Accolade for academic with ‘vital and compelling’ research to share with BBC audiences
“The New Generation Thinkers programme brings interesting, important ideas to a wider audience, shaping public thought and discussion”
A researcher with ‘big ideas’ from St John’s College has been revealed as a ‘New Generation Thinker’ by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC.
Dr Kerry McInerney is among 10 of the UK’s most promising arts and humanities early career academics to land the 2023 accolade as part of a scheme that will see her share her pioneering research on gender, race and artificial intelligence (AI) by making programmes for BBC Radio 3.
Every year, the BBC and AHRC hold a nationwide search for the best new arts and humanities researchers with ideas that will resonate with members of the public. Their research has the potential to redefine understanding of an array of topics.
Professor Christopher Smith, AHRC Executive Chair, said: “The New Generation Thinkers programme brings interesting, important ideas to a wider audience, shaping public thought and discussion.
“From fascinating insights into feminism and philosophy, to the way we heat our homes and Viking burial rites, to the most challenging problems of our day, this is research at its most original, vital and compelling.”
A Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge and at the AI Now Institute at New York University, Dr McInerney is also a College Research Associate at St John’s. A co-host of The Good Robot podcast on feminism and technology, she looks at anti-Asian racism in AI; AI hiring software; diversity, equality and inclusion in the tech industry, and why representations of AI scientists on screen matter.
Dr McInerney said: “It’s an incredible honour to have the opportunity to bring my research on gender, race and artificial intelligence (AI) to a much wider audience. In a moment of extraordinary AI hype – as shown by the excitement around ChatGPT – I hope my work with BBC Radio 3 will help people explore the ethical, social, political and ecological issues around AI.”
Last year Dr McInerney was recognised as one of the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics and is co-editor of two upcoming volumes, The Good Robot: Feminist Voices on the Future of Technology and Feminist AI: Critical Perspectives on Algorithms, Data and Intelligent Machines.
The names of this year’s New Generation Thinkers were revealed during a special episode of Free Thinking broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday 4 April at 10pm. The episode is now available on BBC Sounds and Arts & Ideas podcast.
Professor Smith added: “These 10 brilliant, original thinkers demonstrate the potential for the arts and humanities to help us to better understand ourselves, our past, our present and our future.”
As well as having the opportunity to make programmes for BBC Radio 3, the New Generation Thinkers will receive training and support from AHRC and the BBC. Hundreds of academics applied this year, from which 60 were invited to day-long workshops with the BBC to develop their ideas with radio show producers. The final 10 were then selected as New Generation Thinkers.
Matthew Dodd, BBC Radio 3 Head of Speech, said: “Radio 3 is delighted to join our colleagues at AHRC in celebrating this year’s New Generation Thinkers intake. The research these academics present is key to understanding our past and present, offering new perspectives on the exploration of human history and culture.
”Their inspiring and stimulating ideas on such a wide variety of topics deserve to be heard by a non-specialist audience, and we are pleased to be able to give these fascinating minds a platform to bring their work to as many listeners as possible.”
The academics on the scheme will also spend a year being mentored by producers from Radio 3’s Free Thinking programme, where they will appear and take part in discussions throughout the year. They will also work on episodes of The Essay, which is due to be broadcast on the channel next spring.
In addition, Dr McInerney has contributed to a major new report published by the AI Now Institute, 2023 Landscape: Confronting the Tech Power.
Published 5/4/2023
Updated 17/4/2023