Highlights from Trust Conference 2024

Last month, more than 750 delegates from over 50 countries came together in London for Trust Conference 2024.

In a year where more people are going to the polls than any other year in history, trust in the democratic process has never been more important.

Against this backdrop, we heard from world-leading speakers across two days as they exchanged expertise, frontline experiences and extraordinary insights, covering a range of critical issues: from threats to democracy and media freedom in this 'super election' year, to the future of responsible business in the wake of global transformations.

The conference also provided a unique platform for forging connections with like-minded professionals from across the globe.

We're excited to share some highlights from this year's conference below.

On day one, we were joined by renowned experts, including:

• Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa
• Award-winning journalist Kara Swisher
• Vice President of News at Google, Richard Gingras
• Barrister Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC
• Editor-in-Chief of Ukrainska Pravda, Sevgil Musaieva
• Al Jazeera English Correspondent in Gaza, Youmna El Sayed

Speakers examined attacks on press freedom which have forced journalists to flee their countries, and gave first-hand accounts of their experiences reporting from conflict zones. Others explored the ways in which the distortion of information has impacted democracy, with Kara Swisher emphasising the need to continue to hold power to account.

Speakers also delved into the adoption of AI, with Claire Leibowicz of Partnership on AI highlighting social media companies' responsibility to disclose AI-generated content. Jane Barrett, Head of Reuters AI Strategy, discussed AI's potential to free up journalists' time, while Ginny Badanes of Microsoft's Democracy Forward, stressed how organisations must maximise the potential opportunities of AI and minimise the potential harm.

On day two, leading experts explored how to balance competition and innovation with accountability and potential human rights implications. 

We heard from speakers such as:

• Mark Surman, President of the Mozilla Foundation
• Mariagrazia Squicciarini, Chief of Executive Office at the Social and Human Sciences Sector, UNESCO
• Amanda Mackenzie LVO OBE of The Queen's Reading Room and Chair of the Responsible Business Committee at Lloyds Banking Group
• Dr Sally Uren OBE, Chief Executive of Forum for the Future

With the AI revolution presenting continued complexities and opportunities, the conference was underpinned by AI’s impact on geopolitics, businesses and legal frameworks.

Dr Sally Uren stressed that broadening the role of business can broaden the role of the economy, while Andrew Pakes, MP, emphasised that AI itself isn't accountable, but the organisations deploying it must be held responsible.

In this context, we were thrilled to announce our partnership with UNESCO on the AI Governance Disclosure Initiative, a pioneering corporate survey to help leaders map their AI use, mitigate risks and harness the benefits of new technologies. If you are interested in taking part, please register your interest.

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Mark your calendars! Next year's conference will take place October 21 and 22, 2025.

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