LAMBDA Workshop on AI, Inequality and the Digital Divide in the UK
Join us for a free one-day workshop exploring how the growing use of artificial intelligence is shaping inequality across the UK, and what this means for policy, business and society.
Open to: researchers, policymakers, students and industry professionals interested in how AI is transforming the UK economy and society
Cost: free to attend (refreshments included)
Date: Monday 29 June 2026
Time: 11am - 5.20pm
Venue: Event Space (Ground Floor), School of Law and Social Justice, Chatham Street, L69 7ZR
Hosted by the Liverpool Advanced Methods for Big Data Analytics (LAMBDA) Research Centre, this workshop is organised by LAMBDA Director, Professor Abderrahim Taamouti to bring together leading academics, policymakers, and industry experts to examine how AI is transforming the UK economy and society, with a particular focus on inequality, skills, jobs, wages, regional disparities, and access to digital infrastructure.
While AI presents significant opportunities to boost productivity and improve services, it also raises important questions about unequal access, adoption, and outcomes.
This workshop is designed to bridge academic evidence and policy discussion, helping to identify practical implications for UK policy and decision-making.
The programme will feature contributions from distinguished speakers and the day will conclude with a roundtable discussion, bringing speakers and participants together to reflect on the key themes, explore policy implications, and open the floor for questions and discussion.
Participants will have the opportunity to:
- Explore the latest research on AI and its impact on inequality in the UK
- Understand how AI is influencing labour markets, skills, and regional economic gaps
- Gain insight into challenges around digital access and inclusion
- Engage with leading experts from academia, policy, and industry
- Contribute to discussions on how policy can respond to emerging challenges
- Connect with a diverse network of stakeholders across sectors
Whether you are a researcher, policymaker, student, or industry professional, this workshop offers a valuable opportunity to engage with critical debates on AI and inequality, and to contribute to shaping future policy and practice.
Keynote Speakers and Roundtable panellists
- Professor Alan Manning, Professor at LSE, Chair of the UK Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) from 2016 to 2020
- Professor Tommaso Valletti, Professor at Imperial College Business School in London, Chief Competition Economist of the European Commission (DG Competition) from 2016 to 2019
- Flavio Calvino, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Senior Economist
- Professor Simeon Yates, Professor at University of Liverpool, Department of Communication and Media, and Co-Director Digital Media and Society Institute
- Dr Balázs Muraközy, Associate Professor at University of Liverpool Management School
- Rob Benson, Digital Inclusion Lead at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Timetable
| Time | Speaker/Session |
|---|---|
| 11:00-11:25 |
Registration and Refreshments |
| 11:25-11:30 | Welcome Address: Professor Abderrahim Taamouti, Director for LAMBDA Research Centre |
| 11:30-12:00 |
Keynote Speaker: Flavio Calvino, OECD, Senior Economist 'AI, Productivity and Innovation: Cross-Country Evidence from Microdata' |
| 12:00-12:30 |
Keynote Speaker: Professor Alan Manning, Professor at LSE 'Why Predictions of the Impact of New Technology Have Always Been Wrong in the Past and May Be Again' |
| 12:30-13:45 |
Lunch |
| 13:45-14:15 |
Keynote Speaker: Professor Simeon Yates, Co-Director Digital Media and Society Institute 'Understanding Digital Inequalities in Access, Knowledge and Skills in an AI Age: Evidence from the UK' |
| 14:15-14:45 |
Keynote Speaker: Dr Balázs Muraközy, Senior Lecturer in Economics 'Technological Change and Skill Demand in Non-Competitive Labor Markets' |
| 14:45-15:15 |
Coffee Break |
| 15:15-17:15 |
Roundtable: AI, Inequality and the Digital Divide: Challenges and Policy Responses for the UK Panellists:
|
| 17:15-17:20 |
Closing Remarks |