Conferences on the Social and Ethical Impact of AI
Instituto Cervantes Leeds, in collaboration with the University of Leeds, presents the talk:
Taming the Algorithm: Can We Keep AI from Devouring Us?
Featuring Jesús Cerquides, researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and moderated by Professor Antonio Martínez-Arboleda, Professor of Open and Digital Education, Senior Lead of the Knowledge Equity Network (KEN), and leads the Digital and Open Education Incubator at LITE (Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence).
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant promise — it’s already part of our phones, classrooms, hospitals, and media. It helps us work faster and think bigger, but also blurs the line between truth and fiction, amplifies bias, and concentrates power in ways that may threaten democratic values.
This talk invites a critical (and at times irreverent) reflection on how AI is transforming the world, the ethical boundaries we may be crossing, and why "just because we can" is not always a valid justification. There are no simple answers — but plenty of reasons to stay vigilant.
About the speakers:
Jesús Cerquides is a researcher at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA-CSIC) and an advisor on disinformation to the Office of the Prime Minister of Spain. He has taught at the University of Barcelona and Pablo de Olavide University, served as Chief Technology Officer at Intelligent Software Components S.A., and worked as Associate Director at UBS AG. His research focuses on probabilistic and causal machine learning, multi-agent systems, AI-enhanced citizen science, and AI-based solutions for disinformation.
Antonio Martínez-Arboleda is Professor of Open and Digital Education, Senior Lead of the Knowledge Equity Network (KEN), and leads the Digital and Open Education Incubator at LITE (Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence). A Law graduate with a Masters in Business Law, he has extensive experience in Open Educational Resources (OER), language learning, and poetry. He directs international projects and gives talks on Generative AI, Open Knowledge, and Critical Pedagogies, areas in which he also publishes. He is a member of the experts group on digital education for sustainability of UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe).