Data Decade

The climate crisis is the greatest challenge we face, and over the past decade data has given us an increasingly sophisticated picture of the effects of global warming, generating innovations that have the power to help change our future. But what does the data tell us? How does data help us understand climate change, and how can data infrastructure and data sharing can help us to tackle it in the next decade and beyond? The ODI’s Emma Thwaites discusses data and climate change with Gavin Starks, founder of Icebreaker One.

Public policy refers to the tools that governments and other public servants use to deliver on social aims. From lowering waiting times on the NHS to reducing carbon emissions, data has changed the game for policy making. Technologies that use data to make sophisticated decisions are developing rapidly, creating new social and economic challenges – such as the proliferation of online misinformation and deepfakes, and the roll-out of intrusive algorithmic management practices at work. So does policymaking itself need to change in order to govern data effectively? Emma Thwaites from the ODI discusses the issue with guests Alek Tarkowski from Open Future and Matt Davies from the ODI.

In a very special episode, host Navdip Dhariwal interviews ODI co-founders Sir Nigel Shadbolt and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, on stage at the ODI Summit in November 2022. They share their thoughts on the past 10 years of data and what lies ahead in an increasingly data-driven world. The discussion covers the need for real-time data in a fast-changing world, lessons from the use of data during the pandemic, and the integration of technology and society.

The recent pandemic has shown how the effective use of data can help fight diseases on a global scale, enabling clinicians, governments, epidemiologists and pharmaceutical companies to track emerging variants and design vaccines and medicines more effectively. The use of data in health research and clinical care has developed significantly in the last 10 years and holds enormous promise for the decade ahead, but what are the risks and challenges? Can better data sharing in the health sector drive innovation and save lives? The ODI’s Emma Thwaites looks at this with Ben Goldacre from Applied Data Science, and Lisa Allen, Director of Data and Services at the ODI.

Data and technology go hand in hand, driving innovation and opening up new products and services. From AI to digital twins, data has driven technology in the last ten years, but the pace of these advances means we often find ourselves in uncharted waters. So where might we end up in the next 10 years? The ODI’s Emma Thwaites looks at future technologies with Amanda Brock from OpenUK, and Dr Jared Robert Keller, Head of Research at the ODI.

The amount of data we create has grown exponentially, and understanding how to use data responsibly can help businesses thrive, and prevent people being misled or deceived. So it’s become more important than ever to think about how we collect, use and share data and information. But how do we do this? And who defines what responsible is? The ODI’s Emma Thwaites discusses the issue with Di Mayze from WPP, and Stuart Coleman from the ODI.

In the age of the internet and social media, false and misleading information spreads faster than ever. So how can we trust the ways that data is used and shared? How can we build trust in data, when we hear so much about fake news and misinformation? In this episode, the ODI’s Emma Thwaites explores the practices and technologies to help us stop the spread of misinformation with Pamela Duncan from The Guardian, and Andy Dudfield from Full Fact.

Access to the right data has helped tackle many challenges, from the early detection of diseases to addressing climate change, but collecting and sharing data has to be done with great care and safety. In this episode, we take a look at different forms of data stewardship, from individuals and communities, to institutions, and ask the question – who looks after the data? The ODI’s Emma Thwaites is joined by Dr Wen Hwa Lee, Jack Hardinges and Astha Kapoor.

We’re currently witnessing increasing demand for housing, transport and green spaces in our cities, and in this episode we look at how data has shaped cities over the last decade, and how it can help with challenges and opportunities in the future. The ODI's Emma Thwaites is joined by guests Volker Buscher, Josh D’Addario and Wan See Lee.

When we think of data, do we think of statistics and information - or do we think of art, or the subject matter for creative minds? In this episode, the ODI’s Emma Thwaites talks through the explosion of data in culture across the last decade, with guests Julie Freeman, Antonio Roberts, Hannah Redler Hawes and Rohini Devasher.