KINTalk: Can AI be ethical in practice—not just on paper?

🤖 Ethical AI is easy to talk about. Harder to do.

Join us for the KINTalk with Tim Vermeulen, Director of Digital Strategy & Architecture at Alliander (Liander) at the KIN Center for Digital Innovation. Tim will talk about the evolution of AI and the ethical safeguards needed to manage the Dutch power grid responsibly.

Liander runs over 60 AI models in production, including models that can replace physical home visits, and models that help decide where to invest in grid capacity. But how do you ensure outcomes stay fair, explainable, and aligned with public values?

We’ll discuss:

• Efficiency vs. fairness in automated decisions
• Avoiding “rich-get-richer” dynamics in asset planning
• The human boundary: where monitoring/support becomes too much
• What it takes to build an Ethics Board that works

If you work on AI, governance, compliance, or infrastructure, this one is for you.

!!!This event is in person - please click this link to register!!!

More information:

Tim Vermeulen will talk about the evolution of AI and the ethical safeguards needed to manage the Dutch power grid responsibly. He will unpack the journey of algorithmic bias, from early origins to what it means in production today, through concrete examples from Liander’s operations:

• Efficiency versus fairness: Liander currently has more than 60 AI models in production. One model fully assesses 1-to-3 phase connections using AI, reducing the need for physical home visits. How can we ensure that such decisions remain fair and explainable?
• Strategic asset management: When an AI model recommends where to lay cables, how do we prevent it from systematically prioritizing neighborhoods with higher existing EV adoption?
• The human element: Where should boundaries be drawn when it comes to monitoring and supporting employees?

To address these complex questions, Liander has established a dedicated Ethics Board. Tim will share insights into what it takes to make such a board effective in practice.

📅 Date & time: 12 February, 17:15–19:00
📍 Location: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Main Building, HG-Agora 3

We’ll wrap up the KINTalk with networking, snacks, and drinks—because the best ideas often start over good conversations (and free drinks and snacks!).

!!!This event is in person - please click this link to register!!!