Summary
Eleanor ‘Nell’ Watson, a trailblazer in emerging technologies such as machine vision and A.I. ethics, dedicates her work to protecting human rights and infusing ethics, safety, and values that elevate the human spirit into technologies like Artificial Intelligence.
As IEEE Ethics Maestro, Chair IEEE’s ECPAIS Transparency Experts Focus Group, and Vice Chair of P7001 Transparency of Autonomous Systems committee on A.I. Ethics & Safety, Nell is engineering mechanisms into A.I. to help safeguard algorithmic trust.
She also leads several prominent organizations such as EthicsNet.org, teaching machines prosocial behaviors, CulturalPeace.org, crafting Geneva Conventions-style rules for cultural conflict, Endohazard.org, a hazard symbol project for informing consumers of endocrine disruptors, and Pacha.org, connecting a network of service providers to help enable the automated accounting of externalities (shifted costs) such as pollution.
Source: Website
OnAir Post: Nell Watson
About
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Nell holds the position of Executive Consultant on philosophical matters for Apple, as well as the President of EURAIO, the European Responsible Artificial Intelligence Office. She has served as Senior Scientific Advisor to The Future Society, and Senior Fellow to The Atlantic Council. In addition, she holds fellowships with the British Computing Society and Royal Statistical Society, among others, as well as being listed as an Icon by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Through her public speaking, Nell has inspired audiences to work towards a brighter future at venues such as The World Bank, The United Nations General Assembly, and The Royal Society. She has distilled her knowledge in her book Taming the Machine: Ethically Harness the Power of AI, and penned guest columns for media outlets including Fast Company and Big Think.
Join Nell in her quest to shape a responsible and ethical future for AI.
WHO IS NELL WATSON?
My father was a rocketry guidance engineer, and a real mechanical and electrical boffin also. He could build or fix anything, be it a lawnmower, polarized laser, or custom-designed computer circuitry. He was keen to cement a love of engineering in me, and taught me many principles. He died when I was rather young, before I was even a teenager, but I retain his passion for efficient designs and elegant solutions, and this has driven me to pursue a career in engineering and a doctorate in that same subject.
Another of my influences is Engineer Thomas Andrews, architect of the Titanic, which was famously built in my hometown of Belfast, and upon which a distant relative of mine perished. Andrews’ streamlined designs inspire many to this day, but what captivates me was his interest in lesser-known stakeholders, such as the stokers. He took care to listen to their needs, making expensive retrofits to ensure that they had plenty of water to wash with on their way back from the boiler rooms. The stokers rewarded Andrews with a special party in his honor, as a way of saying thanks.
This humanitarian aspect of engineering stuck with me, along with the ironic tragedy of the tremendous loss of life later on that voyage, and the gross inequity of who was able to survive. I often think of poor Andrews, and the team of 35 engineers who toiled to buy as much time as possible, every last one perishing.
Lessons such as this have encouraged me to focus on responsible and ethical engineering, to help to de-risk ambitious initiatives, such as the present wave of emerging technologies, which are as exciting as they can be terrifying.
My peers and mysef are astounded by incredible new developments practically every week. The general public has little idea of just how advanced and capable these technologies are becoming, and they seem certain to be blindsided by their disruptive effects. As technology becomes ever more intertwined with our personal and professional lives, we are ever more at its mercy. We are being steered, cajoled, and manipulated by various algorithmic processes hundreds of times per day. In a world of autonomous systems, we must ensure that human autonomy remains duly respected.
Areas of Interest
I hold patents in machine vision, with one in quantum machine learning presently under review. Using my technical background and knowledge, work extensively to develop new standards and certifications for AI systems and the organizations behind them, including new professional credentials, generally pro bono. Transparency is a passion of mine, such as labelling standards for knowing who or what one is dealing with online, on the phone, or in embodied systems such as robots (IEEE 3152).
I have distilled the knowledge I have gained over the years into my book Taming the Machine. It is packed pragmatic insights on safeguarding sensitive data, steering algorithm-driven leadership, and fortifying cybersecurity. The book carefully unveils the hidden perils of unbridled AI, spotlighting its looming challenges to human morale and societal harmony, especially as we edge closer to an era of machine dominance. I really enjoy writing, and have been pleased to be a guest journalist for a wide range of publications, including Fast Company, Big Think, and The European.
Developing TV and movies is another interest of mine, such as contributing world design, robot design, AI philosophy, science fiction forecasting, and script doctoring for the Apple/A24 science fiction dark comedy series, Sunny. Other TV projects of mine include an animated short to provide an accessible précis of my book, introducing the biggest themes in AI.
I enjoy academic research on a range of topics, from philosophy to engineering. I have an interest in unifying physics and ethics, the point where science and the numinous meet. My favorite piece of research so far is a paper published on virology informatics, in response to the recent pandemic. In this research, my co-author and I uncovered genetic differences in SARS-1 and 2, a selection of drugs validated as promising in silico, and a mechanism by which such drugs function by interfering with the viral endodomain, instead of the spike protein (by analogy, like breaking the back of a snake so it can’t attack with its fangs). I accomplished this despite not having any prior experience in this area.
As you can imagine, I’m a big believer in the power of lifelong learning! I love to teach others also, such as at Singularity University in Silicon Valley, where I serve as AI & Ethics Faculty. I have produced a range of AI and Ethics related courseware also which is accessible online.
My range of awareness has often led me to contribute to various orgs and governments as a trusted advisor, though obviously I can’t say much about that in public. I have been pleased to assist philanthropic investors, such as the Survival and Flourishing Fund, in choosing where to disburse millions of dollars of high impact grants for the most pressing and dangerous challenges facing humanity’s future.
I seek ways to be useful to humanity in general, and enjoy working on tough challenges with others. If I may assist you, please do get in touch.
Source: website
Web Links
- Website
- Singularity University
- X
- Google Scholar
- Nell Watson – Keynote Speaker London Speaker Bureau https://us.londonspeakerbureau.com › speaker-profile
- Future of Life Institute
ITDF Essay, April 2025
By 2035, Supernormal Stimuli Engineered to Trigger Humans and Individually Calibrated AI Companions Will Profoundly Reshape Human Experience
Source: ITDF Webpage
“By 2035, the integration of AI into daily life will profoundly reshape human experience through increasingly sophisticated supernormal stimuli – artificial experiences engineered to trigger human psychological responses more intensely than natural ones. And, just as social media algorithms already exploit human attention mechanisms, future AI companions will offer relationships perfectly calibrated to individual psychological needs, potentially overshadowing authentic human connections that require compromise and effort.
Most concerning is the potential dampening of human drive and ambition. Why strive for difficult achievements when AI can provide simulated success and satisfaction? … The key challenge will be managing the seductive power of AI-driven supernormal stimuli while harnessing their benefits. Without careful development and regulation these artificial experiences could override natural human drives and relationships, fundamentally altering what it means to be human. This trajectory demands proactive governance to ensure AI enhances rather than diminishes human potential.
“These supernormal stimuli will extend beyond social relationships. AI-driven entertainment, virtual worlds and personalized content will provide peak experiences that make unaugmented reality feel dull by comparison. There are many more likely changes that are worrisome:
- “Virtual pets and AI human offspring may offer the emotional rewards of caregiving without the challenges of the real versions.
- “AI romantic partners will provide idealized relationships that make human partnerships seem unnecessarily difficult.
- “The workplace will be transformed as AI systems take over cognitive and creative tasks. This promises efficiency but risks reducing human agency, confidence and capability.
- “Economic participation will become increasingly controlled by AI platforms, potentially threatening individual autonomy in financial and social spheres.
- “Basic skills in arithmetic, navigation and memory are likely to be diminished through AI dependence.
- “But most concerning is the potential dampening of human drive and ambition – why strive for difficult achievements when AI can provide simulated success and satisfaction?
“Core human traits obviously face significant pressure from these developments. Human agency will be eroded as AI systems become increasingly adept at predicting and influencing behavior. However, positive outcomes remain possible through careful development focused on augmenting rather than replacing human capabilities.
“AI could enhance human self-understanding, augment creativity through collaboration and free people to focus on meaningful work beyond routine tasks. Success requires preserving human agency, authentic relationships and inclusive economic systems.
“The key challenge will be managing the seductive power of AI-driven supernormal stimuli while harnessing their benefits. Without careful development and regulation, these artificial experiences could override natural human drives and relationships, fundamentally altering what it means to be human.
“The impact on human nature isn’t inevitable but will be shaped by how we choose to develop and integrate AI into society. This trajectory demands proactive governance to ensure AI enhances rather than diminishes human potential. By 2035, the human experience will likely be radically transformed – the question is whether we can maintain our most essential human characteristics while benefiting from unprecedented technological capabilities.”
This essay was written in January 2025 in reply to the question: Over the next decade, what is likely to be the impact of AI advances on the experience of being human? How might the expanding interactions between humans and AI affect what many people view today as ‘core human traits and behaviors’? This and nearly 200 additional essay responses are included in the report “Being Human in 2035.”
