Working Group 9.2 chair, Professor Neil Gordon recently took part in a panel in the UK House of Lords on Tech, AI, and Ethics and Whistleblowing in his capacity as chair of the BCS Ethics Specialist Group.
Staged on 10 July during Whistleblowing Awareness Week, the workshop was hosted by Rt. Hon. Susan the Baroness Kramer and Whistleblowers UK and chaired by Lord Tim Clement-Jones, with a panel of experts from law, technology, media, academia, and industry. Neil contributed as one of the panellists.
The session focused on the intersection of whistleblowing and emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), with contributions from senior figures such as Nicholas Beale, Bryan Glick and Stephanie Boyce.
The event supported UK parliamentary efforts to establish an Office of Whistleblowing under a proposed bill that would offer stronger protections for individuals raising legitimate concerns within their organisations.
Panellists shared perspectives on the ethical tensions in tech workplaces, noting that software and AI systems – now central to modern life – can cause harm if built carelessly or misused.
Professor Gordon, drawing on insights from a BCS Ethics Specialist Group member survey on living with AI and emerging technologies, emphasised the growing frequency of ethical dilemmas in computing roles and highlighted the risks when employees are pressured to ignore concerns.
He echoed the need for a robust whistleblowing framework, referencing incidents like the Post Office Horizon scandal and recent controversies in AI systems that underscore why protecting whistleblowers is essential – not just for justice, but for public safety and social good.
If you have ideas on topics or activities you feel WG9.2 should be addressing, or are interested in being directly involved in WG9.2, please contact Neil Gordon @ n.a.gordon@hull.ac.uk