
How AI can accelerate the search for treatments for emerging and intractable diseases
Artificial intelligence (AI) models and algorithms can save time and money in the search for drug candidates for emerging diseases, including COVID-19.
Baroness Joanna Shields OBE is a technology industry veteran and the founder of the WeProtect Global Alliance and advisor to k-ID. She served as the UK’s first Minister for Internet Safety & Security & UK Ambassador for Digital Industries and Digital Economy Adviser to the Prime Minister. A life
peer in the House of Lords, she champions policies that protect children online and advance ethical AI development. With over three decades of leadership experience in the tech industry,
Shields has built companies, products, and platforms that have transformed markets and reshaped industries. She held senior executive roles at Facebook, Google, AOL, and RealNetworks. As a CEO, she led Bebo and Veon to successful acquisitions and transformed BenevolentAI into a leader in AI-driven drug discovery. Today, as the founder of Precognition,she advises governments and companies on creating AI-driven solutions that prioritise safety,
human agency and empowerment. Shields served on the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on AI and the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity and was twice elected Co-Chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence.