2023-24 Seminar Series
The Research Seminar Series organised by the Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence convenes faculty, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and alumni for in-depth discussions by recognised scholars on how artificial intelligence creates business, ethical and societal value. The goal of the series is to stimulate interdisciplinary research, campus-wide interactions and networking.
Conference - Economic Statecraft and Industrial Policy
This event is organised by Berkeley APEC Study Centre in collaboration with SKEMA Centre for AI and the other partner Research Centres.
Date: September 21-22, 2023
Place: University of California Berkeley
Date: September 28 , 2023
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm CET
Place: room 3.216 and online
Prof. Nisreen Ameen, Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing & Co-director of the Digital Organisation and Society Research Centre Royal Holloway – University of London
Discussants: Ingrid Dufour Bonami - Medical digital lead EMEA Bayer, will participate as Co-lead of the Health Group for Impact AI and Marc Simon, Health Manager for French Local Authority, Member Health Group for Impact IA
Abstract: Digital transformation is often considered an organisation-wide initiative depicting a holistic form of business transformation enabled by information systems. Nevertheless, despite the increasing reference to academic and practitioners’ literature on investments in digital transformation, recent studies have shown that digital transformation initiatives are not always strategic orientated nor are they clearly defined, especially in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) use. This project aimed to examine the process that organisations go through in order to achieve scalability in AI use, in their attempt to embrace digitalisation; and how this affects new product and service innovation. In particular, we were interested in understanding how a global organisation approaches digital transformation, particularly in the case of AI and identify the specific mechanisms that are adopted for the purpose of scalability. The project is based on academic-industry partnership, with a global pharmaceutical firm.
Date: November 23-24 , 2023
Abstract: Recent developments in digitization, computing, robotics, and AI have enabled technological innovation on an unprecedented scale, including in public and commercial services. Currently, decisions about how and when automated systems should replace or supplement existing services are driven by technological advancements rather than the demands of society. Involving citizens in the societal debate and decision-making processes regarding automated services would increase public oversight and adoption. To this end, EPURAI seeks to bring together theoretical and empirical perspectives on how citizens can participate in automated service design processes (co-engineering) and policy development (co-governance). We focus on how the public can be involved in developing rules and regulations for deploying intelligent systems and robots in the context of public and commercial services.
Date: January 11 , 2024
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm CET
Place: room 3.216 and online
Prof. Vanessa Nurock , Full Professor in Philosophy and Deputy Director of the Research Center in History of Ideas (CRHI) Université Côte d’Azur
Discussants: Adrien Vansteelant - Development Manager SKEMA Ventures and Ludovic Dibiaggio, Professor of Economics, SKEMA Business School
Abstract: During the early stages of technological development, it is easy to control or modify the technology but difficult to predict the impacts of the new technology. On the contrary, in the late stages of technological development, the impacts of the technology are easily assessed but it becomes difficult to modify the technology. This ‘dilemma of Collingridge’ is commonly considered as one of the best ways to figure out the impossible task of AI Ethics. However, these last years have seen the emergence of Ethics by Design for AI. I will suggest that this dilemma could and should be exited thanks to an Ethics by Design of AI which (i) situates ethics at every step of the process, (ii) relies on a reflective equilibrium between theory and practice, (iii) relies on a care approach and not only a risk approach.
Date: February 20, 2024
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm CET
Place: room 3.216 and online
Discussant: Gwendal Bihan - co-founder & CEO of Axionable, Board Member & VP of Impact AI
Abstract: In the seminar 'Three Perspectives on AI in Business: Innovation, Growth, and Sustainability,' we'll explore the multifaceted impact of AI in business, based on studies from the Digital+Sustainable Innovation Lab. We discuss when to use AI or HI in the innovation process, using empirical evidence from the platform Venturely to show how AI-based innovation processes support and accelerate innovation. I examine how European scaleups use generative AI in their growth trajectory, highlighting key strategies and outcomes. Lastly, I present a balanced view on the opportunities and risks of AI in business, offering a framework for analyzing digital sustainability. This seminar aims to provide actionable insights into how AI can be effectively integrated into business practices and potential avenues for future research.
AI Research for Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
Date: March 14 , 2024
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm CET
Place: room 3.216 and online
Abstract: Despite the scientific consensus on climate change, drastic uncertainties remain. Crucial questions about regional climate trends, changes in extreme events, such as heat waves and mega-storms, and understanding how climate varied in the distant past, must be answered in order to improve predictions, assess impacts and vulnerability, and inform mitigation and sustainable adaptation strategies. Machine learning can help answer such questions and shed light on climate change. I will give an overview of our climate informatics research, focusing on challenges in learning from spatiotemporal data, along with semi- and unsupervised deep learning approaches to studying rare and extreme events, and precipitation and temperature downscaling.
Date: April 15 , 2024
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm CET
Place: room 3.216 and online
Prof. Yihyun Lim, Assistant professor University Southern California and Former Director MIT Design Lab
Discussant: Yves Lostanlen, president EMEA of AI Redefined and Founder SSENSEI Advisory
Abstract: The use of storytelling, art, and multimedia communications is seen as vital in understanding and communicating environmental crises and reimagining responses to climate change. Climate imaginaries serve as important tool in understanding and communicating the current environmental crises from various perspectives, and in helping to reimagine better futures. However, we’re accustomed to seeing dominant ways of imagining the future, like ‘business as usual’ (projected future), ‘technology will fix everything’ (technocratic future), or ‘we are doomed’ (collapse future). These visions can leave communities feeling that action is meaningless. How can we empower communities to imagine the future differently, on their own terms? The advent of generative AI has significantly increased the accessibility of representation tools to the broader public. What are the opportunities for generative AI in supporting Deep Listening of climate futures - enhancing communities' capacity to listen to scientific data and institutions' capacity to listen to communities' climate imaginaries?
Date: May 21 , 2024
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm CET
Place: room 3.216 and online
Prof. Vinod K. Aggarwal , Director Berkeley APEC Study Center – University of California Berkeley
Discussant: Fred HESSABI - Executive Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer HERE Technologies
Abstract: The rise of new economic statecraft with intervention by governments to regulate investment and trade behind the border, at the border, and beyond the border continues to create tension in the global economy across a host of sectors. In particular, national governments are increasingly focused on the regulation of artificial intelligence. For its part, the EU has also taken a leadership role in developing AI regulation, despite being behind the U.S and China in terms of development of the industry. Given the challenges of managing AI, what avenues might we see for the development of an international regime to manage national intervention in the AI sector?
Reading Groups
The aim of the reading groups is to increase exposure to rapidly-evolving scientific literature on human-centric AI in social sciences by facilitating knowledge dissemination through peer discussion and critical thinking. Any academic researcher interested in these topics is welcome to join!
Please send an email to Alican Mecit (alican.mecit@skema.edu) to register.
Session October 17 2022 - AI and the problem of Autonomy
Time: 12:00 - 1:30pm
Place: Meeting Room 3.0 Grand Paris Campus and online
Readings:
Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Autonomy (Link)
Gaming Algorithmic Hate-Speech Detection: Stakes, Parties, and Moves (Link)
Led by Prof. Bernard Sinclair-Desgagné
Session February 22 2023 - AI and Creativity
Time: 12:00 - 1:30pm
Place: Meeting Room 3.0 Grand Paris Campus and online
Readings:
A literature review on individual creativity support systems (Link)
Computer Models of Creativity (Link)
ChatGPT and How AI Disrupts Industries (Link)
Session April 20, 2023 - Robots and Anthropomorphism
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Place: Meeting Room 3.0 Grand Paris Campus and online
Readings:
Speciesism: an obstacle to AI and robot adoption. (Link)
Blurring human–machine distinctions: Anthropomorphic appearance in social robots as a threat to human distinctiveness. (Link)
Could a rising robot workforce make humans less prejudiced? (Link)
Session December 13, 2023 - Investigating the access to AI: modes of release and model marketplaces
Time: 12:00 - 1:30pm
Place: Meeting Room 3.0 Grand Paris Campus and online
Readings :
The Gradient of Generative AI Release: Methods and Considerations (link)
Moderating Model Marketplaces: Platform Governance Puzzles for AI Intermediaries (link)
Led by Prof. Simone Vannuccini, Université Côte d’Azur
Session March 28, 2024 - Interpretable Machine Learning
Time: 12:00 - 1:30pm
Place: Meeting Room 3.0 Grand Paris Campus and online
Led by Prof. Chitu Okoli, SKEMA Business School
Readings:
Stop Explaining Black Box Machine Learning Models for High Stakes Decisions and Use Interpretable Models Instead (
link)
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Marketing Campaigns for Malls Using a Novel Interpretable Machine Learning Model (
link)
Statistical inference using machine learning and classical techniques based on accumulated local effects (ALE) (
link)
Session April 24, 2024 - Machine Learning and Accounting Research
Time: 12:00 - 1:30pm
Place: Meeting Room 3.0 Grand Paris Campus and online
Led by Prof. Roland Königsgruber, SKEMA Business School
Readings:
Visual Information in the Age of AI: Evidence from Corporate Executive Presentations (
Link)
How to talk when a machine is listening: Corporate disclosure in the age of AI (
Link)
From Transcripts to Insights: Uncovering Corporate Risks Using Generative AI (
Link)
Workshops 2022
Date: September 15 - 16 , 2022
Place: room 3.216 and online
More information
Conference: Enhanced Creativity using Artificial Intelligence
Margherita Pagani, Professor of Digital and Artificial Intelligence in Marketing and Associate Dean SKEMA AI School for Business
Date: October 12 , 2022
Place: Montreal