ACOSVO Conference 2023 - Data, Digital and AI
In November 2023, we had the pleasure of supporting the annual ACOSVO conference for charity leaders which was held in Edinburgh. ACOSVO is the membership organisation that supports Scottish charity CEOs, senior management and Chairs. The focus this year on data, digital and AI was responding to the membership’s need for more information and an opportunity for open discussion.
We acted as ACOSVO’s Learning Partner for the event, providing guidance on the topics and making introductions to contributors who could bring their knowledge to the day. Lucinda Godfrey and her team at ACOSVO pulled together a packed agenda, designed to inspire, inform and engage.
Rhodri Davies, founder of Why Philanthropy Matters opened the day with an insightful keynote looking not just at the potential impact of AI and the opportunities it represents, but also helping frame the day by highlighting the various different types of AI. This really helped begin to break through some of the hype surrounding AI and show it to be something more akin to a set of tools.
Rhodri then joined a panel session chaired by our Head of Partnerships, Kirsty McIntosh, exploring the current state of tech adoption in Scotland with Dilraj Sokhi-Watson from Equate Scotland, LEAD Scotland CEO Emma Whitelock and the SCVO’s John Fitzgerald. Touching mainly on AI, it was nevertheless a wide-ranging discussion about ethics, digital inclusion, equality and algorithmic bias.
The afternoon session on collaboration explored how charities could work together and share their learning and also touched on the challenges surrounding training and retaining digital skills in the charity workforce.
Charity leaders have much to consider at a time when all their resources are stretched, but it was clear that there is a desire to know more about both the advantages and the challenges tech adoption poses for the sector. At the start of the day, the conversations around the conference seemed to be ones of concern, with attention focused on the dangers and risks new technology represents, so it was an absolute joy to us that by the end of the day those conversations had morphed into discussions about the opportunities using tech in their organisations potentially offers and how they might get started.
When the pandemic forced charities to close their offices and continue to support their beneficiaries online, the sector’s willingness and ability to be adaptable was evident. It’s great that organisations like ACOSVO are providing the space and time for charity leaders to consider what comes next, and we’re looking forward to supporting them in 2024 and beyond.