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Probably42 News - September 2021
Welcome to our September Newsletter!
It was good to get back to having a face-to-face Probably42 Discussion Group meeting this month with the additional social enjoyment of a drink and a bite to eat! The face-to-face meetings are now part of a two-stage process, acting as a feeder into our main online meeting which is so important because any member in the UK can join in. On this occasion our output from the two meetings can be seen at Afghanistan - failure consequences.
It’s also been an interesting month interacting with both the Longevity APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) and the Artificial Intelligence APPG.
- We were asked to participate in a survey by the Longevity APPG and we also input a paper on the topic, which was the ‘Open Life Data Framework’. This article in the Lancet gives a quick overview of what it’s all about: Open Life Data to Support Healthy Longevity for All.
- On the AI APPG we participated in the latest APPG discussion and were able to raise one of our questions about Job Disruption due to AI over the longer-term (20 years). We are concerned that there is little evidence of contingency planning for firstly the longer-term disruption that is inevitable and secondly the potential for reaching a tipping point with a net loss of jobs. We subsequently input a paper to the APPG giving our argument on the need for scenario planning and contingency planning and on some of the ideas and opportunities that come out of doing scenario planning. You can read this short 2 page paper at: AI - Job Disruption due to AI
- The National AI Strategy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) has just been published but not unexpectedly focuses on driving AI forward and on ethics and regulation but does not address the topic of job disruption.
Government Information that may interest you
This month we highlight three more examples of information on Parliament activity and outputs which may interest you:
3 meaty documents this month
- Brexit opportunities: regulatory reforms - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) reviews the laws that govern the UK post-Brexit. Brush up your pounds and ounces.
- pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) a progress report on the post-Covid job market.
- Build_Back_Better-_Our_Plan_for_Health_and_Social_Care.pdf the long-awaited document.
Forthcoming October Discussion
Our discussion for October is on Social Care, you can see the proposed agenda at: Topic for October 2021 - Social Care. As ever, do send any thoughts on this topic as input to the meeting, or if you would like to attend the meeting just reply to this email and we’ll send you details.
Why not join a Group?
If you’d like to join one of the Probably42 discussion groups held via videoconferencing, just email in response to this newsletter and we’ll send you more details. We very much want a diversity of viewpoints, so you can be sure your views will be welcomed. Remember it’s about relaxed discussion and having an enjoyable time, with hopefully some useful ideas identified.
We also want to encourage face-to-face real world discussion groups, as feeders into the main online discussions. If you’d like to find out more about the one in Berkshire, or if you’d like to see one start in your area, just email in response to this newsletter and we’ll send you details.
Feedback
We always welcome any feedback, thoughts, ideas or questions about Probably42. Simply reply to this newsletter and you’ll receive a personal reply.
All the best
Tony