Our CDT is committed not only to promoting advancements of AI in the biomedical domain but to ensuring these advancements are ethically grounded and socially responsible. We believe that the development of AI technologies in biomedicine should be synonymous with trustworthiness, transparency, and fairness. Our students are trained to integrate these principles in every phase of research lifecycle, ensuring their innovations are both scientifically robust and ethically sound.
The CDT programme features carefully curated training and engagement opportunities to help students develop as ethical researchers and skilfully navigate the complex moral landscapes they will encounter in their careers.
ATI’s core course on Responsible Research & Innovation
The Alan Turing Institute’s courses on Responsible Research & Innovation (RRI) and AI Ethics & Governance provide the backbone for our CDT training. Our team has actively collaborated with the Turing Institute on the development, co-production and customisation of the course materials.
The courses are articulated into flexible modules which can be delivered independently, online or face to face, based on the students’ specific needs. The Responsible Research & Innovation course includes 3 modules:
– What is RRI (Understanding Responsibility, Collective & Distributed Responsibility, Defining RRI, the Scope of Responsibility, the AREA Framework)
– The Project Lifecycle (Project Design, Model Development and System Deployment)
– SAFE-D Principles (Sustainability, Accountability, Fairness, Explainability and Data Stewardship)
These are complemented by a custom selection of modules from the related skill track on ‘Ethics & Governance’, including ‘Practical Ethics’, ‘CARE & ACT Principles’, ‘Stakeholder Engagement’, and ‘AI Regulation’.
Domain-Specific Case Studies
Throughout their time in the CDT, the students navigate through a range of Healthcare/Clinical AI Case Studies, some of which are available on the Turing Commons and others are produced by the students themselves. In designing their own case studies, the students select one or more challenges from their research and draw on the course materials to highlight issues and suggest solutions or mitigations for that challenge. The case studies are trialled through poster presentations and discussions with peers, supervisors and external stakeholders. They are refined and subsequently uploaded to the Turing Commons, adding to the case studies database as well as providing new material to enrich the ATI modules.
Bespoke Masterclasses
CDT students are offered a number of Bespoke Masterclasses which address focused cross-cutting issues such as foresight, regulation and value translation. Masterclasses are designed and delivered in collaboration with key stakeholders. There is at least one masterclass each year, open to all cohorts, supporting cross-cohort learning and integration.
Serious Games
We involve students in a variety of ‘Serious Games’ to help them embed the Responsible AI principles into their work, including real-world simulations and situation enactments, RRI card games, Ethical Hackathons and LEGO building exercises.
Collaboration and Engagement
We actively foster a collaborative environment where students, academics, industry experts, and the wider community come together to discuss, debate, and develop responsible AI technologies. Through workshops, public lectures, and engagements, we encourage an ongoing dialogue that enriches our programme and informs public understanding and policy.
Images credit: Turing Commons
