Beta Festival 2024: Explore the Future of Technology

Dublin’s Beta Festival returns from 1-17 November 2024, offering an exciting programme of events, debates, live performances and exhibitions, all focused on the impact of emerging technologies on society.

Held at The Digital Hub and surrounding areas of Dublin 8, this year’s festival promises an exciting blend of creativity and critical engagement, making it a must-visit for tech enthusiasts, artists, researchers and anyone curious about the future. The ADAPT Research Ireland Centre is the Beta Festival Research Partner with contributions to the festival including:

Beta Conference

Dr Abeba Birhane’s keynote on Friday 1 November, “AI: Potential Benefits, Proven Risks,” will examine the gap between the promises of AI and the reality of its current systems, which often fail to meet expectations and contribute to public mistrust. Birhane, a cognitive scientist and AI accountability expert at Mozilla Foundation and ADAPT,Trinity College Dublin, will survey current state-of-the-art AI systems and their downstream impact on society and present recommendations geared towards reliable and equitable AI systems as well as mechanisms for accountability.

Contributions from ADAPT researchers to the Beta Conference include: Eileen Culloty, Jennifer Edmond, Paul O’Neill

The AI Art Assembly on Friday 1 November will explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the arts and cultural sector, examining policy implications, challenges and opportunities through curated discussions. Booking essential: link

‘The Ethics Studio’, a dynamic space where attendees can probe some of the ethical questions raised by digital technologies. The studio invites you to explore how values, ideas, and methods shape the ethical design and development of innovations that influence daily life. The studio doubles as a live research environment, with ADAPT researchers studying how creative tools can deepen understanding of technology’s ethical dimensions.

In addition to the Ethics Studio, Beta Festival offers a wide range of interactive activities, workshops and discussions throughout the festival which you can check out here: adaptcentre.ie/adapt-at-beta-festival-2024/.

These include:

• The Bigger Picture: Re-imagining AI Imagery – Exhibition exploring how artists and researchers are pushing the boundaries of AI imagery to challenge popular perceptions of artificial intelligence. Drop in any time. Runs from 1-17 November at the Digital Hub – link.
• 7 Nov: Facing the Future: Let’s Talk Facial Recognition Technology – Join a fascinating Think-In discussion about the societal implications of facial recognition. All welcome. (Registration required – link)
• 13 Nov: KT4D Digital Democracy Lab – Engage with new approaches to digital democracy in this interactive lab, exploring how technology can shape the future of governance. (Registration required – link)
• 14 Nov: Beyond Sci-Fi: Re-thinking AI Imagery – A panel discussion that’ll challenge the current outdated images of AI to move towards a more authentic visual narrative.

Festival Dates and How to Attend

Beta Festival runs from 1 – 17 November 2024. Whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in thought-provoking debates, participate in creative workshops, or simply explore the future of technology, Beta Festival 2024 has something for everyone.

Visit the Beta 2024 website to see the full programme.