Harnessing AI: Tools for Urban Leaders
November 13 - 15, 2023
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping our world.
It can help efficiently deliver social services, identify workforce trends and necessary skills, and provide localized climate predictions. But without ethical and transparent use, AI can easily exacerbate inequalities, intensify surveillance, and imperil democracy.
Now, it’s incumbent upon leaders at all levels to intentionally leverage AI’s potential for the good of society and the planet. This type of impactful leadership is only possible when great minds are converging to share experiences and build a collaborative future.
Event Video
Explore a series of deep-dive conversations among global leaders from government, business, and civil society on the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence and its impacts on cities.
From November 13-15 we gathered more than 200 leaders from across the globe in Chicago to examine this year's theme, Harnessing AI: Tools for Urban Leaders, and lay the groundwork for critical multi-sector collaborations on the deployment of artificial intelligence in the urban context.
Watch select video from the 2023 Pritzker Forum on Global Cities, or view all videos from each day below.
This panel sets the scene with a global overview of current sustainability efforts involving AI and will then explore two case studies of initiatives to save lives and inform sustainable policies.
In this session, we explore how cities can play a pivotal role as the need for skilled workers continues to rise.
Agenda
After a digital hiatus, we are delighted to welcome you back to Chicago, November 13 - 15, 2023, for three days of networking, discussions, and workshops on "Harnessing AI: Tools for Urban Leaders."
Day 1: Monday, November 13
Private Mayor's Roundtable
Invitation only | Program starts at 2:00pm | Chicago Council on Global Affairs Board Room, 180 N. Stetson Ave.
Opening Night Program and Welcome Reception
5:30 - 8:30pm, Doors open at 5:00pm | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
Participants will enjoy an evening of conversations on the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence and its impacts on cities, as well as the presentation of the inaugural Pattis Family Foundation Global Cities Book Award followed by a networking reception.
Welcome Remarks
- Ivo Daalder, CEO, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
- Peter Spiegel, US Managing Editor, Financial Times
- Margot Pritzker, Chair, The Aspen Institute Board of Trustees
- Brandon Johnson, Mayor, City of Chicago
Keynote Address: Prioritizing Equity and Inclusion in AI and Quantum
Speaker: Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO, AnitaB.org
The Promise and Stakes of this Moment
How are tech leaders considering the ways in which cities may leverage this unprecedented moment of technological innovation?
Speakers
- Noelle Russell, Data ad AI Lead, Accenture Federal Services
- Nick Farina, Co-Founder and CEO, EeroQ Quantum Hardware
- David Graff, Vice President, Global Policy Standards, Trust and Safety, Google
- Stephanie Simmons, Founder and Chief Quantum Officer, Photonic Inc.
- Moderated by Elaine Moore, LEX Deputy Editor, Financial Times
The Pattis Family Foundation Global Cities Book Award Presentation
- Eugenie Birch, Chair, Global Cities Book Award Judging Committee
- Winner: John Lorinc, Author, Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias
Day 2: Tuesday, November 14
Breakfast and Networking
Starts at 8:00am | Rosebud Randolph, 130 E. Randolph St.
The Book Cellar
Starts at 8:00am | Rosebud Randolph, 130 E. Randolph St.
Stop by to explore a collection of impactful books on global cities and urban policy.
Mainstage Programming
Program starts at 9:00am | Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Conference Center, 130 E. Randolph St.
Building a Workforce for the AI Economy | 9:15 - 10:05am
Is there truth behind the common narrative that AI will inevitably lead to job losses for workers across sectors and skill levels?
Speakers
- Alison Lands, Director of Strategy, SkyHive Technologies
- Danielle Li, Associate Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management
- Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO, AnitaB.org
- Moderated by Elaine Moore, LEX Deputy Editor, Financial Times
Flashtalk: Yuriko Koike, Governor, Tokyo | 10:05 - 10:15am
AI for Local Climate Action | 10:15 - 11:05am
How can AI assist in the fight to reduce global warming and save lives from climate disasters?
Speakers
- Jennifer Angel, CEO, Evergreen
- Amen Mashariki, Director, Data Strategies, Bezos Earth Fund
- Anshu Sharma, Co-Founder, SEEDS India
- Moderated by Hannah Murphy, Tech Reporter, Financial Times
Flashtalk: Penny Abeywardena, Former Commissioner for International Affairs, New York City | 11:05 - 11:15am
Coffee Break | 11:15am - 12:15pm
The Semiconductor Race | 12:15 - 1:00pm
What role will cities play as the need for skilled workers and emerging technology continues to rise?
Speakers
- Rashid Bashir, Dean, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Raja Krishnamoorthi, Representative, IL 8th District, US Congress
- Jenilee Keefe Singer, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Special Competitive Studies Project
- Moderated by Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO, AnitaB.org
Lunch Break | 1:00 - 2:30pm
Urban Social Service Access | 2:30 - 3:20pm
How can AI revolutionize the way cities deliver social services to their citizens to make the process more ethical and efficient?
Speakers
- Hairil Rizal Abdullah, Clinical Director, Office of Value Based Healthcare, Singapore General Hospital
- Santiago Garces, Chief Information Officer, City of Boston
- Jenn Thom, Director of Experience Insights, Code for America
- Jamie VanDodick, Director, AI Ethics and Governance, IBM
- Moderated by Claire Bushey, Chicago Correspondent, Financial Times
Flashtalk: Eric Jones, Deputy County Executive for Public Safety, Sacramento County | 3:20 - 3:30pm
Deploying AI for Safer Communities | 3:30 - 4:20pm
Is there a way to leverage AI technology equitably, to pursue a goal of safety rather than security?
Speakers
- Carolina Caeiro, Senior Internet Policy Specialist, Oxford Information Labs
- Ishanu Chattopadhyay, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Data Science, University of Chicago
- Neal Parikh, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of International & Public Affairs, Columbia University
- Moderated by Hannah Murphy, Tech Reporter, Financial Times
Tech is Only Part of the Solution | 4:20 - 5:05pm
What do effective human touchpoints for AI deployment look like, and why are they important?
Speakers
- Celina Bottino, Project Director, Institute for Technology and Society Rio
- Renee Cummings, Assistant Professor, School of Data Science, University of Virginia
- Bianca Wylie, Co-Founder and Partner, Digital Public
- Moderated by Beth Blauer, Associate Vice Provost for Public Sector Innovation, Johns Hopkins University
Night Owl
Starts at 8:30pm | Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Dr.
Join fellow attendees for a casual after-hours networking session at The Living Room Bar and Lounge
Day 3: Wednesday, November 15
Breakfast and Networking
Starts at 8:00am | Rosebud Randolph, 130 E. Randolph St.
The Book Cellar
Starts at 8:00am | Rosebud Randolph, 130 E. Randolph St.
Stop by to explore a collection of impactful books on global cities and urban policy.
Mainstage Programming
Program starts at 9:15am | Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Conference Center, 130 E. Randolph St.
What's Next: City Diplomacy for Urban AI | 9:15 - 9:55am
Global collaboration is essential to ensure AI technology adheres to shared ethical standards and principles. But where does that collaboration start? And who defines the shared principles?
Speakers
- Michael Donaldson Carbón, Commissioner for Urban Innovation, Barcelona City Council
- Ian Klaus, Founding Director, Carnegie California
- In conversation with Penny Abeywardena, Former Commissioner for International Affairs, New York City
Closing Remarks | 9:55 - 10:00am
Deep Dive Workshops
Invitation only | Program is from 10:30am - 12:00pm | Offsite locations
AI to Localize SDGs
This workshop will highlight examples of collaborative partnerships enabling equitable progress toward sustainability goals, and discuss the groundwork cities must lay before embarking on a journey to localize SDGs using AI.
Speakers
- Micheline Ayoub, Executive Director, Sustainability in the Digital Age
- Martin Canning, Executive Director, Government Innovation, Evergreen
- Moderated by Kris Hartley, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, City University of Hong Kong
AI, Disinformation, and the Future of Journalism
This workshop will explore examples of AI being utilized to support free exchange of factual information, and how cities can ensure information shared with citizens is trustworthy.
Speakers
- Carolina Caeiro, Senior Internet Policy Specialist, Oxford Information Labs
- Florencia Coelho, Co-founder, La Nación Data
- Ryan Merkley, Senior Technology Fellow, The Aspen Institute
- Moderated by Ann Dwyer, Editor, Crain's Chicago Business
Creating an Ecosystem for AI Innovation
This workshop will examine how citizens and communities can be involved in the development of AI strategies, particularly through building knowledge about AI and ethical guidelines for use. It will also discuss what successful multi-sector collaborations look like, and how they are achieved.
Speakers
- Christine Keung, General Partner, J2 Ventures
- Hashim Mteuzi, Senior Program Director, Local Initiatives, Code for America
- Satya Pandey, Chief Technology Officer – Investment Banking, William Blair
- Neal Parikh, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of International & Public Affairs, Columbia University
- Jenilee Keefe Singer, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Special Competitive Studies Project
- Moderated by Michael Koh, Executive Fellow, Centre for Liveable Cities
Cities, Safety, and AI Ethics
In collaboration with Peace in our Cities, this workshop will examine the impact of AI-powered public safety and surveillance tools and explore how ethics can inform the design and use of AI tools to build peace in our cities. We'll discuss the important role of new technology in enhancing urban safety while respecting the rights of all residents.
Speakers
- Celina Bottino, Project Director, Institute for Technology and Society Rio
- Morgan Hitzig, Head of Operations and Growth Strategy, Peregrine
- Max Isaacs, Senior Staff Attorney, Policing Project
- Eric Jones, Deputy County Executive for Public Safety, Sacramento County
- Stephen Lamoreaux, Director, Crime Data Analytics, Detroit Police Department
- Moderated by Rachel Locke, Director, Violence, Inequality and Power Lab, University of San Diego
Closing Lunch
Starts at 12:00pm | Rosebud Randolph, 130 E. Randolph St.
Speakers
Our speakers represent a diverse cross-section of local and global leaders who come together to explore our world’s most pressing urban challenges from policymakers and scholars to business and civic leaders.
About
Since 2015, the Pritzker Forum on Global Cities, cohosted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Financial Times, has elevated the role cities play in addressing critical global challenges through its high-level convenings.
The 2023 in-person Pritzker Forum is invitation-only. Watch videos and see the speakers from past events.
About the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight on critical global issues, advances policy solutions, and fosters dialogue about what is happening in the world and why it matters to people in Chicago, the United States, and around the globe.
About the Financial Times
The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading business news organizations, recognized internationally for its authority, integrity, and accuracy. The FT has a record paying readership of one million, three-quarters of which are digital subscriptions. It is part of Nikkei Inc., which provides a broad range of information, news, and services for the global business community.