What I’ve been doing
Last week I was in London supporting the running of a Design Lab about the Official Statistics Code of Practice in partnership with the Office for Statistics Regulation. Honestly, I had no idea either existed before we started doing this piece of work.
I also spent time clipping the talks from the online element of the Participatory AI Research & Practice Symposium (an independent event on the fringe of the AI Action Summit in Paris this week) that Tim compeered the week before. Attendance was over 100 people from across the globe and there were some fantastic presentations of research. If you’ve only got time for one I’d recommend Ben Kereopa-Yorke (from UNSW Canberra) talking about resistance.
We had some project checkins and looked at some potential future work. We also agreed some messaging around the AI Action Summit that Jeni and Tim have been at over the weekend, and Tim remains in Paris for the early part of this week participating in related events.
I was also involved in a chat with Harry Harrold. He is the organiser of UKCharityCamp and author of this fab article about making unconferences more inclusive. He is going to be supporting us at our event in March and I’m looking forward to learning from him.
What I need to take care of
Next week will be monthly reconciliation and it won’t be long until I need to start pulling things together for our accountant and the end of year accounts.
I’ve got over 100 post-its to write up from the Design Lab last week (that’s my first priority).
I need to plan and book logistics (mainly travel) for the Public Voices in AI People’s Advisory Panel who are attending two face to face events at the end of March. I also need to make progress on some logistics related bits for our unconference in March - including catering, sourcing AV equipment (potentially a photographer too) and name badges.
What I’ve been inspired or challenged or moved by
I’ve long been a fan of Kate Winslet - and for that matter Emma Thompson. I’m also a fan of healthy work environments…and the importance of not working time. So hearing Kate Winslet quoting Emma Thompson on that topic was most agreeable.
What I’ve been reading
I finished ‘More Perfect’ by Temi Oh. A timely science fiction read about handing ourselves over to tech oligarchs and what we risk when we do. The appeal of “easy” and the blurred lines of human connection. It was long though and imho a good editor would have removed around 200 pages.
I’m now reading ‘The Fated Sky’ by Mary Robinette Kowal. It is the second book in ‘The Lady Astronaut’ series, inspired by the same real life people that led to the film ‘Hidden Figures’. I loved the first one and have borrowed this from Taunton Library.