Workshop and Conference 2024
Home » Faculties of Humanities » Departments » Department of Philosophy »The organisers of the ‘Technology Transfer and Culture in Africa” project at the University of Johannesburg Philosophy, in collaboration with the Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab invite you to join us for a sparkling line-up of national and international speakers at a three-day international conference, paired with a two-day workshop. Both take place at the University of Johannesburg’s AI Institute of South Africa. The workshop and conference are in-person events only – no online options are available.
Workshop: 18 & 19 November 2024
Conference: 20th – 22nd November 2024
Venue: UJ School of Tourism and Hospitality Conference Centre, Bunting Road campus
Address: 57 Bunting Rd, Cottesloe, Johannesburg, 2092
Attendance Registration Due Date: 10 November 2024
Due Date for Abstract Submission: 31 October 2024
The theme of the conference
The theme of the conference and workshop is “Technology Transfer and Culture in Africa: Large Scale Models in Focus.” Both are generously funded by the University of Notre Dame’s Ethics Lab and hosted by the department of Philosophy at the University of Johannesburg.
Target Audience
This conference aims to foster collaboration among:
- Researchers: Academics and scholars engaged in studies of technology, culture, and language or other cognate fields.
- Policymakers: Government officials and experts responsible for shaping technology transfer policies in Africa.
- Practitioners: Industry professionals working with AI and language technologies, language practitioners.
The focus of the conference is the influence of technology transfer on African culture with a focus on large language models
The impact of technology transfer on culture is an underexplored issue in the literature, and the impact of large-language models has just recently received significant attention, but not from the standpoint of technology transfer and culture.
Large language models are socially and culturally disruptive in the way they alter the way we write and think. Large language models do not originate in a vacuum. They emerge from the societies and cultures in which they are developed. Because Language Models are trained on human-created texts and are deliberately led on specific themes by their designers, they are especially vulnerable to prejudices/bias.
It is on this note that the conference and workshop focus on questions such as: what implications do lived experiences, values, geography, and culture play in our conception, perception and interaction with social technologies like large language models? What impact does technology transfer have on language, as an aspect of culture? What other aspects of culture are impacted by technology transfer in this context?
Papers are not limited to the topics below, but papers on the following topics are encouraged:
- LLMs and Culture
- LLMs, Technology Transfer on Traditional African Industry
- LLMs, Cultural Adaptation and Technology Transfer
- Intellectual Property Rights and Cultural Heritage Preservation
- Community Engagement and Ownership
- Role of Education and Capacity Building
- The Digital Divide and Access to Technology in the context of LLMs
- Policy Frameworks and Governance in Technology Transfer, LLMs and Culture
- The Law, Technology Transfer and LLMs
- Ethical Considerations in Big Data and AI Technology Transfer
- LLMs, Innovation in Healthcare and other industries through Technology Transfer
We are honored to welcome esteemed speakers who will share their expertise in the fields of culture, language, and technology:
- Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo Fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation in the Governance Studies program at Brookings University (invited)
- Shakir Mohamed Associate Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, a research scientist and lead at DeepMind in London, founder and trustee of the Deep Learning Indaba, and an Honorary Professor of University College London (invited)
UJ School of Tourism and Hospitality. 57 Bunting Rd, Cottesloe, Johannesburg, 2092, South Africa.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LeMNfof8J6WGqan58
Where to stay:
The venue for the conference is part of the University of Johannesburg’s Auckland Park complex. There are many excellent guesthouses and hotels in the Auckland Park and Melville area.
We have negotiated a discounted rate for the following guesthouse that is within walking distance of the conference and workshop venue for participants:
Twickenham Guest House: www.twickenhamguesthouse.co.za or phone/whatsapp Linda on +27 82 782 4628.
- R1050 per night which includes breakfast but excludes 15% Vat.
- Complimentary transport to the Kingsway Campus/conference venue
- Airport transfers at an additional cost
- Dinner at R240 and a laundry service at additional cost.
For further inquiries, please contact:
- Catherine Botha: cbotha@uj.ac.za
- Edmund Ugar: teremedmund@gmail.com
We look forward to your participation in exploring the impact of LLMs on culture!
Workshop Registration Fees:
- Academic and other wage-earning participants: R1000 (excluding VAT) – including all teas and lunches for two days
- Students and postdoctoral fellows: Free (numbers are limited, so register without delay)
- Register by an email to ujndconference2024@gmail.com by 1 November 2024 midnight SAST
Pay here: Payment link
Conference Registration Fees:
- Full conference (including tea and lunches): Academic and other wage-earning participants : R2000 (excluding VAT)
- Daily rate (including tea and lunches): Academic and other wage-earning participants: R750 (excluding VAT)
- Students and Postdoctoral fellows (per day): R400 (excluding VAT)
- Students and Postdoctoral fellows (three-day package): R1000 (excluding VAT)
Register to attend by sending an email to ujndconference2024@gmail.com by 10 November 2024 midnight SAST Pay here: Payment link
Submit your 500-word abstract for consideration for presentation at the conference by sending it via email to ujndconference2024@gmail.com by 31 October 2024
Guidelines for abstract submission:
- Please do not include any identifying information on the abstract document.
- Ensure that the abstract is no longer than 500 words
- Please include the following information on a separate sheet: name and surname, affiliation, paper title.
- Selected proceedings from the conference will be published in a peer-reviewed journal in 2025/2026.
