Meet Dr. Julie McElroy

 
 
 

Leadership Circle Spotlight

In the Leadership Circle Spotlight series, we are finding out more about the Scottish AI Alliance Leadership Circle. Below you can find an interview with Dr. Julie McElroy, Lead User Experience Researcher at Sopra Steria, and learn about her involvement with AI and Scotland’s AI Strategy.

Why did you want to get involved with Scotland's AI Strategy?  

With the encouragement from Ishbel MacPherson, an IT lawyer. Ishbel currently sits on the Scotland Women in Technology Board, and thought I was a suitable candidate for the Leadership Circle of the Scottish AI Alliance. It would provide a platform to be a voice of those with disabilities who are benefiting from AI software in the Technology sector and other sectors too. I am a strong advocate of assistive technologies, disability, inclusion and accessibility in Scotland and beyond. Using my analytical and inquisitive mind along with an interest in the current trends techniques and developments in the field of AI, inclusion accessibility I can offer improvements through the circle of the Scottish AI Alliance.

What does Trustworthy, Ethical, and Inclusive AI look like to you?  

  • Trustworthy – it must be readily available and it must produce and provide reliable output of data.

  • Ethical – it has to be handled securely and resilient with security.

  • Inclusive – making it inclusive and accessible for everyone from different backgrounds to contribute to developing AI ecosystem.

How is Scotland in a unique position with regard to AI? 

Scotland has huge aspirations to use AI to develop an even more inclusive society. Scotland is best placed to innovate and play an influential role in leading with partners in developing AI internationally. Scotland is renowned for cutting edge research so this expertise can help them become a key player in the development of AI.

What advice do you have for young people looking to get into the AI field? 

Technological advancement has a profound impact on all our lives – from the moment we wake till the moment we go to bed! We all need to be ‘tech savvy’ nowadays but security and threat to data pose our biggest risks. The next generation of young people will have the innovative mind-set to break new ground.

Do you have a favourite newspaper or blog where you get your tech news? 

The Scotsman, The Guardian, and BBC News.

Who (or what) is your favourite fictional AI character from a book or movie? 

I am more a factual person, so I have read Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach.

What do you envision to be the biggest challenges for Scotland's AI Strategy going forward?  

Artificial intelligence is an emerging field that is paving the way to be life changing for people with disabilities. It can synthesis things only humans could do before, like recognising people in photos, understanding speech, and translating between languages. I am looking forward to seeing where AI goes next – it will undoubtedly be an enabler for people with disabilities in the future and beyond.

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