AI is a broad and rapidly developing field of technology. Our goal is to make sure all young people have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to use and create AI systems. So what should AI education in schools look like? To hear a range of insights into this, we organised a panel discussion as part of our seminar series on AI and data science education, which we co-host with The Alan Turing Institute. You can also watch the recording below.

The Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) operation against Hamas is called the world's first artificial intelligence (AI) war. Register for AWS ML Fridays and learn how to make a career in data science. "For the first time, artificial intelligence was a key component and power multiplier in fighting the enemy," an IDF Intelligence Corps senior officer said. He said this is a first-of-its-kind campaign for the IDF. In 2020, an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed using a satellite controlled weapon.

Having recently announced the launch of the new UK Cyber Security Council, the UK government has followed up by announcing its plans to publish a new National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (the AI Strategy) later this year. The aim of the AI Strategy is to build on the United Kingdom's position as a global center for the development, commercialization, and adoption of responsible AI. Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden announced the strategy, commenting, "Unleashing the power of AI is a top priority in our plan to be the most pro-tech government ever. The UK is already a world leader in this revolutionary technology and the new AI Strategy will help us seize its full potential--from creating new jobs and improving productivity to tackling climate change and delivering better public services." The intention is for the AI Strategy to align with the UK government's overall plans to support jobs and economic growth through increased investment in infrastructure, skills, and innovation.

According to the AI Council, the biggest barrier to AI deployment is skills - and it starts as early as school. With artificial intelligence estimated to have the potential to deliver as much as a 10% increase to the UK's GDP before 2030, the challenge remains to unlock the technology's potential – and to do so, a panel of AI experts recommends placing a bet on young brains. A new report from the AI Council, an independent committee that provides advice to the UK government on all algorithmic matters, finds that steps need to be taken from the very start of children's education for artificial intelligence to flourish across the country. The goal, for the next ten years, should be no less ambitious than to ensure that every child leaves school with a basic sense of how AI works. This is not only about understanding the basics of coding and ethics, but about knowing enough to be a confident user of AI products, to look out for potential risks and to engage with the opportunities that the technology presents.

In January of 2019 Smart Dubai launched the city's official principles and guidelines for the ethical implementation of AI. What truly makes Dubai's approach to AI unique is our city-government launched AI Ethics Self-Assessment Toolkit – which allows anyone implementing AI to self-assess their performance against a set of criteria which when taken together assure an ethical approach. The process uses the data from the toolkit to create a positive feedback loop with those using and developing AI. Express Computer spoke to H.E. Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director General, Smart Dubai and CEO, Smart Dubai Data. What potential do you see in AI for governance and happiness?

Throughout history, there have been moments when the progress of technology has taken great steps forward, when a combination of the right tools, a capacity for innovation, and sparks of ingenuity lead to breakthroughs that transform how we live our lives. How we produce and process information is critical to innovation – and our methods of recording and communicating information have themselves undergone great leaps. From the development of writing, to Gutenberg's printing press – which advanced the spread of knowledge to the masses and ushered in the enlightenment and scientific revolution – to the first programmable digital computer Colossus, the cost of reproducing and communicating information, or data, has fallen again and again. At the same time, tools for processing and making sense of large quantities of data have developed exponentially – with artificial intelligence (AI) representing the latest leap. In the same way that Gutenberg's press ushered in a new era of growth, data-driven technologies such as AI will underpin our future prosperity. There is no doubt that machine learning and AI is already improving peoples' lives, from intelligent personal assistants that can prepare us for changes in the weather, to systems that protect our money from criminals, or devices that offer medical advice from the comfort of our own home. And this is only the start; the potential of AI is undeniable. Our next challenge will be to harness this technology to transform how we diagnose diseases, manufacture goods and build our homes. Using advanced algorithmic techniques such as'deep learning', AI has the potential to solve complex problems fast, and in so doing, free up time and raise productivity. But we also need to make sure AI benefits everyone in the UK, which is why – in addition to this Sector Deal – the government is establishing a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation to advise on the ethical use of data, including for AI. The huge global opportunity AI presents is why the Industrial Strategy white paper identified AI and data as 1 of 4 Grand Challenges – in which the UK can lead the world for years to come.

The UK has retained its place among the most prepared governments to harness the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence. An index published today, compiled by Oxford Insights in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada, places the UK as Europe's leading nation and just second on the world stage. "I'm delighted the UK government has been recognised as one of the best in the world in readiness for Artificial Intelligence. AI is already having a positive impact across society – from detecting fraud and diagnosing medical conditions, to helping us discover new music – and we're working hard to make the most of its vast opportunities while managing and mitigating the potential risks. With our newly appointed AI Council, we will boost the growth and use of AI in the UK, by using the knowledge of experts from a range of sectors and encourage dialogue between industry, academia and the public sector, to realise the full potential of data-driven technologies to the economy."

The government has unveiled the membership of its first AI Council as it attempts to position the UK as a leader in the burgeoning sector. The panel includes representatives from Google, Microsoft and Amazon, as well as data protection groups, academia and the public sector. "[Our AI Council will leverage] the knowledge of experts from a range of sectors to provide leadership on the best use and adoption of artificial intelligence across the economy," the digital secretary Jeremy Wright (pictured) will say in a speech at Viva Tech in Paris on Thursday (16 May). "Under the leadership of Tabitha Goldstaub the Council will represent the UK AI Sector on the international stage and help us put in place the right skills and practices to make the most of data-driven technologies." It is expected that the council will eventually draw together a wider group of representatives to address issues facing the UK's AI sector, such as data and ethics, adoption, skills and diversity.

A group of Google employees have called for the removal of a rightwing thinktank leader from the company's new artificial intelligence council, citing her anti-LGBT and anti-immigrant record. Employees published a letter on Monday criticizing the appointment of Kay Coles James, the president of the Heritage Foundation, to Google's newly formed advisory council for "the responsible development of AI". James has a history of fighting trans rights and LGBT protections, and has advocated for Donald Trump's proposed border wall. "In selecting James, Google is making clear that its version of'ethics' values proximity to power over the wellbeing of trans people, other LGBTQ people and immigrants," the employees wrote in the letter, which was published online and shared internally at the company. "Such a position directly contravenes Google's stated values."

Developing and commercializing artificial intelligence has proved an ethical mine field for companies like Google. The company has seen its algorithms accused of perpetuating race and gender bias and fueling efforts to build autonomous weapons. The search giant now hopes that a team of philosophers, engineers, and policy experts will help it navigate the moral hazards presented by artificial intelligence without press scandals, employee protests, or legal trouble. Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president for global affairs and chief legal officer, announced the creation of a new independent body to review the company's AI practices at EmTech Digital, an AI conference in San Francisco organized by MIT Technology Review. Walker said that the group, known as the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC), would review the company's projects and plans and produce reports to help determine if any of them contravene the company's own AI principles.