In a groundbreaking feat, 22-year-old final-year undergraduate Lizbeth (Elizabeth) Chandler, hailing from Cornwall, has clinched both the Women in Tech Award and Innovate UK’s Young Innovators Award. Her startup, The Good Robot Company, has garnered attention for its mission to enhance business inclusivity through the identification and reduction of bias in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems.
In the pursuit of a better world through the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), The Good Robot Company advocates for the effectiveness, ethics, and bias-free nature of future AI. With a commitment to ensuring bias-free AI for current and future generations, the company proactively identifies and addresses bias issues before they escalate into legal concerns. By facilitating the early detection of bias, The Good Robot Company supports AI’s optimal and ethical operation, providing companies with actionable information to address and counter biases in their systems.
Lizbeth’s organization is dedicated to forging a future of ethical AI. In alignment with this mission, the team has harnessed insights from cutting-edge academic research, invested hundreds of hours in development, and actively participated in some of the world’s foremost AI conferences. The result is a web-integrated tool accessible to developers worldwide.
At The Good Robot Company, Lizbeth utilizes a unique approach called ‘counter-factual analysis,’ incorporated into a bias toolkit. She authored an academic paper aligned with her industry practices, attracting considerable attention. Lizbeth’s initiatives have not only sparked interest but have also motivated industry collaborators to engage further, presenting a truly thrilling progression in her pursuits.
In a one-on-one conversation with Lizbeth, we explore the realm of ethical AI and its potential future impact on both humanity and businesses.
Aspioneer (AP) – How do you define the essence of your organization, and what distinguishes its unique value proposition?
Lizbeth Chandler (LC) – We have transitioned from solely focusing on Ethical AI bias detection to seamlessly incorporating these innovations into physical assistive technology. Over the past few months, as I pursue my Ph.D. in bioengineering, it has become evident that our company stands out as one of the few with a foundation for developing impactful and innovative assistive technology using AI, characterized by an ethical approach in our endeavors.
AP – What exactly is Fair AI and how relevant is it to the current business landscape?
LC – It is crucial to ensure fairness in AI systems to ensure their overall effectiveness. This not only helps to protect the reputation of your organization but also ensures that the decisions made by your AI are unbiased and just. The Good Robot Company offers an AI Fairness Scanner that comes equipped with advanced, next-generation bias analytics. This allows you to easily identify, visualize, and manage any biases within your AI/ML systems to maintain robust decision-making capabilities without compromising on fairness.
AP – What major issue do you aim to address through your product or service?
LC – In the origin of Good Robot, Ethical AI was seen through solely a technical lens, it was equality of opportunity without the equality of outcomes. In academia I found there was a massive issue with bias, I am diagnosed with autism and often AI can be found having bias and discriminating inadvertently against diverse people – I wanted to provide the industry with a toolkit to tackle this. Now, the shift to assistive tech is that there is little open innovation in the space, and being in connection with amazing global charities like Remarkable I’m in a good position to make a real positive impact, even if Good Robot just keeps innovating from a research position.
AP – What are the future implications of the products/services you are developing?
LC – I use design thinking to anticipate as many results as possible, we co-create innovation with the groups of disabilities that the technology focuses on assisting. The future implication is ideally a shift in the world of assistive technology and ethical AI now.
AP – In what manner are ESG criteria and requirements integrated into your roadmap and business plan?
LC – ESG has been proven to be a competitive advantage for companies. I studied circular economy at the University of Exeter, along with a business degree in Cornwall. During that tenure, I discovered that integrating sustainability as a pillar in your company can lead to a lot of positive outcomes, both socially and ecologically.
AP – Could you provide deeper insights into the formative years of your life and the specific experiences that played a pivotal role in shaping your decision to pursue a career in ethical AI?
LC -I was non-verbal as a young child and it was difficult for me to communicate, I wished there was a wider array of technological innovations that could’ve enhanced and enabled my school experiences, communication with others, and integration into society. I understand that this is not an uncommon desire among others with disabilities I speak to, and I wanted to provide a way for innovation to happen in this intersection of AI and assistive technology and ensure it was from a point of tackling issues like bias from the get-go.
"In the origin of Good Robot, Ethical AI was seen through solely a technical lens, it was equality of opportunity without the equality of outcomes."
AP – Do you have a particular piece of career advice that you consistently find yourself revisiting?
LC – Don’t take criticism too personally, they are trying to make what you’re trying to produce even better, to enhance your positive impact – take it in your stride and always look at every bit of feedback as a chance to improve. Be brave enough to change.
AP – Can you mention some key strategies or initiatives as CEO that transformed the company’s industry positioning?
LC – Casual innovation mapping, understanding the causality of the ecosystem you work in and ensuring you are making the most of the support but also providing the most benefit via innovative co-creation. This strategy is my own, it involves literally mapping out the stakeholders, areas of focus/impact and intention of relationship and then instilling where you could undertake more robust innovation validation and research.
AP – In your opinion, which upcoming technologies do you believe will propel your company to new heights?
LC – I am excited to learn more about the recent advancements in computer vision and brain-AI interface technologies. The ability to use neuron patterns to control robotics is a significant breakthrough, especially for people with motor disabilities. However, it also has the potential to improve the lives of mainstream users daily. This technology is a game-changer, and I’m looking forward to exploring it further.
AP – In what ways are you supporting and empowering other women in the tech industry to pursue and attain their career aspirations?
LC – I do a lot of work in the Women in Tech/Business space running summer internships in Cornwall. I’m also part of the diversity and inclusivity groups for AI in London. I was lucky enough to be awarded TechWomen’s Rising Star, and one of the Top 100 women in ethical AI globally.
I’m also presenting at an upcoming groundbreaking event, Ctrl Alt Del! This one-day summit, happening on 21st February 2024 at the Hall for Cornwall, is a visionary collaboration between TECwomen CIC and Software Cornwall and part of the Cornwall Festival of Tech.
