We all need to talk about AI. We need a big conversation, one that involves everyone, not just because this technology is changing our future but also because we need to inspire more people from diverse backgrounds to guide its development. We need a national conversation because the most important conversations of all take place between experts and the public, not between experts, whether ethicists, academics or coders. But, as companies such as Samsung do more to engage with audiences, and new industry initiatives emerge, the trigger for the biggest public conversations is often when a new science or technology makes the headlines, often when things go wrong. Few people were interested in infectious proteins called prions until BSE, or'mad cow disease' (a phrase coined by a colleague of mine at The Daily Telegraph) became a threat to a national herd and then, through vCJD, to people.

As thousands descended upon the South by Southwest (SXSW) 2018 Conference this year to catch a glimpse of the interactive industry's biggest leaders, Digital McKinsey was pleased to take part in some of the most engaging conversations in data science (Ines Marusic), design (Mahin Samadani), and artificial intelligence (Mehdi Miremadi). As in past years, Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to emerge as a key issue as businesses and consumers wrestle with its perceived value and underlying threats. The conversation at SXSW focused on how we need to rethink our processes, examine underserved groups, and be realistic about expectations of AI. We contributed to discussions in three areas of particular importance: 1) providing inclusive ways to solve complex problems; 2) expanding the skill set of empathy and design with data; and 3) understanding the nuance of AI's impact. Data scientist Ines Marusic of QuantumBlack joined a women in AI panel to discuss the impact of today's algorithms on inclusion and fairness.