Exploring AI’s Future: Insights from the Financial Times Future of AI Summit 2024

On the 6-7th of November 2024, the Financial Times hosted their annual Future of AI Summit. The event brought together global experts from technology, business, and policy to discuss the evolving landscape of AI, focusing on key innovations and the challenges ahead. The summit's emphasis on AI-powered enterprises, responsible regulation, and the economic impact of AI aligns closely with SONAR's mission to implement ethical AI technologies that enhance outcomes across health within Criminal Justice. Our Head of Emerging Technologies and Solutions, Joe Doyle, was in attendance to gain vital insights from the demoes, workshops and talks held throughout the two-day event. The event agenda including speakers and topics covered can be found here.

Summit Goals and Major Discussions

The summit aimed to assess the latest advancements in AI across the globe and address the challenges companies face when integrating AI into their operations.

Geoff Dryer and Josephine Teo during the opening keynote speech at the Future of AI Summit

Keynote speakers and discussions at the summit highlighted AI's transformative potential across industries. Singapore’s Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information, revealed that 65,000 government employees now use a secure ChatGPT system and have created 7,000 AI agents to perform routine tasks, illustrating that AI adoption is already underway.

Peter Kyle, UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, stated the UK government forecast the AI industry going from £1 billion to £6.5 billion by 2035. This was backed by Clare Barclay, President of Enterprise and Industry for Microsoft EMEA, discussing a landmark deal has been made with the UK government to further utilise AI ensuring that privacy and data protection with the use of AI in the ecosystem would match that of their 365-product suite used around the globe. To meet these projected demands Microsoft are currently deploying a new datacentre every 3 days!

For companies jumping on board now it is important to note AI adoption is still in its early adopter phase as highlighted by Ana Paula Assis, Chair and General Manager of IBM EMEA. She gave a refreshing statistic on how approximately 1% of companies have onboarded their data over to some form of AI application. Parallel to this, in one of the keynote speeches for “AI on the world stage”, involving Nikos Loutas, Director of Innovation at NATO and Cristina Vanberghen, Professor and Senior Expert at the European Commission, we learned some of these use cases involved a wide range of industries. From smaller models natively hosted in hospitals managing data transfers and forms, monitoring resources to tackle wildfires, a combined effort with META and the US government to create a cybersecurity-based AI and even interest from NATO for civilian and military purposes.

Driving Innovation in the Face of the EU AI Act Workshop

Novel insights and reassurances were provided in the “Driving Innovation in the Face of the EU AI Act” workshop hosted by the global law firm, DLA Piper.

Open discussions took place with multiple businesses about the current state of their AI governance in place. Examples laid out by DLA Piper on just how to write your companies AI policy from a practical standpoint. The discussions became a blend of addressing the variances between the need for model vs use case regulation and the right path forward when navigating the nuances between both the UK and EU AI acts. Mentioned were the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) voluntary frameworks and the arrival of the EU AI Act templates expected to arrive in 2025 from the EU’s AI Office. This will provide further guidance and an approach industry can take to remain compliant under the EU AI Act.

One of the main takeaways was that employees everywhere want to use AI to aid their work. A clear change in sentiment is forming where company representatives came out stating how there was a noticeable uptake in the use of AI which needed relevant policies and governance structures agnostic to the given industry that they came from. An example was given of a company that prevented work emails from being used with certain known AI services like ChatGPT. Stemming from this they saw a tenfold increase in the use of personal emails sending AI generated content to their corresponding company emails instead.

Conclusion: Reflections and SONAR’s Commitment to Responsible AI

The Financial Times Future of AI Summit 2024 attracted over six hundred senior decision-makers, including executives, data scientists, AI leaders, and policymakers, facilitating rich exchanges of ideas and potential collaborations.

For SONAR, it was an invaluable opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and explore partnerships to advance AI-driven innovation in Health and Justice, underscoring our dedication to responsible AI implementation. The summit reinforced SONAR's belief in collaboration, ethical standards, and informed dialogue as AI integrates into business and society.

A special thank you to the Financial Times team for hosting this event and fostering such meaningful discussions on the future of AI.

John White

Founder and CEO

SONAR CMS Sponsors Thriving Survivors' 2nd Annual Conference on Sibling Sexual Abuse

On the 10th of October 2024, the Thriving Survivors' 2nd Annual Conference on Sibling Sexual Abuse (SSA) took place in the historic Trades Hall of Glasgow. It was a ground-breaking event sponsored by SONAR CMS. This landmark conference brought together experts, survivors, and professionals to address the critical and often overlooked issue of SSA.

Stuart Allardyce, Director at The Lucy Faithful Foundation and conference chair, welcomed attendees to a day of insightful discussions and expert contributions. The objective of the conference was to shed light on the prevalence, challenges, and long-term impacts of SSA while providing practical strategies for prevention, intervention, and recovery.

Keynote speakers delivered powerful and emotive presentations that set the tone for the conference. Ashley Scotland, the founder of Thriving Survivors, discussed her own experiences along with the organisation's mission for making a difference. Professor Kieran McCarten, Professor of Criminology at University of the West of England, explored quantifying Key Performance Indicators and the societal impacts of SSA. Amy Adams, doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham, added to this by providing valuable legal perspectives on safeguarding and justice. David Russell, Development Lead and Service Manager at Thriving Survivors, delivered a compelling keynote speech, “Putting it all into practice”, on embedding research within practice to enhance understanding of SSA. David emphasised the importance of integrating research findings into practical applications to improve interventions for survivors and families. Additionally, Jane Epstein, Co-founding member of 5WAVES, captivated the audience with her recount of how she began spreading awareness on SSA, inspiring many with her dedication and tireless efforts to bring this critical issue to the forefront of public consciousness. Her Ted Talk is linked here.

The conference included a series of hands-on workshops that tackled essential topics related to SSA. For more information and a breakdown of what was discussed please see the link to the Thriving Survivors 2024 itinerary here.

These workshops equipped the attendees with practical frameworks and strategies to better support SSA survivors, those responsible for the harm, and affected families.

How SONAR can help the current support system

As the main sponsor, SONAR CMS demonstrated its commitment to trauma-informed care and justice for vulnerable groups. Our support highlighted a strong alignment with Thriving Survivors' mission to elevate the voices of SSA survivors and the professionals dedicated to supporting them.

Our involvement went beyond financial sponsorship. Throughout the conference, we displayed how our data management systems support healthcare professionals and agencies in achieving better outcomes for survivors. By providing timely and accurate information, SONAR CMS facilitates informed decision-making crucial for sensitive cases like SSA. Our technology promotes effective communication between agencies, fostering a coordinated approach to supporting survivors.

The conference attracted a diverse audience of professionals, including social workers, counsellors, psychologists, educators, and healthcare providers. Attendees had ample opportunities to engage with experts, ask questions, and gain insights into best practices for prevention, intervention, and recovery.

One of the key benefits of this conference was the emphasis on lived experiences. Survivors and professionals with extensive experience shared their perspectives, enriching the discussions and providing invaluable insights.

Looking ahead, both Thriving Survivors and SONAR CMS remain committed to driving meaningful change in addressing SSA and broader trauma-related challenges and other sectors. The conference highlighted the ongoing need for dedicated efforts in this field, and SONAR CMS pledged to continue providing tools that empower professionals and enhance outcomes for survivors.

The Thriving Survivors' 2nd Annual Conference on SSA marks a significant step forward in addressing this critical issue. By bringing together experts, survivors, and professionals, the conference has laid the groundwork for improved understanding, support, and intervention strategies in cases of sibling sexual abuse. The success of this conference underscores the importance of continued collaboration between organisations like Thriving Survivors and technology providers like SONAR CMS.

References:

Jane Epstein - “Giving Voice to Sibling Sexual Abuse” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X5TvYrHxTA 

Thriving Survivors Itinerary - https://www.thrivingsurvivors.co.uk/event-details/ts-annual-conference-2024

John White

Founder and CEO

Early Release Scheme

Speaking on 21 August, the chief inspector of probation, Martin Jones, explained how important it is to have accurate information on offenders before their release:

“If you are looking to release somebody from prison, a most important thing is to understand the risk that person represents. Are they a high-risk offender or are they a low-risk offender? What are their needs? Do they have mental health difficulty? Do they have drug addiction problems? If you do not understand that at the point that person is released, it is a recipe for failure and quite often will result in recall to prison or increased reoffending.”

That is a brilliant summary of our reasons for creating SONAR – and the role it will play in achieving the Government’s aims on prison capacity and rehabilitation.

Early release

The new Government’s first two months have been dominated by the need to free up prison places. An updated early release programme – by which prisoners are freed 40 per cent of the way through their sentences instead of 50 per cent – will begin next month. It is expected that 2,000 prisoners will be released early on 10 September, followed by up to 1,700 more offenders on 22 October.

The overall programme is expected to create 5,500 extra spaces. (On 23 August, there were 89,383 prison places against a total prisoner population of 88,234.)

Reductions in reoffending

While the early release programme is the first step, Ministers have said that their most important goal is to reduce reoffending – which is at the heart of SONAR.

On 5 July, Keir Starmer warned that, “For so many people who come out of prison, they’re back in prison relatively quickly afterwards.” He concluded: “That is a massive problem that we have in this country, that we do need to break.”

On 12 July, in the same speech that she announced the early release programme, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “We will also reform the system and drive down reoffending. Our prisons today create better criminals, not better citizens. Eighty per cent of offending is reoffending – at immense cost to communities and the taxpayer. A goal of my time as Lord Chancellor will be to drive that number down.” She set out plans to recruit over 1,000 additional trainee probation officers by March 2025, aiming to provide greater oversight and management of offenders once they leave prison.

The Government also appointed James Timpson as his prisons minister. James Timpson had been CEO of Timpson Group which has an outstanding record in employing ex-offenders. In his maiden speech in the House of Lords, the new Minister said: “We have to make prisons rehabilitative and make sure that, when offenders are given a second chance, they can seize it. That is good for society because it reduces crime.”

The Role of SONAR

As Martin Jones said, successful rehabilitation depends on accurate knowledge of the needs of the offender. This is at the heart of the SONAR offer.

SONAR is designed to allow the best possible entry of healthcare information, so that records are accurate. It is also the first criminal justice health information system to allow health information to be shared across settings, including post-release. Our aim is that, for the first time, prison custody staff can easily access and update a record that is up to date with NHS information. Prison staff can access the same record, up to date with any changes in police custody. Post-release healthcare staff can do the same. It aims to solve exactly the challenge that Martin Jones set.

SONAR aims to go further by providing additional support post-release. It will help offenders find jobs by providing an appointment diary. It will inform all relevant agencies, and key family members, if appointments are missed – which can also be an important risk factor.

We look forward to engaging with the Government and with the wider Health and Justice community as we all contribute to ensuring better outcomes for those in a system under pressure.

John White

Founder and CEO