October 9, 2020

Francis AI Technologies, Inc. (“Francis AI”), a leading smart city solutions provider, today announced the appointment of five new members to its AI Ethics Board. The board was established to ensure responsible development of its AI-powered technologies.

“We are delighted to welcome our new AI Ethics Board members. Their diverse viewpoints and wealth of knowledge and experience in AI, computer science, privacy, law enforcement, civil liberties, and public policy will be invaluable to the company,” said Chris Carson, Co-Founder & CEO of Francis AI. “As we lead the way in developing AI-powered smart city technologies with accountability, responsibility, and transparency, our AI Ethics Board will continue to play an important role.”

The new member appointments to Francis AI’s Ethics Board include:

Ansgar Koene, Ph.D. (Lead)

Dr. Ansgar Koene is currently the Global AI Ethics and Regulatory Leader at EY, where he supports AI policy development and engagement. As a Senior Research Fellow at the Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute (University of Nottingham), he contributes to the institute’s policy impact activities. He is also Chair of the IEEE P7003 Standard for Algorithmic Bias Considerations, the Bias Focus Group leader for the IEEE Ethics Certification Program for Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (ECPAIS), and a trustee for the 5Rgiths foundation for the Rights of Young People Online. Dr. Koene has a multi-disciplinary research background with publications on Policy and Governance of Algorithmic Systems (AI), data privacy, AI Ethics, AI Standards, bio-inspired Robotics, AI and Computational Neuroscience, and experimental Human Behavior/Perception studies.

Olaf Groth, Ph.D.

Dr. Olaf Groth is co-author of “Solomon’s Code: Humanity in a World of Thinking Machines” and CEO of Cambrian.ai, a globally networked advisory thinktank for the human-centric digital economy. He serves as Professor of Global Strategy, Innovation, Economics & Futures at Hult International Business School, Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley’s Roundtable on the International Economy, and is a Global Expert Network member at the World Economic Forum. Dr. Groth frequently comments on AI, automation, and other “deep tech” in leading business and technology publications such as Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, and WIRED, and on TV and radio shows. A futures and strategy adviser, capacity builder, and new ventures executive for disruption through DeepTech and the 4th Industrial Revolution, he has served on advisory boards of Fortune 100 companies and startups.

Mariah Lichtenstern

Mariah Lichtenstern is the Founding Partner of DiverseCity Ventures and Managing Director of the Founder Institute, Sacramento, California chapter, which was recognized by Forbes Magazine as the 3rd most gender diverse chapter in the world. An alumna of UC Berkeley, USC, and UCLA, she serves as an advisor for the California Clean Energy Fund’s CalSEED initiative, Berkeley Skydeck, Village Capital Finance Forward, FourthWave female founder accelerator, and Yale University School of Medicine’s Digital Innovation and Diversity Initiative. Mariah is also a member of UCLA Ventures and an Aspen Tech Policy Hub Fellow, where she advocates closing the tech industry funding gap.

Ronjon Nag, Ph.D.

Dr. Ronjon Nag is the founder of R42 Institute, a deep science think tank that invents, informs, and invests. As a founder and advisor/board member of multiple startups, he has cofounded and advised companies sold to Motorola, BlackBerry and Apple. A pioneer of smartphones and app stores, Dr. Nag has worked on neural networks, touch screens, mobile search, voice recognition, text prediction, and handwriting recognition. He received the IET Mountbatten Medal at the Royal Institution for his contributions to the modern mobile phone industry, and the $1m Verizon Powerful Answers Award. Dr. Nag has a PhD from Cambridge, an MS from MIT, and is currently a Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute Interdisciplinary Fellow based at the Stanford Center for Language and Information (CSLI).

Ziyang David Fan

Ziyang David Fan is an attorney and policy maker with over a decade of experience from both the public and private sectors, with a focus in the Asia Pacific region. An expert in digital trade, e-commerce, cross-border data flows, sharing economy, and TradeTech, he currently runs the Digital Trade program at the World Economic Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco. Ziyang has served as a Senior Legal Counsel for Airbnb, an Assistant General Counsel for the US Trade and Development Agency, and a Corporate Associate for the law firm of Shearman & Sterling. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University Law School.

The AI Ethics Board provides Francis AI with expert guidance on the development of AI-powered technologies, paying particular attention to its impact on communities. AI Ethics Board Lead, Ansgar Koene, is outside Francis AI’s chain of command and is available for anyone inside or outside the company to raise and address their concerns: ethics@Francis.ai

About Francis AI

Francis AI is pioneering smart traffic enforcement with its mobile platform to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of municipal fleet vehicles. Our platform allows government agencies to enforce traffic laws, while harnessing AIoT data to gain actionable insights that help enhance the quality of life of their communities. Developed by a team of experts in machine learning, data science, transportation, and government technology, our flagship product, Automated Bus Lane Enforcement, enforces dedicated bus lanes, delivery zones, and intersections to reduce traffic congestion, improve bus speeds, and increase transit ridership.

Contact info: media@Francis.ai

SOURCE Francis AI

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