MeetUp – AI Reads: Code Dependent and Empire of AI

Description

Code Dependent by Madhumita Murgia explores how automated and AI-enabled systems are increasingly used to make or shape decisions about work, welfare, finance, healthcare and justice. Through real-world case studies, the book highlights how organisations can become dependent on systems they do not fully understand, with responsibility and accountability shifting from people to code.

This MeetUp will examine what “code dependence” means for information governance, including the ability to evidence decisions, meet recordkeeping and privacy obligations, and explain AI-assisted outcomes to regulators, courts and the public.

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Empire of AI: Inside the Reckless Race for Total Domination by Karen Hao, Allen Lane, 2025. Hao explores the rapid rise of AI, focusing on the implications and the race for dominance among major companies like OpenAI.  The book reveals the hidden costs and ethical dilemmas arising from labour and environmental issues, the ethical implications of large-scale AI, as well as what opaque supply chains mean for auditability and governance.

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Together, these two books provide a practical and challenging lens on how AI is deployed in real organisational settings, and why information governance professionals need to be involved from design through to operation and review.

Discussion themes

• Organisational reliance on automated and AI-driven decision-making
• Transparency and explainability obligations
• Accountability gaps created by complex or opaque systems
• The role of information governance, privacy and assurance in AI oversight

Note:
This is an interactive discussion-based session. Participants are required to have their video cameras on to support active engagement.
The MeetUp will be conducted under Chatham House Rule and will not be recorded, to enable open discussion and the free exchange of views.