We live in a world where computer technology is everywhere, impacting almost every aspect of our lives and this year it seems we can’t escape the latest (r)evolution: “Artificial Intelligence”. But what does it mean, where is technology taking us and who cares about how we get there?

The British Computer Society (BCS), founded in 1957, now has over 70,000 members in 150 countries with an agenda to lead the IT industry through its ethical challenges, to support the people who work in the industry, and to make IT good for society. As the world’s leading IT professional body it works with a wider community of business leaders, educators, practitioners and policy-makers to progress this agenda. 
 

We are delighted to have a return visit from Rashik Parmar, in his role now as Chief Executive Officer of the BCS, to have an open discussion on some of these most talked about topics of today and their implications.

Rashik will provide a level-set introduction to Artificial Intelligence, how it is impacting the ever evolving world of technology and how the BCS is at the forefront of considering the ethical implications of this.

We will then open up the discussion with a question and answer session where you can raise your concerns, give your views or seek more information from this top industry expert. You will be invited to submit questions in advance as well as during the evening.

Rashik Parmar MBE is Group Chief Executive of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. His team are focused on the value of professional membership, promoting digital skills and computing education, and building BCS’ reputation for insight on emerging technology like Generative AI and Quantum Computing.

As a former VP Technology for IBM, Rashik helped drive its European technical strategy with a focus on guiding companies through digital transformation.

A Fellow of both IBM and BCS, Rashik was awarded the MBE for services to business and innovation.

Rashik's portfolio includes many academic articles, notably two featured in the Harvard Business Review: "New Patterns for Innovation" in 2014 and "What is Responsible Computing" in 2023.

Rashik is a Council Member at The Open University (OU), a Senior Independent Member and NERC Council Member at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and a Fellow at Digit Lab where he chairs their Industry Advisory Group. He serves as a Research Industry Advisory Board Member at Leeds University Business School.

Rashik is a founding Director of Rangoli Radio, which debuted in August 2021 and has expanded its reach to encompass listeners in 165 countries, alongside its availability to the 450,000 citizens of Leeds through DAB.

Rashik is proud to curate Sunday Sprinkles, which is ranked among the top 75 happiness blogs globally.