Biography
Alia Zafar is Director of HR & Facilities Management at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, bringing nearly three decades of experience across banking, energy, telecoms, and international development. A certified expert in Business AI from London Business School and Negotiation from Oxford, she is a keynote speaker on AI governance, digital transformation, and DEI at forums including London Tech Week and the Change Now Summit. Beyond her institutional role, Alia made history as the first woman elected to a cricket board in South Asia, and is a social entrepreneur, published author, and one of the global managers of the Hans Wahl Impact Entrepreneurs Community.
Session
- AI For GoodSpeaker
Keynote 53 - Responsible AI
Wednesday 23 September, 14:20 – 14:35Auditorium StageThis keynote challenges the narrow technical definition of Human-in-the-Loop and reframes it as a global governance question. As we see the impact of the current wave of AI reshaping behaviours, work, industries, nations, and societies, the focus and conversation around impact of AI on shaping the future of humanity. The talk explores the impact of AI on jobs, inequality, climate, national competitiveness, and human agency, focusing on intention and intentional , inclusive or empire building, and accountable or concentrated technology, capital or infrastructure and progress or environment levers. The audience will leave with a practical framework for balancing innovation with responsibility and ensuring humanity/humans remain at the centre of AI transformation. The key areas to be covered: - Human-in-the-Loop must extend beyond technical oversight to governance and values. - AI's multi dimensional impacts on individuals, organisations, industries, nations, and the planet. - Risks and perspective on them: people, ethics, security, climate, and societal risks. - The future of work and how the space has already shifted and what lies ahead - Intentional governance is essential to ensure the benefits of AI are broadly shared.