The Great Debate | NCL in Action | Newcastle University

With the rapid expansion of AI in the workplace, the question in all our minds is ‘will AI take my job?’.

From automation of tasks to supporting difficult decision-making, there is certainly a place for Artificial Intelligence in the workplace of today and the future. But what are the real limitations and possibilities?

Join our panel of experts for an exciting debate on whether AI will ever fully replace humans in the workplace.

Meet the host

Rob McCargow, Technology Impact Leader, PwC UK

Rob leads market activation for PwC’s cloud and digital transformation business in the UK. He is a leading voice in AI and an evangelist for the responsible and ethical adoption of technology and its impact on society.

He’s a Visiting Fellow at Bayes Business School, and a founding board member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI. HR Magazine ranks him as an ‘HR Most Influential Thinker’, Onalytica cites him as a ‘Who’s Who in AI’, and he was voted ‘Tech Community Leader of the Year’ at CogX. He won Editor’s Choice at the TechWomen100 Awards and is a Male Agent of Change finalist at the Everywoman in Tech Awards in recognition of his championing of the women in tech agenda.

Meet the panellists

Kirsty Ostell, Managing Director, O Agency

Kirsty leads strategic marketing at O, bringing over 16 years of experience both in house and in agency to clients across the corporate and consumer sectors. Kirsty is an expert in helping businesses to future proof their strategic marketing plans and loves working with a range of clients to help them to achieve their goals and make a serious, measurable impact with their marketing.

Dr Ashmita Randhawa, Director of R&D and Lead for Digital Catapult North East Tees Valley

Dr Ashmita Randhawa is a biomedical engineer turned social scientist. Having worked in corporate R&D for Procter & Gamble for over 6 years formulating consumer goods products, she pivoted her career and discipline to focus on understanding the impact of policymaking on the development of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills, completing her PhD at the University of Oxford; here she focused on understanding how education and policy systems can have an impact on educational innovation.

She is currently the Director of R&D at Sunderland Software City and leads the work for the Digital Catapult in the North East & Tees Valley, supporting businesses on their digital transformation journeys. She also co-leads the work of the Hartree Centre ¦ NE Hub with Barry Hodgson at the National Innovation Centre for Data. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the SKOPE Research Centre, University of Oxford and Visiting Professor at the National Innovation Centre for Data, Newcastle University.

Hilary du Randt, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson

Recognised in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK Directory for being "extremely knowledgeable in the field of employment law and a pleasure to work with", the "incisive and very able", Hilary is a Partner and heads up WBD's North East Employment team.

She acts for a range of public and private sector clients and advises on all aspects of employment law, from recruitment through to dismissal. Her practice includes advising on complex disciplinary and grievance matters, equality and diversity issues, and providing legal and tactical advice on handling issues of underperformance, absence and dismissals at all levels. She also advises on all aspects of reorganisations, including collective redundancies and restructuring as well as changing terms and conditions.

Hilary has particular expertise advising and defending clients in relation to claims for discrimination, and regularly speaks on issues affecting workforce planning, from managing inter-generational diversity in the workplace to the increasing significance of AI in the world of work.