Taming the Algorithm: Can We Keep AI From Eating Us Alive?

The Instituto Cervantes in Manchester presents the talk “Taming the Algorithm: Can We Keep AI From Eating Us Alive?” featuring CSIC researcher Jesús Cerquides and moderated by Amanda Odell-West lecturer at the University of Manchester.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant promise — it’s embedded in our phones our classrooms our hospitals and our headlines. It helps us work faster and think bigger but it also blurs lines between fact and fiction amplifies bias and concentrates power in ways that could undermine the very foundations of democratic society.

This talk takes a critical (and occasionally irreverent) look at how AI is reshaping our world what ethical lines we risk crossing and why “just because we can” isn’t always a good enough reason. No easy answers — but plenty of reasons to stay vigilant.

About the panellist:

Jesús Cerquides is a researcher at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA) of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and advisor on disinformation at the Spanish Prime Minister's Cabinet. His previous positions include an assistant professorship at the University of Barcelona and the University Pablo Olavide Chief Technology Officer and member of the board at Intelligent Software Components S.A. and Associate Director at Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS AG). His research interests include probabilistic and causal machine learning multi-agent systems democratic and AI-enhanced citizen science and AI-based solutions for disinformation. He serves regularly as area chair in major AI conferences such as ECAI IJCAI and AAAI. He is currently an associate editor of the Artificial Intelligence Journal.

Amanda Odell-West is a Senior Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Manchester and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She transitioned to law with a professional background in the NHS and biomedical research—a unique path that shaped her doctoral research in patent law and her enduring interest in the legal implications of technological evolution particularly within the healthcare sector.