2023-12-31-accounts - Association For The Understanding Of Artificial Intelligence

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Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence

Charity number: 1193842

Company number: 12376303

Annual trustee report

1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023

Bristol Robotics Laboratory Hardware Incubator T-Block University of the West of England Bristol BS16 1QY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Professor Joydeep Biswas Professor Sanmay Das Professor Thomas Dietterich, Executive trustee Professor Stephen Hanson Dr Sabine Hauert, Executive trustee, Chair Professor Holger Hoos Professor Michael Littman Professor Michela Milano (Resigned 27 January 2023) Professor Carles Sierra Dr Oskar Von Stryk

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Linden Accountants Limited, 21 Sevier Street, St Werburghs, Bristol, BS2 9LB

Objectives and activities

Charity objects

The two key objects of the Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence are:

1) To advance the education of the public in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics, in particular but without limitation in the science, applications and ethics of artificial intelligence, and by the free dissemination of authoritative, high-quality research and useful, accessible information about such research.
2) To promote (for the benefit of the community) the knowledge and understanding of the public of, and to stimulate the interest of the public in, the applications of artificial intelligence and robotics.

Charity activities

The Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence carries out its purpose by maintaining and moderating two websites, AIhub.org (https://aihub.org/) and Robohub.org (https://robohub.org/), with free content for people of all ages, which is a tool to advance the education of the general public in artificial intelligence. Generally speaking, the aim of the websites is to give the general public the tools to enable them to understand artificial intelligence and robotics. Our work aims to make complex, specialist, scientific material accessible to the wider public.

The Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence facilitates the collation and publication of content about artificial intelligence, robotics, and associated topics. We publish blog posts, articles, tutorials, interviews, video content and podcasts on the AIhub.org and Robohub.org websites. We invite contributions, curate content and produce our own material. All source materials are authoritative and produced by experts in the field. We ensure that all information presented on the platform is informative, factually correct, authoritative and unbiased, and/or offers a valuable, fresh perspective which is capable of contributing to an enhanced understanding of the science of artificial intelligence.

The websites also provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss, debate, and share their knowledge and personal experiences of artificial intelligence with others around the world.

Through our content, the public can augment their knowledge relating to the breadth of AI and robotics research, including applications, theory, new technologies, ethical considerations, and, importantly, societal impact.

In addition to this primary activity, we also focus on providing science communication training for undergraduate students, post graduate students, and early career researchers.

Through our hands-on training courses, attendees learn how to communicate their work to a general audience using a variety of media, including blog posts and formal articles, social media channels and verbal communication. An integral part of our course is the focus on balanced, impartial communication, without the hype that typically surrounds the field of AI in the mainstream media. By training the next generation of AI researchers to communicate accurately, and without hype, we hope that we can help to shift the narrative on AI from the hyped, inaccurate reporting that we tend to see at the moment, to a more balanced and accurate conversation about the potential advantages and disadvantages of AI technologies.

Another objective of the Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence is to cover the full diversity of AI research and its practitioners. This means publishing work from across the field, and not giving precedence to one particular technique over another. We work with the diversity and inclusion groups that exist in the field of AI (for example, Queer in AI, Black in AI, Women in Machine Learning) to help amplify the voices of the community that have traditionally not had the opportunity to communicate their work.

Trustee statement

The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

Achievements and performance

The main achievements of the Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence for the period 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 have been as follows:

Publication of 246 articles on AIhub.org, and 166 articles on Robohub.org. As mentioned above, all of this content is free for everyone to access. These articles include research summaries, written interviews, podcasts, tutorials, news items, video interview and explainers, and opinion pieces. All content is produced and curated by experts in the field.
Publication of a focus series on “AI around the world”. Through a series of interviews and articles we covered applied and theoretical work from researchers across the globe with an emphasis on regions that are underrepresented.
Through our Twitter (X) accounts, we have provided further information and resources to both the AI and robotics community, and to the general public. For example, through informative threads where we have provided links to resources, free training courses, and other interesting information pertaining to AI. The use of social media helps further disseminate the high-quality information that we publish

on our website, allowing us to reach a wider audience, and a different demographic of the general public.

AIhub.org is now indexed as a Google News source. This greater exposure has allowed us to reach a wider audience. (Robohub.org has been a Google News source for a number of years already.)
Every month, we produce a monthly digest. This article contains a summary of many of the key events, research, applications, and policy decisions pertaining to AI that have taken place during the previous four weeks. Not only is this summary available to the general public (via our website), but it is also posted to the members of some of our supporting organisations.
As a service to the public, we collate all of the free online seminars of which we are aware. These may be found on the resources page of our website. In addition, we publish a monthly blog post with a summary of the forthcoming events for the next 45 days. These listings include all of the links necessary for a member of the public to sign up to attend these events free of charge.
Training the next generation of science communicators is one of our objectives. During the year, we provided held two science communication courses at major AI conferences. The first of these was a hand-on training session at the AAAI conference. The second was a short introduction to science communication and a drop-in session at NeurIPS.
To help science communicators we have produced a series of bite-sized videos explaining why science communication is important and how to do it successfully. These videos are available for anyone to view, both on YouTube, and via our website.
To help the next generation of science communicators on their journey, we run the AIhub ambassadors programme. In this programme, we provide training to students and early-career researchers to help them realise a series of on an aspect of AI related to their research.
Conferences provide a vital meeting place for AI practitioners to present their work and discuss the latest research and ideas. To report on this work for the general public, we covered 16 conferences during the year, with the aim of elucidating some of the exciting and interesting content presented at these events.

Financial Review

Reserves policy

Our policy is to maintain a small reserve (of the order £5000 - £10000) to cover costs for any late payments from our supporting organisations, any necessary travel for attendance of meetings and conferences, and for any unforeseen circumstances.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence is governed by a written constitution.

Charity type: Charitable company

Member organisations

We are supported by the following leading AI organisations: AAAI, ICML, NeurIPS, CLAIRE, AIJ/IJCAI, RoboCup, EurAI/AIComm and ACM SIGAI.

Selection of trustees

The member organisations have appointment rights under the Articles of Association and the maximum number of trustees that any member organisation may appoint is two. No one member organisation has a majority appointment right, which is how the independence of the trustee board as a whole is maintained.

As the total minimum number of Trustees is five, no one member can have a majority on the board even if the board is at its smallest.

When appointing trustees, the member organisations must consider only appointments that will best advance the purposes of the charity. The "Appointed Trustees" may only exercise the powers they have in the best interests of the charity. There will be at least two "Executive Trustees" on the board who are independent of the member organisations. The trustees will be mindful of the need to demonstrate independence and the need to identify any conflicts that may arise in the charity's work as a result of the fact that the charity will work closely with the member organisations.

The Articles of Association include the usual provisions for managing conflicts of interest, including the requirement that trustees must withdraw from discussions relating to matters in which they have a real or potential conflict of interests unless invited to remain by the non-conflicted trustees, if they consider it is in the best interests of the charity.

Trustee meetings

Regular trustee meetings are held online once every month. A general meeting is held once per year. A quorum at a meeting of the Trustees is four or fifty percent of the total number of Trustees whichever is the greater. Every issue may be determined by a simple majority of

the votes cast at a meeting. Except for the chairperson of the meeting, who has a second or casting vote, every Trustee has one vote on each issue. A Trustee must declare the nature and extent of any interest, direct or indirect, which he or she has in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the Charity or in any transaction or arrangement entered into by the Charity which has not previously been declared.

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees,

Signature:

Sabine Hauert, Executive trustee Date: 27 August 2024

Associairon for the Under5tarTrdiThA oIAriifitial InteUi8ence Report i January 2023 10 31 Dember 2023 Independent Examlnerfs Report I report io ihe chaflty trustees on my e¥aminatic)n of the accounts of Association Icv the Understsnding of Artificial Inielligence for the year ended 31" Drnber 2023. Rsponslbllity and baslsol r•port As the charity's trustees. you are iespor&ltAe fof the preparation of the a(£ounts In accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111.ihe A¢t'l. Havin8 saiisfied myself that the accounts of Assooation for the UnderSnding of Artificial Intelligence are not requifed lo be audiied under Part 16 of the 2(MJ6 Act and are eligible lor Independent examlnaiion. I report in respea ol my examinaiion of your tharitvs accounis as carried out under Section 145 01 the 2011 Art and in carrying out my exarnination. I have followed all the applicable DireanS 8iven by Ihe Charity C+)mmlssth under Secti 14S15llbl of the Art. Indepnd•nt •xamlThtrfs statemenl I have comF4eted my examination. I confirm that materlal matters have me to my attenii¢m In connection wilh ihe exaMI¢10n 8i*ln8 me cause to belie+è'. l. Accountin8 re(ords wefe noi kept In accordance with sertkm 130 01 ihe Charit5 Art,. (Y 2. The accounts do not accord wlth those recofds: (Y 3. The accounis do Th)t Comp with the appllcable requirements concernln8 the form and content of accounis set oui In the Chartties IAccounis and Reports) Regulations 2LTh oiher than any requiremeni ihai the accounts gfve a irue and fair Mew which 15 not è matter cwsidered as part of my independenl examinati¢)n. I have no concem5 and ha au055 no other maitefs fifi conntrtion with the examknation io whith aiiention should be drawn In this ieport In order to enable a proper understJndln8 of the accounis to be reathed. Mlthael Grant ACPA Linden Accouniani Limiied Scrapstore House 21 Sevler Street St WerbuigP Bristol BS2 9LB Date". zi 10812024

ASSOCIATION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (Including Income and Expenditure Account)

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds
Funds Funds 2023 2022
Note £ £ £ £
INCOME
Income from donations and legacies
-
- Corporate organisations 89,870 89,870 68,334
TOTAL INCOME 89,870 - 89,870 68,334
EXPENDITURE
Expenditure on charitable activities 2 56,534 - 56,534 65,840
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 56,534 - 56,534 65,840
-
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 33,336 33,336 2,494
-
Balances brought forward 11,408 11,408 8,788
Post year-end income adjustment - - - 126
Balances carried forward 44,744 - 44,744 11,408
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The charity has no recognised gains or losses other than the results for the year as set out above.

All of the activities of the charity are classed as continuing.

The notes on pages 10 to 13 form part of these financial statements

ASSOCIATION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

BALANCE SHEET

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

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2023 2023 2022
Note £ £ £
FIXED ASSETS:
Tangible assets 4 367 1,246
CURRENT ASSETS:
Debtors 5 43,201 26,513
Cash at bank and in hand 32,122 1,400
75,323 27,914
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Creditors: falling due within one year 6 (30,945) (17,751)
Net current assets 44,378 10,162
NET ASSETS: 44,744 11,408
FUNDS
General funds 8 44,744 11,408
44,744 11,408
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For the financial year in question the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with micro-entity provisions.

These financial statements were approved by the directors and authorised for issue on ……………………………… and are signed on their behalf by:

………………………………………………………. Chair of Trustees

Charity Registration Number: 1193842

The notes on pages 10 to 13 form part of these financial statements

ASSOCIATION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared under the historic cost convention. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (FRS 102 SORP) issued in July 2014, and applicable UK Accounting Standards and the Charities Act 2011.

Funds structure

Unrestricted income funds comprise those funds which the trustees are free to use for any purpose in furtherance of the charitable objects. Unrestricted funds include designated funds where the trustees, at their discretion, have set aside resources for a specific purpose.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donor or the terms of a specific appeal.

Income

All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the resources, it is certain that the resources will be received and the monetary value of income can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Income from donations is included when these are receivable, except as follows:

When the donors specify that the donations given to the charity must be used in future accounting periods.
When donors impose conditions which have to be fulfilled before the charity becomes entitled to use such income, the income is deferred until the pre-conditions have been met.

Income from grants, where there are performance or service deliverables required by the terms of the grant, are accounted for as the charity earns the right to payment through its performance.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to the expenditure. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that agree all costs related to the category. Support costs have been allocated 100% towards the charitable activities of the charity.

Charitable activities

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both the direct pay and non-pay costs and support costs relating to those activities.

Going concern

After making appropriate enquiries, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue its operations for the foreseeable future and therefore they have continued to adopt the going concern basis when preparing the financial statements.

Governance costs

Governance cost include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity, and include its independent examination fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity including trustee expenses.

Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Depreciation has been provided on all tangible fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value of each asset, over its expected useful life. The rates used are 33% straight line depreciation on all fixed assets.

ASSOCIATION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

2 DIRECT CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE

Charitable Activities Direct Wages Support Costs Allowable Penalties Audit & Accountancy Fees Bank Fees Employers' NI Costs Employers' Pension Costs Printing & Stationery Professional Fees Subscriptions Subsistence Travel Other Website Costs Governance Costs Independent Examination Fee Depreciation	Unrestricted Funds £ 44,436 38 934 140 751 1,080 8 17 1,877 227 2,033 1,918 1,545 55,004 Unrestricted Funds £ 650 879 1,529	Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - - - - - Restricted Funds £ - - -	Total Funds 2023 £ 44,436 38 934 140 751 1,080 8 17 1,877 227 2,033 1,918 1,545 55,004 Total Funds 2023 £ 650 879 1,529	Total Funds 2022 £ 60,000 66 1,162 15 985 1,426 - - - - - 657 - 64,311 Total Funds 2022 £ 650 879 1,529

3 CORPORATION TAX

The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the charity.

ASSOCIATION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

4 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS COST: At 1 Jan 2023 Additions At 31 December 2023 DEPRECIATION: At 1 Jan 2023 Charge for the year At 31 Dec 2023 NET BOOK VALUE: At 31 Dec 2023 At 31 Dec 2022 5 DEBTORS Trade Debtors 6 CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one year Trade Creditors Sundry Creditors Accruals Deferred Income Net Wages PAYE Payable Pensions Payable	Website £ 2,638 - 2,638 1,392 879 2,271 367 1,246 2023 £ 43,201 43,201 2023 £ - - 480 23,321 4,582 2,354 209 30,945	Totals £ 2,638 - 2,638 1,392 879 2,271 367 1,246 2022 £ 26,513 26,513 2022 £ 480 8,742 480 - 4,931 2,841 277 17,751

7 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

Fixed Assets Current Assets Current Liabilities	Unrestricted Funds £ 366 75,323 (30,945) 44,744	Restricted Funds £ - - - -	Total Funds 2023 £ 366 75,323 (30,945) 44,744	Total Funds 2022 £ 1,246 27,914 (17,751) 11,408

ASSOCIATION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

8 ANALYSIS OF CHARITABLE FUNDS

For the year ended 31 December 2023

Analysis of Fund movements Unrestricted funds: General funds For the year ended 31 December 2022 Analysis of Fund movements Unrestricted funds: General funds	Balance Income Expenditure Post year-end Fund b/fwd income adjustment c/fwd £ £ £ £ £ 11,408 89,870 (56,534) - 44,744 11,408 89,870 (56,534) - 44,744 Balance Income Expenditure Post year-end Fund b/fwd income adjustment c/fwd £ £ £ £ £ 8,788 68,334 (65,840) 126 11,408 8,788 68,334 (65,840) 126 11,408

9 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

There were no related party transactions between the charity and the trustees or persons or entities connected to them during the year.

10 STAFF COSTS

No employee earned £60,000 p.a. or more. The average number of employees during the year was 1 (2022: 2).

11 TRUSTEE EXPENSES

The charity trustees were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2022: £Nil). The trustees were not reimbursed for travel expenses during the year (2022: £Nil).

No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2022: £Nil).