AI can make unfairness in society worse, and often does

I write about why this happens, how it can be prevented, and who can change things.

I've spent 30 years transforming businesses using AI, Big Data & digital technologies, learning how to anticipate and manage their impact on people's lives.

I now write about & research ethical use of AI in business. My specialisation is preventing race & gender discrimination in AI business decisions.

I am passionate about making AI accessible to non-experts.

Businesses & governments are introducing AI all around us - often without consent or knowledge. They decide how AI works & what rules it follows.

I explain what this means for life at home & work. My writing helps readers make informed choices about what to expect & accept from AI and those creating it.


My Latest Book:

“AI & Machine Learning” (SAGE ESSENTIALS SERIES)


Demystifying AI & its ethical dilemmas for non-technical audiences

Was Rahman - AI & Machine Learning Book

Praise for “AI & Machine Learning”


“Among the best books I've read in recent years”

Professor CT Kurien (retired)
Former Director & Chairman, Madras Institute of Development Studies
Former National Fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research

An important & accessible book at a critical time for humanity & thinking machines

Anna Lockwood
Head of Global Sales, Telstra Broadcast Services

“An excellent source of answers and questions that are comprehensible and usable by people at all levels of knowledge”

Larry Hirst CBE
Former Chair, IBM EMEA
Member & former Chair, Imperial College Data Science Institute Board

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Just material about AI I find interesting

ABOUT Me


I'm Was Rahman, writer, researcher & executive advisor on AI 

I'm an author, researcher and consultant in ethical AI. I am a doctoral researcher at Coventry University, and CEO of AI Prescience, a consultancy helping organisations use AI ethically and responsibly. I have over 30 years global experience using data and technology to improve business performance.

I write extensively on ethical use of AI and data in business, for both mainstream and academic audiences. My new book, "How Big Data Influences What We (Think) We Know", will be published by SAGE later this year

In business, I have worked with large corporates, start-ups and SMEs around the world, advising CEOs, Boards and Investors. This includes leadership roles at Accenture, Infosys and Wipro, managing business in the US, EU and Asia Pacific, running start-ups and raising funding.

For governments, I have briefed UK and Indian political leaders on technology industry policy. As a UK Government IT sector specialist, I advised Ministers and their teams on the global technology industry.

I  graduated in Physics at Oxford and Computing at Coventry University. My AI and data science education is courtesy of Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Amazon and Google. I have been a guest lecturer at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, Cambridge’s Judge Business School, London Business School and IIT Madras.

An experienced speaker, I have chaired, participated in and spoken at numerous conferences and panel sessions. These include events for the IoD, NASSCOM, Financial Times and Governments of India and UK, as well as the inaugural World Economic Forum “Young Global Leaders” meeting, and the UK Prime Minister’s launch of London's Tech City.

Outside work, I can be obsessive about coffee, photography, classic Alfa Romeos and music!


HOW I WORK WITH BUSINESSES


AI Ethics, Policies & Governance

Working through the impact of AI on how you manage your business & make decisions, from data security to ethical & legal considerations.

AI Strategy, Planning & Research

Assess the opportunity for AI to improve your business. Translate AI potential & possibilities into focused, achievable strategies & plans.

AI Business Education & Awareness

Half-day to multi-week programmes to equip your teams with the knowledge & confidence to start introducing AI into your organisation.

AI Metrics, Processes & Methodologies

Helping create organisational capability to build AI/ML solutions reliably & cost-effectively.

AI Product & Supplier Selection

Independent, objective support when selecting organisations & products to help you develop AI/ML solutions.

AI Technology & Project Services

Helping you build & introduce AI/ML technology into your organisation effectively & efficiently:


My Research


My research specialisation is unfairness arising from the widespread use of AI in business decision-making, with a focus on ethics and governance. 

Obvious examples are inadvertent discrimination on the basis of race and gender, but there are many more. Part of my research programme investigates systemic “unfairness” in how AI is used to make business decisions, such as loan approvals and recruitment.

I'm particularly interested in  contributing to knowledge in three areas: the role of AI on organisational decision-making, AI ethics and governance, and the impact of AI on social division.

I'm always open to collaboration on any of these or related areas. Get in touch if you have suggestions for joint research work.

Want to Discuss Working Together?

Drop me a line

No obligation, just a chat.

A SELECTION OF MY ARTICLES


Is an intelligent vending machine a gimmick, or is there a concrete business reason for this surprising use of AI?

Published in “About Data Science” by Medium

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AI-powered recruitment is programmed to capture to measure diversity data regarding gender and race, explicitly using it in algorithm design. Yet these are the very things to avoid in terms of preventing race and gender bias.

Published in “Ambition” Magazine by the Association of MBAs

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This guide is aimed primarily at business leaders new to AI. Its focus is on understanding what AI is and means in a business context.

Published in “About Data Science” by Medium

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Like many technologies, AI is not inherently “good” or “bad”; its effects reflect the intentions and actions of people who create and use it. Here are three reasons to be optimistic about its future, along with why each should be tempered with caution.

Published in “WeAreTechWomen”

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HR Professionals need to understand how AI is affecting jobs and the HR function. This article provides answers to some of the most common questions HR professionals ask about the impact of AI on their own jobs as well as across the rest of their organisation.

Published in “HR Future” Magazine

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AI is widely used in recruitment, despite news headlines about discriminatory algorithms. What is the reality, and why does it happen?

Published in MI Business Magazine

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