Verity Harding @verityharding Twitter profile

Pinned Tweet

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

Honoured to be in the inaugural TIME100 most influential people in AI list. #TIME100AI

TIME

@TIME

1 year

TIME's new cover: The 100 most influential people in AI

428

1K

3K

4

9

72

Last Seen Profiles

@Erik27436948

@apacobabocahini

@Dhinda1_

@janean19911

@JGassar

@shigera_

@myoiminana

@innovotio

@megaheroboy

@Erik27436948

@claramoralesf

@PhoneDaPosites

@rasheednwalters

@Kelvingts_yt

@SlangDatNeck

@bokeplokalmalam

@san3aneya

@BalestCelesti

@sotwecom

@lRY32yEzfSk8OtQ

@CodyJBenjamin

@tvgabon24

@teng_nai13627

@IvyDou256842

@bokeplokalmalam

@timmytargaryen

@tone_enot_

@Dumpling_bot

@biseller99

@Dede_Cortes

@SHOPLIST_ch

@bigassgood

Verity Harding

@verityharding

9 months

I hope this surge of interest in the Horizon scandal causes politicians to think carefully before wholesale adoption of AI into critical public services. Eg encouraging the police to use potentially flawed and bias facial recognition could also see great miscarriages of justice.

0

27

113

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

I couldn't have had more fun talking to @ChrisShawEditor for this brilliant podcast. I've been an avid listener for ages, so it's a real treat to be a guest. We talked about how the Beatles have pioneered use of AI lately, and about "the last ever Beatles record" coming soon...

EggPod 🍏

@IAmTheEggPod

1 year

New EggPod online! AI expert Verity Harding ( @verityharding ) discusses the new Beatles song, rumoured to be ‘Now and Then’, and the impact of AI

29

15

158

14

6

96

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

Thrilled to announce the AI & Geopolitics Project @BennettInst @Cambridge_Uni which I’ll be leading, alongside Formation Advisory, from Autumn. AIxGEO will explore ways to respond to AI through multi-stakeholder cooperation and rights-based approaches.

AI & Geopolitics Project (AIxGEO) - Bennett Institute for Public Policy

The AI & Geopolitics Project (AIxGEO) is a new initiative dedicated to a rights-based approach to AI and geopolitics.

www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk

9

17

72

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

I finally found an excuse to write about the Beatles. @PaulMcCartney is not using AI to generate a John Lennon deepfake. But lots of people thought he was. What does the ensuing controversy say about the state of AI discourse today?

Bennett Institute for Public Policy

@BennettInst

1 year

What can The Beatles teach us about AI? As headlines report The Beatles used #ArtificialIntelligence to create a new song featuring John Lennon's voice, @verityharding says the international frenzy shows just how unprepared we are for the new tech age.

3

11

40

1

17

67

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 months

Re-reading old Obama OSTP docs from 2016 on AI, and I'm reminded yet again of how derivative and unoriginal much of the work and commentary on AI today really is--and how much time we've lost. It's something I always feel and say, but taking the time to look back confirms it.

2

6

57

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

🎉Out today! Years in the making, "AI Needs You" is written to empower more people to play a role in the future of this important technology. As AI's power grows, so does the need to figure out what-and who-this technology is really for. Thank you to @Marthalanefox @Sathnam

11

22

55

Verity Harding

@verityharding

8 years

In 2015 there were fewer women running FTSE 100 companies than men called John.

The Independent

@Independent

8 years

White men are 'endangered species' in UK boardrooms says Tesco boss - who is one of 9 white men on their board

116

409

372

0

45

50

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

A really impressive, comprehensive and serious speech on AI today from @VP . Delighted to be there and to catch up with @alondra , whose work was so foundational in getting the US to this position.

1

6

50

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

An exciting moment for me, to see all this hard work represented so beautifully. A huge thanks to the team at Princeton for their hard work bringing this book to life, I can't wait for more people to be able to read it. Links to pre-order in both the US and UK below!

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.s

@PrincetonUPress

1 year

We are delighted to share the beautiful cover for @verityharding ’s AI Needs You, a humanist manifesto for the age of #AI . 🎉 This insightful book will arrive March 2024. Preorder yours today! @Bookshop_Org US: @blackwellbooks :

3

4

13

7

9

40

Verity Harding

@verityharding

5 months

Of all the places I’ve been invited to talk about my book, I think Ibiza is the most beautiful and hardest to convince people is actually “work”… Such a pleasure being interviewed by @thewhitmore who was so thoughtful about AI and its impact. Thank you Laura, fun to swap books!

1

2

32

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

Really wonderful to see these visionary women leaders in AI - @alondra , @DameWendyDBE , @MarietjeSchaake , @Abebab - on this new UN advisory body. They don’t just talk, they have actually done so much real work to shape the field as we know it today.

United Nations Envoy on Technology

@UNTechEnvoy

11 months

Today, @UnitedNations Secretary-General @antonioguterres launched his AI Advisory Body. The Body will focus on: 🔹Risks and challenges of AI 🔹 Enablers & opportunities for the #SDGs 🔹 International governance of AI Find out more :

28

192

387

1

10

39

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

Happy New Year! In the spirit of reflection, here are my favourite books and articles about tech, politics and history from 2022... (in no particular order) ⚡️

2

9

37

Verity Harding

@verityharding

5 months

Delighted that ‘AI Needs You’ features in the Financial Times’ Best Books of the Week this weekend! With thanks to @johnthornhillft for the wonderful review and highlighting perhaps my favourite quote, which I feature in the conclusion…

2

10

37

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

Delighted to be on @BBCr4today this morning talking about AI and how, while we do need to prepare, we don’t need to panic. Let’s engage with existing democratic processes to ensure we protect our rights as we reap the benefits of AI. (And what an honour to meet @Marthakearney !)

1

36

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

I know selling books is tough but I wasn’t expecting to compete with the literal American president 🫤

Tom Elliott

@tomselliott

1 year

Biden tells his Irish audience he was working on writing a book about technology & artificial intelligence

92

55

179

1

4

35

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

10. The Unseen Black Faces of AI Algorithms by @Abebab & Beyond Face Value from @AdaLovelaceInst Two great reflections on what's at stake with the enthusiasm for and proliferation of facial recognition.

The unseen Black faces of AI algorithms

Nature - Pivotal study of facial recognition algorithms revealed racial bias.

www.nature.com

1

10

31

Verity Harding

@verityharding

5 years

Thank you @FryRsquared for a truly enjoyable conversation. It was great to reflect on some of the progress made so far in ensuring that AI will be used beneficially. Especially the great work of the team @PartnershipAI 👏

Google DeepMind

@GoogleDeepMind

5 years

Episode 6 of the #DMpodcast is out!! @FryRsquared talks to @csilviavr , @lilaibrahim , @verityharding @wsisaac about some of the ethical questions AI raises and how to create technology that works for everyone. 🔊👇 for a preview or subscribe

5

55

163

0

5

32

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

🚨 Applications are open 🚨 For anyone interested in AI and geopolitics, this could be the perfect role. Please share widely!

Bennett Institute for Public Policy

@BennettInst

11 months

📢 We're hiring! Join the AI & Geopolitics Project as a Research Associate & work with Project Director @verityharding Are you a researcher with a background in relevant disciplines & an interest in global AI collaboration & governance? Apply by 11 Dec

0

6

7

2

15

29

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

Thrilled to be partnering with @PrincetonUPress on my forthcoming book, ‘AI for the Public Good’. I’m combining my experiences in history, politics and tech to offer a roadmap for the future of AI rooted in democracy and humanity. I hope you’ll give it a read when it comes out!

The Bookseller

@thebookseller

2 years

"To be successful, AI cannot be value-neutral, but must be peaceful in its intent, serve purpose not profit, embrace its limitations and be rooted in societal trust." @PrincetonUPress has signed @verityharding ’s AI for the Public Good. Read here:

0

3

10

1

6

29

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 years

Excited to share a preview of my research with the @BennettInst on what the AI community can learn from transformative technologies of the past. Here I focus on the 'geopolitics of AI' and argue for a wider lens and greater ambition. 🚀

Bennett Institute for Public Policy

@BennettInst

4 years

Lessons from history: what can past technological breakthroughs teach the AI community today? Find out in Verity Harding's blog published today.

2

6

8

1

11

28

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

Massive societal change deserves serious debate. The @AdaLovelaceInst say live facial recognition is not lawful. Multiple cities in the US have banned it & even Facebook has stopped using it to identify people in photos. I wonder if news like this will bringer greater attention.

Silkie Carlo

@silkiecarlo

2 years

🚨NEWS: after the Met spent massive resources in central London on Saturday using live facial recognition cameras all day, scanning *36,420* people’s faces, guess what the outcome was? 0 correct matches 1 wrong match, requiring a member of the public to prove their innocence 🥴

25

383

765

0

11

26

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

I’ve had a busy week, from Bletchley for the AI Summit to Chicago for the Obama democracy forum, via the US Embassy for the VP’s speech. There’s been big AI news from the US, UK, G7…. It’s a lot to process but for now I just want to say: I absolutely love ‘Now and Then’. 🙏

1

25

Verity Harding

@verityharding

6 months

A decade of equal marriage is a wonderful milestone—it will always be the thing I’m proudest to have been part of in my career, thanks to the inimitable @lfeatherstone . 🌈 Do read her book for the behind-the-scenes political story, if only to see this classic 2am #spadding from

0

10

25

Verity Harding

@verityharding

10 months

Thank you The Bookseller for this fun interview about "AI Needs You", my debut book publishing globally with @PrincetonUPress on 12th March 2024. Can't wait for it to be out!

The Bookseller

@thebookseller

10 months

This week's issue of #TheBookseller is out now! Featuring our University Press focus, an author profile with Verity Harding and much much more! Read the issue here:

1

2

12

3

24

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

With the news that the Prime Minister is attempting to assert a leadership position for the UK in global regulation of AI, I'm pleased to see that mine and @DianeCoyle1859 's article from 2021 is finally getting through 😉

G7 must discuss the future of AI - Bennett Institute for Public Policy

The future of artificial intelligence should be discussed at the G7 Summit and the UK should establish itself as a world leader when it comes to supporting ‘strict but permissive’ AI innovation, say...

www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk

1

5

24

Verity Harding

@verityharding

3 years

In an otherwise awful sea of news here’s a great article on how female and young Beatles fans, plus changing norms around gender and sexuality, are transforming how we think of the band’s story. H/t the @akompodcast which I’ve really enjoyed listening to after Get Back.

Guardian culture

@guardianculture

3 years

‘It’s a more expansive, inclusive version’: how women reshaped the history of the Beatles

3

17

93

1

6

23

Verity Harding

@verityharding

6 months

Very excited to be on @profgalloway ’s excellent podcast this week talking about AI (surprise!), geopolitics and my book. “Are we in an AI arms-race?”

Conversation with Verity Harding — Are We in an AI Arms Race?

Verity Harding, a globally recognized expert in AI, technology, and public policy, joins Scott to discuss her debut book, “AI Needs You: How We Can Change AI’s

podcasts.apple.com

0

1

22

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

“The current use of live facial recognition is not lawful, and until the legal framework is updated, it will not be.” Thought-provoking stuff here from @carlykind_ @AdaLovelaceInst

John Thornhill

@johnthornhillft

2 years

UK should immediately ban use of live facial recognition, warns report

1

12

37

0

9

22

Verity Harding

@verityharding

6 months

📅 1 month since publication! Just got back from the N America leg of the promo tour—thanks to everyone who came out in NYC, DC & Toronto—and in London, Oxford & Cambridge before that. Also everyone who has read, supported, blurbed and shared such great feedback. Very grateful

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

🎉Out today! Years in the making, "AI Needs You" is written to empower more people to play a role in the future of this important technology. As AI's power grows, so does the need to figure out what-and who-this technology is really for. Thank you to @Marthalanefox @Sathnam

11

22

55

0

1

21

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

This graphic is fantastic and makes the point very well. So much difficult and important work has been done already. Much more to do, of course; but alarmism does no favours. Proud to have been part of three of these initiatives.

Sasha Costanza-Chock

@schock

1 year

Tech bros: how might we possibly come up with shared principles to govern AI? Field of AI governance:

18

137

451

1

6

20

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 months

Great piece from @johngapper on the folly of going after Hay Festival over their sponsors. We have a rich tradition of literary festivals in the UK that we should be proud of, support and defend.

1

4

20

Verity Harding

@verityharding

5 months

Blown away by these user reviews of AI Needs You. For a book that aims to encourage more people to get involved in AI comments like "let's get to work", "I really hope [it makes people] realise they have a say in where they want [AI] to go" & "left me hopeful" couldn't be better.

1

6

18

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 months

Absolutely delighted that ‘AI Needs You’ was one of the bestsellers yesterday @hayfestival ! It was my first time at this wonderful event and I was honoured to be there. Huge credit and congratulations to the whole team behind it.

Hay Festival

@hayfestival

4 months

Day eight 📚

2

5

15

1

6

19

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

This is such a thoughtful, balanced piece from @WIRED with a quiet killer of a final sentence. Society has been remarkably relaxed about video doorbells but I wonder what the reaction would be if and when facial recognition was added into the mix - which is entirely possible.

Data & Society

@datasociety

1 year

With Prime day coming up, @WIRED explains why they won’t recommend Amazon’s Ring cameras. The devices encourage undue surveillance and racial profiling, ignoring how "contributing to a just society is also a factor in keeping your family safe."

2

24

49

0

4

18

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

‘What the Cold War space race can teach us about AI’ Featuring one of the stories in the first chapter of my book, delighted to share my opinion piece in the @FinancialTimes

0

11

18

Verity Harding

@verityharding

10 months

It’s the final day to apply for a position with my new AI & Geopolitics Project. Want to work on resetting the broken discourse with me and @DianeCoyle1859 ? Then drop us a CV and a writing sample if you have one - a PhD is not a requirement.

Bennett Institute for Public Policy

@BennettInst

10 months

We're seeking a Research Associate to work with @verityharding & @DianeCoyle1859 on our new AI & Geopolitics Project which seeks to encourage global cooperation in addressing the effects of AI technologies & advance a rights-based approach. Apply by 11 Dec

0

11

12

0

8

17

Verity Harding

@verityharding

8 months

Dear @IAmTheEggPod fans who kindly put my episode in the top 10— the book I talk about is now available for pre-order! Come for the beautiful photo of George and Pattie on the first page, stay to see if you can find all the hidden Beatles references!

AI Needs You by Verity Harding | Waterstones

Buy AI Needs You by Verity Harding from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

www.waterstones.com

EggPod 🍏

@IAmTheEggPod

9 months

@SamiraAhmedUK 7. The Beatles - Now and Then - and AI: @verityharding With anticipation building about the prospect of a new Beatles song, who better to dispel the myths out AI than Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University, Verity?

2

21

0

2

18

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

I’m grateful to TIME100 and @YasmeenSerhan for this thoughtful article about my work. The AI industry has changed enormously in the past decade but my underlying motivation hasn’t: emerging tech must support not undermine democratic freedoms. #TIME100AI

TIME100 AI 2023: Verity Harding

Find out why Verity Harding made the TIME100 AI list of the most influential people in artificial intelligence.

time.com

1

2

18

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

This is my favourite piece on ChatGPT so far by @mrianleslie .

The Struggle To Be Human

Machines are learning to imitate humans but humans are already imitating machines

www.ian-leslie.com

1

7

17

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 years

By me and @SeanLegassick - 'Why we launched DeepMind Ethics & Society'

0

6

15

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 months

I'm often asked which politicians 'get it right' on AI and, while no-one's perfect, I usually cite VP Harris' speech in the UK last year. She listened to a broad range of perspectives, focussed on growth and security but centred the public interest, and didn't descend into hype.

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

A really impressive, comprehensive and serious speech on AI today from @VP . Delighted to be there and to catch up with @alondra , whose work was so foundational in getting the US to this position.

1

6

50

0

2

15

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 years

Very excited about doing this for the next 12 months - especially working with @DianeCoyle1859 who I greatly admire

Bennett Institute for Public Policy

@BennettInst

4 years

We are delighted to welcome @verityharding as a Visiting Fellow, researching historical approaches to governing emerging technologies and learnings for the future.

0

3

5

0

3

16

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

3. The Struggle to be Human by @mrianleslie There was a plethora of commentary when ChatGPT arrived but this article was by far my favourite, on the importance of embracing human complexity in the age of AI.

The Struggle To Be Human

Machines are learning to imitate humans but humans are already imitating machines

www.ian-leslie.com

1

4

16

Verity Harding

@verityharding

6 months

I really enjoyed this discussion with @ruskin147 , @ginasue and Lawrence Rothberg of @IASToulouse about whether you can regulate AI without stifling innovation. Spoiler alert: I think you can!

Bennett Institute for Public Policy

@BennettInst

6 months

🎙️NEW Crossing Channels podcast featuring @verityharding on how we need to use technology such as #AI to: 👥 support people to live fulfilling & dignified lives ⚖️ advance fairness & equality ☀️bring progress & better futures for us all 🎧Listen:

1

0

2

0

6

15

Verity Harding

@verityharding

3 months

Heidi Alexander and Robert Buckland are being so kind and decent to each other in their speeches, it’s so heartening to see this side of politics.

0

2

15

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 years

And if after reading this you want to work on AI and Ethics then our team is hiring so please do apply!

3

5

14

Verity Harding

@verityharding

6 months

Excited to be in DC for this and other meetings tomorrow, talking about “AI Needs You”. You can register online if you can’t make it in person!

Center for Democracy & Technology

@CenDemTech

6 months

Join CDT CEO @AlexReeveGivens & Director of the AI & Geopolitics Project at the University of Cambridge @verityharding for a virtual salon to discuss the need for a robust participatory & democratic approach to #AIPolicy . Details here:

0

5

10

1

3

15

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

Read this article from @Marthalanefox if you’re a board member or might be in future. So many join boards with no idea what to do or how to act, causing problems both for them and the organisation they are trying to help. This is great advice from a pro:

1

15

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

ONE WEEK today, my first book is published. I'm very proud of it, because it doesn't try to scare you, or offer false optimism. Instead it's a realistic and practical set of suggestions for a way forward, rooted in lessons from the past. I am fortunate to have had a unique

1

3

15

Verity Harding

@verityharding

5 months

Great to be in Poznań today @ImpactCEE talking about ‘AI Needs You’ on the same stage as Michelle Obama (not at the same time!). Seeing my book in the bookstore alongside hers was a real trip. Thanks to my hosts for inviting to me to this fantastic event and beautiful city!

0

2

14

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

This is very, very good and well worth your time.

Opinion | The Chief Ideologist of the Silicon Valley Elite Has Some Strange Ideas (Gift Article)

The reactionary futurism of Marc Andreessen.

www.nytimes.com

0

3

14

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 years

Very much worth a read

Emmanuel Macron

@EmmanuelMacron

7 years

Read my interview with @WIRED on artificial intelligence :

153

451

1K

0

13

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

My first article in the @WSJ and I’m delighted that it’s recommending books about AI that have inspired me and helped form my thinking. “Five Best Books to Understand AI” - out in print this weekend so if please buy a paper! Or link 👇 Featuring Virginia Eubanks @PopTechWorks ,

1

3

14

Verity Harding

@verityharding

3 months

Thank you @JTasioulas for quoting ‘AI Needs You’ in this excellent paper!

The Institute for Ethics in AI

@EthicsInAI

3 months

ICYMI: The white paper “The Lyceum Project: AI Ethics with Aristotle” by our Director @JTasioulas and Prof Josiah Ober is available online.

0

9

39

1

3

14

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

I’ll always be so proud to have been part of this historic moment, which stood on the shoulders of so many, and to have supported Lynne in her dogged determination to bring equality to civil marriage. Her book is a great read too! Lots more to do but today we can celebrate 🌈🌈🌈

Lynne Featherstone

@lfeatherstone

1 year

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of the passing of the Same Sex Marriage Act - my happy place in politics. Read ‘Equal Ever After’ to learn the true story. Spoiler - it wasn’t David Cameron’s idea! Most is owed to the LGBT campaigners who fought for decades - they’re the heroes.

18

96

276

0

4

13

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 months

Happy to speak with @shiringhaffary @business about Kamala Harris and AI.

0

5

14

Verity Harding

@verityharding

6 months

We’ve moved on from the “AI is going to kill us all” to the “AI debates are so boring and unthreatening that we can easily use it as the insignificant backdrop to a comedy sketch” stage of the hype cycle

Saturday Night Live - SNL

@nbcsnl

6 months

does that man look familiar to you

709

9K

72K

0

4

13

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

This is absolutely brilliant (as is the @BBCFrontRow programme it builds upon) and I hope @SamiraAhmedUK wins every journalism prize going for such an historic discovery. It was her unique approach that finally convinced the owner of the tape to share it - a fascinating story.

EggPod 🍏

@IAmTheEggPod

1 year

New EggPod online! @SamiraAhmedUK discusses the newly-discovered audio of The Beatles' live performance at Stowe School on 4th April 1963

22

39

244

1

13

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

This is absolutely brilliant from @alondra and @sethlazar . “AI safety on whose terms?”

AI safety on whose terms?

Rapid, widespread adoption of the latest large language models has sparked both excitement and concern about advanced artificial intelligence (AI). In response, many are looking to the field of AI...

www.science.org

0

3

13

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

"AI needs you--to have an opinion and express it." Thank you to my wonderful editor Ingrid Gnerlich for this beautiful write-up of my book in Princeton Uni Press' 25 year celebration in books!

1

4

13

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

6. The Turing Trap by @erikbryn A fantastic piece from one of our leading economists on how a fixation with creating "human-like intelligence" in AI is distracting us from delivering the technology's full potential.

The Turing Trap: The Promise & Peril of Human-Like Artificial Intelligence

Insights The Turing Trap: The Promise & Peril of Human-Like Artificial Intelligence Erik BrynjolfssonDirectorStanford Digital Economy Lab January 12, 202220-min read DædalusSpring 2022 In 1950, Alan...

digitaleconomy.stanford.edu

1

12

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 years

Such an exciting moment! This team worked with extraordinary humility and care. Fantastic to see their work out and receiving such a wonderful response 🧬🙌

Demis Hassabis

@demishassabis

4 years

Thrilled to announce our first major breakthrough in applying AI to a grand challenge in science. #AlphaFold has been validated as a solution to the ‘protein folding problem’ & we hope it will have a big impact on disease understanding and drug discovery:

161

2K

8K

0

12

Verity Harding

@verityharding

3 months

“….and my love” 😭

BBC Sport

@BBCSport

3 months

Jude Bellingham had this to say about Gareth Southgate's future... #BBCEuros #Euro2024 #ESPENG

67

153

3K

0

1

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

2/2...which has plenty of downsides. The UK isn't the US, we can be successful precisely by being different: more democratic, more equitable, more purposeful, less divisive. We can learn from what's gone before to better shape the future (as I argue in my forthcoming book!) 🇬🇧

0

3

12

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

Sneak peek of my @FT Opinion piece on “What the Cold War space race can teach us about AI” — featuring insights from the first chapter of my new book.

1

12

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

Subscribed ✅ James is one of the best tech writers going, always insightful and never cliched. I always learn from his stuff. This will be great.

James Ball

@jamesrbuk

1 year

SOME NEWS: I'm launching Techtris, a Substack about tech, policy and society (and how they all fit together). My first post is about…Substack, and how I'm using it despite not being in love with it. Please do subscribe!

9

47

1

2

12

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 years

This is a great and important article by @DianeCoyle1859 who I’m lucky enough to be working with at Cambridge.

0

3

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

I’m in awe of @Marthalanefox and her impact and thought-leadership on tech. This means the world coming from her!

1

2

10

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

Fantastic article and thread which shows that purported threats of being overtaken by China in AI are not grounded in reality and shouldn’t be used as an excuse to avoid grappling with regulation.

Helen Toner

@hlntnr

1 year

New piece from @jennywxiao , @jjding99 and me pushing back on the claim that we can't regulate AI because that would just let China pull ahead. This is not a good argument! 4 reasons why, though first a caveat: 🧵

49

129

416

0

4

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

10 months

🚨Just under 2 weeks left to apply for this exciting role working with me and @DianeCoyle1859 at the new AI & Geopolitics Project in Cambridge. Please share widely with your networks!

Bennett Institute for Public Policy

@BennettInst

10 months

📢We're hiring! Join the AI & Geopolitics Project as a Research Associate & work with Project Director @verityharding Are you a researcher with a background in relevant disciplines & an interest in global AI collaboration & governance? Apply by 11 Dec:

0

2

0

10

9

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

I really enjoyed writing this piece for @Samfr and @LawDavF ’s excellent newsletter, please subscribe and check it out!

Sam Freedman

@Samfr

1 year

New post just out Delighted to have the brilliant @verityharding as our guest poster this month - on why the focus on AI killing us all risks distracting us from the real problems and opportunities it presents. "Beware the Squirrel" (£/free trial)

2

4

18

0

2

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

6 months

Congratulations @madhumita29 ! I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this and it is absolutely brilliant, I can’t recommend it enough. So excited to talk about it with Madhu at both Edinburgh Science Festival in April ( @EdSciFest ) and Charleston Literary Festival

Madhumita Murgia

@madhumita29

6 months

IT’S PUBLICATION DAY! To celebrate, (1) my kids are taking in Code Dependent for show-and-tell (all publicity is good publicity..) and (2) I am spending all day writing about AI giants and power, which is perfect. Here it is, in amongst my bookshelf chaos.

24

31

181

0

2

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

5 months

Great first article from Aleksei, who has joined AIxGEO as a Research Associate, on his research analysing the changing narratives around AI in international governance and policy. It's brilliant to have Aleks on board and there will be more to come!

Bennett Institute for Public Policy

@BennettInst

5 months

Geopolitical tensions are on the increase & the governance of AI is at a crossroads. The Bennett Institute's new project, AIxGEO, will analyse the shifting narratives regarding AI & map the potential for a collaborative future. Aleks Turobov explains.

0

3

4

1

4

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

8 months

Maybe the most fun thing about writing a book: choosing a narrator for the audio edition! Daisy is just fantastic and also now I can say I shared an audiobook narrator with Maggie O’Farrell’s “Hamnet” so what else could I ever need?!

Princeton Audio

@PrincetonAudio

8 months

Arriving March 12: @verityharding 's AI Needs You, narrated by Daisy Donovan, shares an electrifying vision of how we can safeguard #AI 's future for the public good. 🎧 Pre-order the #audiobook today:

0

2

4

0

3

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

Delighted with this early review from Kirkus: “we might hope that this book ends up in the hands of those who could take a leadership role, before it is too late” Is March 12th too late? Hope not!

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.s

@PrincetonUPress

11 months

AI Needs You (March 12, 2024) by @VerityHarding has been positively reviewed by @KirkusReviews ! The reviewer writes: “Harding’s optimism is tempered by experience and knowledge, and her arguments are compelling and engaging.” Read the full review:

0

1

7

0

3

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

In my book, due in Feb, you will see how misguided this common belief is. While governments do not (always) “build” things, the decisions they make are critical to how innovation emerges, evolves, and either flourishes or flounders. Science and innovation is inherently political.

0

4

9

Verity Harding

@verityharding

11 months

Here’s a gift link to ⁦ @mrianleslie ⁩’s beautiful, moving piece in the New York Times about the love story that led to ‘Now and Then’.

Opinion | ‘Now and Then, I Miss You’: The Love Story at the Heart of the Last Beatles Song (Gift...

Almost everything John Lennon and Paul McCartney felt — and they felt a lot — was poured into their music.

www.nytimes.com

2

4

11

Verity Harding

@verityharding

8 months

The word “refreshing” from the great @ruskin147 is a particular joy to me, given that he has probably seen (and been sent!) every book about tech in the past 30 yrs of his incredible career! I really hope to bring something original and unique to the AI space—so this means a lot!

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.s

@PrincetonUPress

8 months

. @verityharding 's AI Needs You is a humanist manifesto for the age of #AI , giving us hope that we, the people, can imbue AI with a deep intentionality that reflects our best values, ideals, and interests. Arriving March 12, preorder your copy:

0

2

10

Verity Harding

@verityharding

8 years

The refugee ban is the logical consequence of his "America First" speech. Doesn't make it any less shocking, disgusting, and shameful.

0

10

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

This is a great example of the kind of active participation in the effects of AI that I write about in my forthcoming book ‘AI Needs You’. AI doesn’t need to be something that passively happens to us, it’s something to shape, accept, reject, evolve.

AI, the WGA Strike, and What Luddites Got Right

English textile workers once destroyed the machines threatening to take their jobs. Screenwriters can’t kill AI, but they can protect themselves from it.

www.wired.com

0

1

10

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

Read this if you’re interested in AI and direct democracy. 👇 Brittany conceived and ran one of the first of its kind in this space so, as lots of companies start experimenting, is an authority in the field.

0

3

10

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

My book is about politics as much as it about AI, so I’m truly honoured to have this endorsement from @WilliamJHague especially given his keen interest in the future of emerging tech. Out two weeks today!

0

2

10

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 years

Timely post from the US Federal Trade Commission warning businesses to avoid overhyping their AI capabilities in marketing and advertising. You shouldn't over-claim or over-promise, etc. But this is the part I found most interesting was this, on risk...

1

7

10

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

This means a lot coming from Martha, whose own writing I learn so much from. My blog on what the Beatles can teach us about AI:

martha lane fox

@Marthalanefox

1 year

Brilliant read

1

4

9

0

1

10

Verity Harding

@verityharding

3 months

The audiobook of ‘AI Needs You’ is included in your @Spotify premium subscription, read by the fantastic Daisy Donovan.

AI Needs You: How We Can Change AI's Future and Save Our Own

Audiobook · Verity Harding · Author(s): Verity Harding Narrator(s): Daisy Donovan This audiobook narrated by Daisy Donovan shares an electrifying vision of how we can safeguard AI’s future for the...

open.spotify.com

0

9

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 months

Why are we still so behind despite having this comprehensive foundation? Politics, primarily. Hillary was due to continue the work, but under Trump the OSTP had to rebuild and work stalled until Biden appointed the great @alondra to build on this and move forward to the next step

1

9

Verity Harding

@verityharding

2 months

Anyway, I really recommend that all the people new to AI from over the past couple of years re-engage with this work. It won't be perfect but it was done in open consultation with the public, academics, civil society and business, and still contains great insight to learn from.

1

0

9

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

More to come when we're up and running, but in the meantime if you or anyone you know is looking for a research position focused on AI and geopolitics, I’ll be posting a job advert in the next couple of weeks.

0

2

9

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 months

Fantastic day @CharlestonTrust yesterday talking with fellow AI authors @madhumita29 & Nigel Toon. The festival is on over the bank holiday—I highly recommend visiting. You can combine great talks with a tour of the beautiful house & gardens. Signed copies of my book on sale too!

0

4

9

Verity Harding

@verityharding

5 years

The people who build the technology of the future should look like the society it seeks to serve. So proud of my team for their work on this initiative, and excited to see what the incredible people @PartnershipAI will do.

Terah Lyons

@terahlyons

5 years

We cannot approach responsible technology unless we are addressing the representation challenges in the AI field. I am grateful to @demishassabis and the entire @DeepMindAI team for their care to this mission-critical issue area, and for their capacity-building @PartnershipAI .

0

1

8

0

3

9

Verity Harding

@verityharding

8 months

7 weeks today and this is out in the world! If you'd like to pre-order from the UK you can do so here: Thank you @KirkusReviews , @DianeCoyle1859 and @kprescott for their comments here. #AI #AIneedsyou

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.s

@PrincetonUPress

8 months

Arriving March 12, @verityharding 's AI Needs You gives us hope that we, the people, can imbue #AI with a deep intentionality that reflects our best values, ideals, & interests, and that serves the public good. Preorder your copy of this captivating book!

1

2

0

4

8

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 months

Thanks to the Behavioural Scientist @behscientist for including AI Needs You in its fantastic summer reading list! 📚

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.s

@PrincetonUPress

4 months

Summer reading is here! ☀️ Check out @behscientist ’s list of summer reads, including @verityharding ’s AI Needs You, @BethLinker ’s Slouch and @rjsungpark ’s Slow Burn:

0

3

7

0

2

8

Verity Harding

@verityharding

4 months

Great to see @joshsimonstweet selected as a parliamentary candidate, he’s deeply knowledgeable about one of the key areas a future parliament will have to consider: tech and AI. The more digitally literate MPs the better!

0

1

8

Verity Harding

@verityharding

3 years

In 2019 I was part of the @OECD advisory group that developed the 1st set of AI principles agreed by global governments. This is a great update from the Trustworthy AI team who've spent the time since actually turning those principles into practical steps:

0

8

Verity Harding

@verityharding

9 months

Madhu is one of the best AI journalists out there, her reporting is always so original and interesting, so I guarantee her new book will be excellent and I can’t wait to read it next year.

Madhumita Murgia

@madhumita29

9 months

I’ve emerged from my holiday-induced stupor to some very exciting Christmas post - the first @picadorbooks proof of my book, CODE DEPENDENT. It’s about nine ordinary people across 8 countries whose lives have been changed by their encounters with artificial intelligence.

13

33

182

1

3

8

Verity Harding

@verityharding

1 year

Wow this from my favourite Beatles author (who also wrote beautifully about ChatGPT) is a real honour. Thank you Ian! My piece on what the Beatles can teach us about AI 👇

Ian Leslie

@mrianleslie

1 year

This is excellent!

0

5

0

2

8

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

So honoured to have one of the best journalists out there, who I’ve admired for years, @gabyhinsliff read my book and so deeply understand and interpret its message.

AI could be an extraordinary force for good. So why do our politicians still not have a plan? |...

Yes, there are risks. But from boosting public services to driving economic growth, the technology could bring myriad benefits, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff

www.theguardian.com

0

4

8

Verity Harding

@verityharding

5 months

Such sad news! Appearing on @IAmTheEggPod to discuss the Beatles and AI will forever be a career highlight. Thanks @ChrisShawEditor for creating something with love and care that brought so much joy to so many people

EggPod 🍏

@IAmTheEggPod

5 months

The Beat goes on, the Beat goes on… #EggPodLive2024

223

23

450

0

8

Verity Harding

@verityharding

7 months

I guess the central message of my new book—that technology explicitly represents and reflects the social, economic and political climate of the times—might be even easier to explain now. But I’m so disappointed to see the rapid decline of the AI debate like this.

0

1

8