Russia 2019
The 3rd Global AI Narratives workshop was held on 12th & 13th of September 2019 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and focused on the prevalent ways in which AI and robotics are currently framed in Russia, how narrative traditions have shaped both popular hopes and fears for AI, and how these have influenced the local development and implementation of the technology. .
The workshop consisted of a free public lecture, featuring two world-renowned keynote speakers, and a one-day workshop for Russian AI stakeholders to engage with each other and discuss perceptions of AI in Russia.
Programme
12th September 2019
17:30 Registration
18:00 Welcome Remarks
18:30 Keynote Speech - Dr Kanta Dihal
‘Golden Maidens and Killer Robots: Which Stories have Shaped Western AI?’
Although the term ‘artificial intelligence’ was only invented in 1955, people have been imagining the possibility of building intelligent machines for centuries – even millennia – before then. This lecture will introduce the long history of imagining intelligent machines in Western culture from Homer to HAL and beyond, explaining why AI has captured our imagination throughout history.
19:00 Keynote Speech - Anton Pervushin
‘Boys from a suitcase. Why does AI need a soul?’
Many AI concepts currently used by Russian roboticists, futurologists and philosophers, are obsolete and based on the “golden age” science fiction, which creates a problematic discourse around AI narratives. Electronik, a boy from a suitcase, is a popular Russian android concept, so he serves as an ideal example for considering the direction and specifics of AI narration in modern Russia.
19:30 Panel Discussion and Q&A Session
20:00 Drinks Reception
13th September 2019
09:00 Registration
09:30 Welcome Remarks
Dr Stephen Cave - The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence and the University of Cambridge
09:45 Session 1: The History of AI
The stories we tell about AI have emerged from the earliest stories that we tell about ourselves. This session will explore the history of narratives about AI and other forms of intelligence, and address the different contexts for these narratives both in Russia and globally. It will also explore how these narratives continue to evolve, and what their future may look like.
Anna Vlasova - 'The myth of the talking robot: Building dialogues between man and machine in modern Russian AI industry'
Anton Pervushin - ‘Russian Uncanny Valley: Evil Robot and Funny Robot as the main AI concepts in science fiction of USSR’
Stephen Cave - ‘The History of Intelligence and the Future of AI’
11:00 Refreshments
11:15 Session 2: AI and Society
AI has begun to impact almost every area of daily life, and its use has the potential to change the very dynamics of our societies. In light of this, the way we talk about AI in relation to contemporary social issues is becoming ever more important. This session will focus on the impact that AI narratives can have on human society, in both addressing and reinforcing contemporary social issues.
Alexey Sidorenko - ‘Thief, servant, instigator: a thousand faces of AI in the technological unemployment’
Natalia Tregubova - ‘Human-Machine-Human Interactions in the age of artificial sociality’
Tonii Leach - ‘AI Narratives and Discrimination; 20th Century views in 21st Century Policy’
Marina Shilina - ‘The Russian Model of Trust in an AI-driven Society’
12:30 Lunch
13:30 Session 3: Public Perceptions of AI
The successful adoption of AI technology relies on broad public approval; therefore the ways in which the public engage with AI, and how AI is discussed and represented publicly, is vital in shaping the future of AI. This session will explore the public discourse around AI technology, both in Russia and globally, with a focus on public understanding and prominent narratives present in dialogue around AI. It will also explore how the public perceives AI technology in an evolving technological, social and cultural sphere.
Liliia Zemnukhova - ‘Imaginaries of AI in Russian public discourse’
Ilya Ovchinnikov - ‘Are you sure that you speak with human?’
Irina Kotkina - ‘AI in Russia: Pride or Prejudice?’
14:45 Refreshments
15:00 Session 4: AI and Politics in Russia
From the rise of deep-fake videos to accusations of electoral tampering on a global scale, AI is changing the political landscape. This session will focus on the discourse on AI narratives in a political context. It will explore the impact of AI technology on wider Russian society, including on the democratic, judicial and social systems that underpin life in Russia today.
Anzhelika Solovyeva - ‘Artificial Intelligence through the Prism of Strategic Culture’
Andrey Rezaev - ‘The impact of AI systems on Russian society in everyday life, and how these systems can be used to preserve privacy, fairness, and democracy’
Elena Shakhova - ‘Technical Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Implementation in the System of Administration of Justice’
Alena Popova - ‘Using AI to build a digital dictatorship in Russia: a threat to privacy and autonomy’
16:15 Breakout Session
17:30 Closing Remarks
17:45 Wrap-up Session
18:30 Dinner
Speakers
