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.
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.
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“A powerful, informative, innovative, thoughtful, and thoroughly-inspiring presentation.”
“Broad-based, beautiful, and right-paced presentation. Thank you.”
“Wow! What an inspiring presentation: thought-provoking and enjoyable.”
“OMG, what an inspiring storyteller! I was really impressed with Nell and her professionalism. Incredibly easy to work with.”
“Thank you for the impeccable presentation. You are an amazing speaker and the entire audience was spellbound listening to you talk.”
“Rare to hear an AI expert with such profound cultural & social understanding as Nell Watson.”
“The energy levels at the event were sky high; fantastic feedback from attendees. It was a genuinely provocative, and brilliantly presented talk - you could hear a pin drop in the room.”
“We were very happy with Nell Watson. She was really impressive with many pertinent examples, and really thought about what would be relevant to us. Very happy with it! ”
“Thanks a lot for your very impressive presentation on AI . Rarely I see a complete audience as fascinated (and silent!)”
“Nell Watson blew the whole crowd away with intelligence, humanity, insight, and complex thinking. Just epic. The world needs more Nell.”
“Amazing presentation by @NellWatson. Her lessons for the future have left me both humbled and inspired.”
“We have received so many comments already from attendees saying how eye opening the presentation was... Nell is truly a remarkable speaker on this topic.”
“Shout out to Nell Watson, who delivered an incredibly captivating and polished keynote that had the attention of the whole auditorium.”
“Nell’s section was fantastic – she has such a beautiful speaking voice also!”
“What an amazing finish by Nell Watson. Too many amazing ideas! An absolute inspiration.”
“Nell is among the global leaders of ethical technology development and deployment, someone with deep understanding, courage, and passion for the preservation of values and rights.”
“Best presentation of the whole day. THE most amazing, inspiring speaker, with a smart, eloquent call for a renaissance of the heart. Thank you!”
“A huge thank you to Nell – Her talk was fascinating and she was such an engaging speaker. Our Chair was delighted to work with Nell and they made an excellent double act.”
“Nell put each person in an envelope in which knowledge and insights have been lavishly scattered around. The interview afterwards also testified of expertise. Giving a talk is one thing; giving a Q &A afterwards and giving new insights is something else. In a busy world full of stimuli and speed, Nell’s talk was a relief, a resting point, a moment of pure contemplation.”
“Our group could not stop raving about not only how fascinating and helpful Nell’s ideas were, but also how clear and elegantly conveyed they were—even extemporaneously! They were dazzled!”
“It genuinely was the most inspirational and forward-facing session I’ve seen in 25+ years.”