Not Neutral: What AI Harms in Schools Teach Us About Systems Thinking

Schedule

Wed Aug 19 2026 at 06:30 pm to 08:30 pm

UTC+01:00
Location

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT | London, EN

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Technology isn't neutral. AI harms in education emerge from ordinary decisions. Can BAs and systems thinkers imagine a different model?
About this Event

Speaker

Maria Flores



Synopsis

Technology is neither good nor bad, nor is it neutral. Neither is the normal way things are done.

This talk looks at how AI can hurt kids at school, even when nobody meant for it to happen. It looks into what's happening in secondary schools, the new rules to keep children safe, and studies showing that kids are seeing fake, hurtful photos of other pupils but don't have the words to talk about it.

It also shares a lesson Maria taught to future teachers in Spain. The big idea from that lesson: the best defence against AI harm is people who read, think, and ask questions.

Schools have worked the same way for a long time, with good parts and not-so-good parts. Now technology is changing things in new ways.

This talk asks how people who study systems and change could design things differently and also a hands-on activity.



About the speaker

Maria Flores is Global Head of Data Protection and Privacy at HKA. She chairs the BCS Business Change Specialist Group and sits on the IAPP Advisory Board.

Her career spans technology, law and privacy leadership, and she holds the AIGP, CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM, CIPT and FIP certifications; Alongside the BCS Diploma in Business Analysis and Chartered IT Professional status. She has spoken at Oxford University, IAPP events and the Universidad de Valladolid (Spain) where she recently gave a lesson about AI harms and critical thinking to trainee teachers, the lesson this talk grew from. She works in English, Spanish and Italian.


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This event is brought to you by: Business Change specialist group


Agenda

🕑: 06:30 PM
Event Starts
🕑: 07:15 PM
Questions and answers
🕑: 07:30 PM
Networking and Nibbles
🕑: 08:30 PM
Event finishes
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Where is it happening?

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, 25 Copthall Ave, London, United Kingdom

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

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