduction to Responsible AI for SMEs

What is ‘AI’, and what do we mean by ‘Responsible AI’? Why is Responsible AI important for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), and what benefits can it offer for your business?

Responsible AI - The Basics

How are regulation, ethics, and governance driving business needs for Responsible AI approaches? What are the basic principles of a Responsible AI approach, and how can those be applied in the SME context?

Responsible AI for SMEs: Understanding AI Benefits and Risks

Focus on the ways that AI can advance your business goals, as well as the risks it can pose, with an eye to how a Responsible AI approach can help you make the right decisions as you weigh these benefits and risks for your business and those you serve.

Responsible AI - Going From Principles to Practice

We will look at the practical elements that allow you to implement a Responsible AI by Design approach, the tools and resources that can help, and how this approach can help your business tackle AI’s ethical challenges and tradeoffs more effectively.

Looking Forward with Responsible AI

We will review the prior weeks’ learning, hear from a panel of Responsible AI leaders what they think the future of AI holds for SMEs, and put all of this to work to develop a concrete Responsible AI strategy for your business.