Nell Watson

Nell Watson

• Expert in artificial intelligence, engineer, entrepreneur, and futurist thinker
• Founder of Poikos (QuantaCorp), a machine learning-driven AI
• Co-founder of OpenEth, a non-profit machine ethics research company
• An advisory technologist to several startups, accelerators, and venture capital funds, and lectures globally on Machine Intelligence, AI philosophy, Human-Machine relations, and the Future of Human Society.

Nell Watson (Eleanor) grew up in Northern Ireland. Her interests in technology and entrepreneurship started at an early age as she was influenced by her father, an engineer. Although her father’s untimely death derailed the young Nell, she was able to get her life back on track. This culminated in Nell, at the age of 24, teaching post-graduate computer science.

The AI specialist, engineer, entrepreneur, and futurist thinker has a longstanding interest in the philosophy of technology and humanities. She has a special ability to translate complex subjects in such a way as to make them easily understood by all.

Nell’s career path can only be deemed unusual. Besides her teaching post-graduate computer science, she co-founded a successful Graffiti arts company. In 2010, Nell went on to found Poikos (now QuantaCorp), a machine learning-driven “AI for body measurement”. Her patented technology provides accurate 3D body scans using 2D camera hardware as is found in smartphones or laptops.

Nell Watson serves as Senior Advisor to The Future Society at Harvard and serves as an advisory technologist to a number of startups, accelerators, and venture capital funds. Nell is also the co-founder of ‘OpenEth’, a non-profit machine ethics research company. She also chairs EthicsNet.org, a community teaching prosocial behaviours to machines, 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.

“I have a core belief that technology can (and should) be leveraged to free us from the saddest aspects of the human condition. It is this same wellspring of passion that I seek to ignite within others.” – Nell Watson

Nell Watson – Speaker

It is as a speaker that Nell Watson has come into her own, drifting into public speaking and workshop facilitation almost naturally. She gives digestible, informative talks and lectures on immerging technologies to a diverse global audience.  Amongst her clients, she includes Ericsson, MIT, and Credit Suisse, amongst many others.

“As a prize-winner of the Pioneers Start-up festival in Vienna, Nell is an inspiring example of what can be achieved. Nell is a compelling public speaker and a savvy business operator with deep subject matter expertise.” – Joanna Park-Tonks, *Creative visionary* Communications, PR & events professional, (Cambridge – Vienna)

Lectures globally on Machine Intelligence, AI philosophy, Human-Machine relations, and the Future of Human Society.

Speaking Topics

HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING WITH A.I.
Machine Intelligence is as big a disruption as electricity was in the 20th century. It can seem confusing and hard to implement. This talk gives an overview of various terms and concepts, a timeline running from the past to the near future, and a crash course on how to practically implement AI within your business to create new opportunities.

BUILDING NEW INSTITUTIONS: THE STRONGER SOCIETY TO COME
How can we use the energy of change to move ahead and make the most of the silver linings in dark societal clouds? Newly decentralized and strengthened societal institutions are arising with great effect on business, travel, environment, work, globalisation and legislation. A peek into the mid-term future which is still full of possibilities powered by essential technologies.

AI & REALITY PERCEPTION
Artificial Intelligence is becoming incredibly sophisticated, able to manipulate people’s impressions of events and the news that they hear. Crucially, there is plausible deniability, the suggestion that an algorithm just happened to make a decision of a prediction without human design or intention behind it. This talk explores where technology and society may be heading next, in a scenario where individuals who are targeted for political reasons may find that their perceptions of reality itself are toyed with by the hidden and deniable ‘glitches’ of machine intelligence – a literal ghost in the machine.

HUMANIZING MACHINES
Intelligent machines are beginning to understand the needs, drives, and even values of humanity, with huge opportunities for each of our lives and our global society. These technologies can transform our communities, making our world safe and secure, and helping us to manage precious resources in new ways. how can we make the most of these capabilities, and ensure that the spirit and wisdom of the human isn’t lost in a sea of cold algorithms? How can we retain our humanity, whilst growing past our greatest weaknesses?