NCRM has held a public debate on whether AI is the future of health and social science.
The event took place at University College London on Monday, 15 December 2025.
It invited an audience of researchers to cast their vote on the future impact of AI before listening to two academics present their views on the issue.
Professor David Bann, of University College London, highlighted the potential benefits of AI, if it is managed well.
Dr Peter Tennant, of the University of Leeds, argued against this, emphasising the risks, pitfalls and limits of current technology.
The debate defined AI as computational systems that can perform cognitive tasks relevant to quantitative research, such as large language models and agentic systems.
After the presentations, audience members were invited to cast their votes again to see if the arguments had changed their minds.
The event was sponsored by NCRM and the UKRI-funded project New Approaches to Digital Skills Development.