AI as a Force for Good in Modern Slavery Reporting

We’re not the biggest fans of Artificial Intelligence on Transforming Tomorrow, but are our minds about to be changed? We are ready to discover how AI is being used to make a positive difference in the world of sustainability. Dr Mahmoud Gad, from Lancaster University Management School, returns to the show to talk to us about his work developing an AI platform that can analyse companies’ modern slavery statements both accurately and quickly. We find out what UK businesses need to do when it comes reporting and mitigating modern slavery in their operations and supply chains; what has changed over recent years as Mahmoud and his colleagues have worked in the area; and learn all about the AI platform he has been building – and why his team has done it. This podcast highlights the limits of the existing manual processes for reading and analysing reports and how the time such analysis takes limits the number of reports that can be analysed for any given study. We examine interpretation bias by both people and AI when it comes to such analysis. We also find out the importance of how the AI platform is built as well as who builds the platforms. Plus, Paul shocks Jan, Mahmoud and himself with AI’s description of their dazzling careers and achievements. Why is Paul irked today? And why does one of Jan’s colleagues never want to work on analysis with her again?!? Details of Mahmoud’s project can be found here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/data-scie... The platform he talks about is here: https://www.antislaveryintelligence.c... (https://eur02.safelinks.protection.ou...) And evidence from a 2022 review of modern slavery reporting in the UK is in this report: https://media.frc.org.uk/documents/FR...