A Conversation About Ethical AI: Year #1 of being a Transforming Lives Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University

In an era where artificial intelligence is increasingly embedded into the fabric of our lives, I feel that I stand as a different voice for attempting to question when technological progress outpaces ethical responsibility. As an Associate Professor in Ethical AI and a Transforming Lives Fellow, my work focuses on shaping the future of AI not only through academic excellence but also through meaningful public engagement and cross-sector collaboration.

My personal citizen mission is simple: to democratise AI literacy and promote ethical AI for everyone. This vision has led me on a dynamic journey throughout 2024 and 2025, (Year 1 of my Transforming Lives Fellowship at Sheffield Hallam University), marked by a series of presentations, keynotes, workshops, and seminars spanning healthcare, education, public policy, and the different areas of science.

I am deeply interested in interdisciplinary collaborations. From the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence Seminar in January/2025, where I gave a talk on how to explore the societal consequences of digital opacity in AI development, to my most recent contribution at the INSIGIO Showcase in July/2025 podcast recording, I have been a non-stop advocate for inclusive innovation and responsible AI governance. At the Biochemical Society Seminar Series, May/2025, I spoke about Bridging silos between the biosciences and AI; an urgent call for collaboration across disciplines to ensure that AI solutions are grounded in real-world needs. My presentation at the Workshop on Biometrics, April/2025, titled Who are you?, sparked critical conversations on data ownership, surveillance, and power imbalances in biometric technologies.

My participation as an invited keynote speaker at the UK Health Security Agency Conference 2025, March/2025, titled Preventing, preparing and responding to health threats, brought critical attention to the role of ethical AI in protecting lives and livelihoods with the defense and security lens. Meanwhile, at the AdvanceHE EDI Conference, April/2025, the EPSRC Digital Health Hubs (supervised by me) addressed the need to rethink education and skills training in digital health, pushing boundaries on how inclusivity is embedded in innovation.

Talking about equity, diversity and inclusion, I have given presentations and led discussions at University of Leeds, The University of York and the University of Cardiff.

Whether addressing the gendered and race biases in AI design during Sheffield Women’s Health Week, March/2025, or speaking at Yorkshire & Humber Trailblazer GP Digital Health Event, March/2025, I consistently try to bring patient/public voices and ethical scrutiny into the conversation. My work with the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub (SYDHH) is an excellent example to my regional impact, ensuring that digital health innovations are inclusive, equitable, and locally informed. At the Third UK AI Conference 2025 supported by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) and organised by The Alan Turing Institute, I gave a paper presentation titled “Ethical AI in Healthcare: Discussing Technical and Environmental Aspects of Using AI in the Current NHS and Social Care Landscape”.

In academic and policy circles alike, my contributions to the Sheffield Policy Campus series happened in Oct/2024, which was titled AI and regulation highlight the delicate balance between innovation and accountability, was to engage with the different government departments that are based in Sheffield, where I try to promote and support real impact change as well as advise on the best training for the people who will be delivering the AI change in such places. From the public spaces of the BewareBlueSkies exhibition (UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project DroneLife where I am one of the Co-Is) at the Imperial War Museum, to panels at the BISA 50th Anniversary Conference, my reach extends beyond lecture halls and policy rooms but also healthcare. An important discussion in international space is urgently needed and I am helping to drive it. My presence at such diverse venues reflects my belief that ethical AI is not a niche topic; it is a public issue that requires all voices at the table.

I am not just leading conversations; I hope to be changing them. My last opinion paper opens the conversation about Ethical AI vs profit-driven AI. A call to action for academics, technologists, policymakers, and the public alike is needed so we can imagine and build a future where AI serves the many, not the few.