Upcoming Webinars

11:00am - 12.30pm (GMT), 28th April 2025

Speakers:

• Dr Carrie Heitmeyer, Head of Social Science, Government Office for Science
• Dr Kitty Saunders, Senior Policy Fellow, University College London & Government Office for Science

You are warmly invited to join this external webinar on “Behavioural and Social Science in Government”. In this external webinar, Dr Carrie Heitmeyer and Dr Kitty Saunders will explore i) the role of behavioural and social science advice in government, with a particular focus on the Government Office for Science, ii), how external behavioural and social science expertise is brought into and used in government, and iii) how Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) can be of use to behavioural and social science researchers. 

This will be followed by a Q&A. 

Register to attend

1pm - 2.30pm (GMT), 12th May 2025

• Dr Janna Hastings, Assistant Professor of Medical Knowledge and Decision Support, Universities of St. Gallen and Zurich
• Professor Susan Michie, Co-Director of BR-UK, University College London
• Professor Robert West, Professor Emeritus, University College London

This webinar will review and discuss ethical challenges in applying AI, including generative AI, to behavioural research and how these can best be addressed. AI is increasingly being used in behavioural research, e.g., supporting research processes such as topic selection, evidence analysis and synthesis, experiment design, participant recruitment, reviewing, data capture and standardisation, data analytics, building models and theories, writing papers and presentations, and even simulating human participants in studies. It is already increasing productivity and we can expect rapid advancement going forward. But there are many limitations to AI itself and the way it is used that present ethical challenges. Responsible use of AI must involve being vigilant in detecting and anticipating ethical challenges and putting systems in place to address them. The ethical challenges presented by use of AI include: increasing inequality through monopolisation of access to advanced research tools, opportunities for unethical manipulation of people, exacerbating biases in topic selection and creation of models, promoting false consensus, narrowing of conceptual horizons, and loss or devaluing of crucial research skills. This webinar will examine these and other ethical challenges, discuss potential ways of mitigating the problems while maximising the potential benefits of AI in behavioural research. It will provide an opportunity to consider what role BR-UK can play in addressing the challenges.