Dr Oldfield Keynote at Staff Development Forum
November 10, 2025
In the L&D world AI is becoming a key feature. This talk is about how we can be risk aware.
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In the L&D world AI is becoming a key feature. This talk is about how we can be risk aware.
For those heading back to work after a career break, understanding the world of AI and how tech has changed is critical. This talk examines some of the most pertinent issues.
Introduction As Artificial Intelligence continues to mature, the need for professional standards is more urgent than ever. The launch of the new AI Professional Accreditation marks a significant milestone in the industry, aiming to standardize practices and ensure a high level of expertise and ethical conduct among AI professionals. This blog post explores the importance of this accreditation and how it will shape the future of AI development. Why Professional Accreditation Matters In a field as complex and impactful as AI, a lack of standardized skills and ethical guidelines can lead to unreliable and even harmful outcomes. The new AI Professional Accreditation provides a clear, universally recognized benchmark for competence and ethical understanding. For professionals, it is a way to demonstrate their expertise and commitment to quality. For organizations, it offers a way to vet candidates and ensure their teams are equipped with the knowledge needed to build responsible AI systems. Setting Standards for a New Era The accreditation focuses on a comprehensive set of competencies that go beyond just technical skills. It includes modules on AI ethics, data governance, legal compliance, and risk management. This holistic approach ensures that accredited professionals are not only excellent at building models but
Introduction The field of Artificial Intelligence is experiencing rapid growth, yet practitioners face a complex landscape of technical challenges that can hinder progress. From ensuring data integrity to building ethical algorithms, the journey from concept to a deployed AI solution is filled with obstacles. This blog post explores the most significant technical challenges for AI practitioners and provides a roadmap for overcoming them to build more robust and trustworthy AI systems. To read the full published paper click here. The Challenge of Data and Scalability At the heart of every AI system is data. One of the primary challenges practitioners face is managing vast, messy, and often incomplete datasets. Simply collecting data is not enough; it must be cleaned, preprocessed, and formatted correctly for models to learn effectively. Furthermore, as AI applications scale from prototypes to enterprise-level solutions, managing computational resources and ensuring the system can handle a massive influx of data becomes a critical technical hurdle. Algorithmic Complexity and Model Explainability The sophistication of modern AI models, particularly deep neural networks, presents another set of challenges. These “black box” models can be incredibly effective but often lack transparency, making it difficult to understand how they arrive at a decision.
Dr. Oldfield took center stage as a plenary speaker at the GORS UK Government Operational Research Service Conference, sharing his insights on AI ethics and its role in government policy.
Oldfield Consultancy’s AI training courses 2025 have reached full capacity, highlighting the demand for AI assurance and ethical AI knowledge. Why These Courses Are Unique Who Benefits? Current delivery to UK Government and UK Universities highlights our high quality and the immediate impact these courses have for AI professionals and beginners. Pre-register for upcoming AI training sessions to secure your spot.
At the SPRITE+ Expert Fellows Conference 2025, Dr Oldfield emphasized AI assurance, ethical frameworks, and data-driven standards. Keynote Highlights Learn how Oldfield Consultancy ensures responsible AI adoption.
Introduction At the recent Sprite+ Fellows event, Dr. Oldfield delivered a compelling address on the fundamental connection between AI and statistics. This talk highlighted how statistical methods are crucial not only for building robust AI models but also for ensuring they are fair and reliable. This blog post dives into the key points from that speech, exploring how data-driven insights are shaping the future of artificial intelligence. The Link Between AI and Statistics Many people view AI as a futuristic, almost magical technology, but at its core, it is deeply rooted in statistics. Dr. Oldfield explained that AI models are essentially complex statistical tools that learn from data to make predictions or decisions. Statistics provides the mathematical framework for understanding data, identifying patterns, and validating the performance of an AI model. Without a solid understanding of statistics, it’s impossible to build AI systems that are both effective and trustworthy. Key Takeaways from the Sprite+ Event Dr. Oldfield’s presentation at the Sprite+ Fellows event focused on several key areas. He spoke about the importance of statistical rigor in training data, emphasizing that a flawed dataset will inevitably lead to a flawed AI model. He also discussed how statistical analysis can be
Introduction In an age of rapid technological change, the role of technicians is evolving faster than ever. Dr. Oldfield recently addressed this critical topic at the National Technicians Development Forum, where she spoke on the future of technical skills in a world increasingly powered by AI and data. This blog post explores the key insights from her speech, highlighting the essential skills technicians need to thrive in the new economy. The Changing Role of Technicians Dr. Oldfield’s keynote emphasized that the traditional role of a technician is no longer sufficient. Technicians are no longer just maintenance professionals; they are now also becoming data analysts, problem-solvers, and innovators. As smart systems and automated processes become commonplace, technicians must understand not only the hardware but also the underlying data and AI models that drive them. This shift requires a continuous commitment to learning and skill development. The Importance of AI and Data Skills The discussion moved on to why AI and data skills are now fundamental for technicians. Dr. Oldfield explained that these skills enable technicians to perform predictive maintenance, troubleshoot complex systems more efficiently, and even contribute to the design of new technologies. Understanding how to interpret sensor data or analyze
At the All Ireland Technical Conference 2025, Dr Oldfield highlighted the importance of statistics, data science, and ethical AI in shaping future technologies. Why AI Assurance Matters Key Takeaways Want to build trustworthy AI? Contact Oldfield Consultancy today.