October 4, 2023 - The Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS) and global consulting leader Accenture recently commemorated their remarkable partnership with a collaborative event that brought together leading thinkers on Responsible AI and Generative AI from academia and industry.
The event kicked off with a welcoming lunch, providing attendees an opportunity to network and share initial thoughts. This was followed by an inspiring opening ceremony led by BIDS and Accenture leads - Fernando Constantino, Ashish Sahni, and Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter, each expressing optimism for future collaborative endeavors.
The audience was then graced with an insightful address by the newly appointed Faculty Director, Professor Fernando Pérez, who articulated his forward-looking vision for BIDS. This was complemented by an enlightening keynote by the renowned Professor Michael Jordan titled “An Alternative View on AI: Collaborative Learning, Incentives, and Social Welfare.”
Attendees were also afforded the unique experience of engaging in roundtable discussions helmed by Teresa Tung of Accenture which fostered deep-diving conversations on a range of topics ranging from Principles and Governance to Culture and Training.
There were also short talks by the BIDS-Accenture Fellows – Kyla Bourne, Meryem Essaidi, and Cody Markelz and introductions of the incoming Fellows.
The program's climax was a riveting panel discussion on Generative AI. Moderated by Meredith Lee, the panel featured Teresa Tung from Accenture and Tristan Chambers from BIDS and the audience. The discourse illuminated the profound possibilities and challenges intrinsic to Generative AI.
The success of this event underscored the transformative potential when academia and industry come together. BIDS and Accenture remain committed to fostering such collaborative platforms in the future.
Partnership discussion by Fernando Pérez
Keynote on Responsible and Generative AI by Michael Jordan
