IP EXPO
Manchester, co-located at Digital Transformation EXPO, opened today with
Christopher Wylie, ex-Cambridge Analytica employee turned whistleblower.
Wylie gave visitors the inside track on one of the most notorious data
scandals to date and shared his insights on what governments, technology
vendors and regulatory bodies should be doing to better protect personal data
in the future.
Drawing
parallels with other sectors such as aviation and utilities, he questioned why
technology was the only industry where the burden was placed on the consumer;
"As consumers we're not told if you don't want to get electrocuted, don't use
electricity. There are regulations in place and accountability lies with the
provider not the user. Why isn't that the same with technology?"
Wylie went
on to reiterate why this was critical in an increasingly connected, smart
world, posing questions about the effectiveness of current regulation such as
GDPR. In a data-consent complex world - when people are asked for consent from
everyday devices from a toothbrush to a car, the burden of responsibility
should not rest with the consumer. He argued that technology was so fundamental
to how we live, work and communicate that there has to be a new
cross-governmental, cross-industry approach taken to data regulation to ensure
it is fit for purpose and used responsibly.
Commenting
on the opening of this year's event, Gordon Sockett, Senior Content Manager,
said; "We aim to push the boundaries every year and we felt that Christopher
Wylie personified both the opportunities and the challenges that we face as an
industry and within society. Data presents so many opportunities to do good,
especially as we move into an AI-powered world; but it needs to be the right
data and used responsibility. We're proud to have so many of the leading
technology brands involved in ensuring this, as exhibitors at the event - from
DarkTrace to MicroSoft and Oracle to Nutanix."
Additional highlights
from Day One at IP EXPO Manchester 2019 include:
- Chris
Testa-O'Neill of Microsoft, demystified the capabilities and ethics of AI,
and described the processes for integrating AI technologies into business
solutions.
- Dr Nicola Millard of BT, discussed the
digital reinvention of the workplace and how, in today's society,
employees and customers are connected by communication networks rather
than face-to-face.
- Steven Bryen of Amazon Web Services,
showcased how companies such as Hotels.com, Netflix and Tinder, are
exploiting the latest machine learning technology to improve their
products and services for customers.
- Paul Fletcher of Sainsbury's discussed the
company's digital transformation and shared the hard lessons he learnt
from his and others' experiences across a number of industries.
- Lively panel discussion from Brad Brooks of OneLogin, Ian Pitfield
of Netacea and Sophie France of Tessian forecasted the biggest cyber
security trends and threats for the year ahead.
Day
Two of IP EXPO Manchester promises to be another success for attendees and
opens its doors at 9:30am tomorrow (Thursday 4th April). Scam
expert, Alexis Conran, known for BBC's Real Hustle will be headlining the show.
He is set to engage the audience with insight into why systems fail, bringing
the human factor into technological reliance and the dangers it presents.
For further
information and to register for free for IP EXPO Manchester 2019, please visit:
www.ipexpomanchester.com.