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Sue Black leads the innovative #TechUPWomen programme, which focuses on retraining women from underserved communities for careers in technology.
Sue Black is a Professor of Computer Science, Technology Evangelist, and Director of ED&I in the Computer Science Department at Durham University. She is widely recognised for championing women in computing, promoting women in STEM, and spearheading the successful campaign to save Bletchley Park in 2011. In 1998, she founded BCSWomen, the UK’s first online network for women in computing, and in 2012, she launched the social enterprise #techmums to help disadvantaged mothers retrain.
Well-connected in the tech industry, Sue is frequently invited to deliver keynote speeches at major corporate events, conferences, and leadership forums. She is also a regular commentator on technology issues on radio and television, recently fulfilling her lifelong dream of appearing on BBC Radio 4’s “Desert Island Discs.” In 2021, she co-created and hosted the podcast “100 Moments that Rocked Computer Science!” which received high praise and ranked 5th on the Apple technology podcast charts. The second series is currently streaming.
In 2016, Sue was awarded an OBE by King Charles for her “Services to Technology.” She has authored numerous articles advocating for technology, published over forty academic papers in computer science, and is currently working on a coding book to be released by Penguin. As a Board Trustee for Comic Relief and a Digital Ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education, Sue has dedicated much of her career to helping people and organisations—from refugee mothers on welfare to the UK Prime Minister—realise the incredible potential and opportunities that technology can offer.
AI has been around for decades so why is everyone talking about it now and how are companies using it to maximise their potential? In her new talk, Professor Sue Black will address the pivotal issue of bias within AI systems, illustrating how the data used to train these technologies can reflect and perpetuate societal biases. She will discuss the implications of such biases in real-world applications and offer insight into how developers and companies can work to mitigate these risks, ensuring that AI serves as a tool for equity and fairness.
In her talk, Sue will explore the dual-edged nature of AI: its potential to drive positive change and innovation, against the backdrop of ethical dilemmas and the risk of misuse. Equipping the audience with the knowledge to discern the responsible use of AI, Sue emphasizes the importance of transparency, accountability, and ethical considerations in the development and deployment of AI technologies. By highlighting how AI’s impact is shaped by the hands that wield it, Professor Black aims to foster a more informed and critical understanding of AI.
In an era where technology seamlessly integrates into our daily lives, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, influencing everything from how we shop and consume media to the ways companies forecast trends and automate operations. Yet, despite its longstanding development, AI has only recently begun to dominate public and corporate discourse. Why now?
In this compelling talk Professor Sue Black, a distinguished computer scientist, will demystify AI, tracing its history from the conceptual dreams of early computing pioneers to the advanced algorithms that shape our digital experience today. Professor Black will delve into what AI can achieve and its inherent limitations, providing clarity on the realistic expectations of AI’s capabilities.
Professor Sue Black named in the list of top 50 women in tech in Europe, and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lovie Awards 2018, Sue is one of the leading tech personalities in the UK today. However, Sue hasn’t had a traditional start to her career. She left home and school at 16, married at 20 and had 3 children by the age of 23. A single parent at 25 she went to University, gained a degree in computing then a PhD in software engineering. Sue shares her remarkable and inspiring story of one woman’s determination to succeed, talks about her passion for getting everyone excited about the opportunities that technology offers and how she built a successful career through education and a desire to succeed.
After a visit to Bletchley Park in 2008 Professor Sue Black started a campaign to save the site. Using her network she quickly got coverage in traditional media: appeared on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme and on the BBC News. It wasn’t until she started using Twitter however that the real positive changes began to happen. Social media and the way it can connect like minded people so quickly really ramped up the campaign bringing together thousands of people to make a positive difference. Sue discusses traditional vs social media and campaigning, what works and why. She has now written a book about the campaign: “Saving Bletchley Park”
Sue is a highly dynamic and creative academic with a broad vision for the subject of software engineering. I have been most impressed with both her organisational ability and her grasp of the key research issues in our subject. I have sought advice from Sue on a range of academic management issues and have gained substantially from her insights and understanding of the challenges of leadership.”
Dr Sue Black is always a riveting speaker, with informative content and a personal warmth which makes her a pleasure to listen to. She has a clarity and an ability to get to the heart of something and in simple language which makes her a rare person.”
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