Optimising AI: The human imperative at the heart of technological progress

UEA’s strategic vision and priorities are centred on solving the challenges of our changing world by working together sustainably. We are continuing to build our InnovateUEA ecosystem to promote and nurture innovative ideas, strengthen partnerships, and enhance investment opportunities. And as we develop that ecosystem, we are committed to keeping our strong sense of civic purpose, social and environmental responsibility at the heart of InnovateUEA.

This is why we have chosen to sponsor Innovation Alley again in 2025. The projects and startups we are showcasing all demonstrate that, rather than coming at the expense of human intelligence, technology can and should be harnessed and implemented to positive effect for people and planet.

Emotional (artificial) intelligence

Take Ankwilitas, for example. Established by Dr Patrick Stacey from Norwich Business School with the motto ‘Create Generative Cultures Not Generative AI’, the platform seeks to improve emotional health and workplace communications, using a Large Language Model to provide sentiment analytics across email and other workplace channels.

While the emotional health of workers and workplace productivity are below par according to most measures, Ankwilitas tailors the system to each company’s own unique cultural and linguistic settings, making previously unseen and inaccessible information available. This means smarter interventions to boost positivity, resilience, and performance at scale.

This certainly gives companies the AI Advantage, whilst keeping people at the heart of their vision.

Game changing Medtech

Over in Norwich Medical School, meanwhile, the development of innovative diagnostic tools incorporating AI and other systems is improving early detection of prostate cancer and treatment precision.

Each year, over 50,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer, resulting in more than 12,000 deaths. While it is the most prevalent cancer among men, not all cases are life-threatening. Current diagnostic methods often fail to distinguish between aggressive and indolent forms of the disease.

The Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) Test is a non-invasive urine-based test that identifies aggressive prostate cancer without the need for a biopsy, offering a significant improvement over the standard PSA blood test. The DESNT Tiger Test, meanwhile, is an AI-powered diagnostic that uses biomarker profiling to differentiate high-risk “tiger” cancers from less harmful types, enabling more targeted treatment decisions and reducing unnecessary interventions.

In addition, a novel prevention strategy is being pioneered, focused on identifying and targeting cancer-associated bacteria, with the aim of reducing the risk of prostate cancer development.

Another UEA-led medical intervention is seeking to help the one in four people who will experience dizziness at some point in their lives. The sensation can vary widely between individuals and may include feelings of lightheadedness, unsteadiness, or a spinning sensation known as vertigo.

Patients often struggle to describe their symptoms clearly, which can complicate diagnosis. As a result, individuals with dizziness may undergo numerous tests, multiple hospital visits, and experience significant delays before receiving an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

In response, UEA researchers across the School of Computing Sciences, Norwich Medical School and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital have collaborated to develop the Continuous Ambulatory Vestibular Assessment (CAVA) device. The lightweight, wearable medical device continuously monitors and records involuntary eye and head movements, collecting data to support more accurate and earlier diagnosis for sufferers, and more effective treatment.

Together, all these innovations have the potential to enhance patient outcomes, improve lives and deliver substantial economic benefits to healthcare systems such as the NHS.

Next generation tech

The InnovateUEA ecosystem doesn’t only support academic researchers, but student and graduate entrepreneurs as well – helping to build the next generation of tech innovators.

One such example, developed by UEA graduates, is Peerdweb, a legal tech platform that helps organisations protect and manage their most sensitive, unregistered intellectual property and trade secrets. Using secure blockchain technology, Peerdweb provides an immutable proof of ownership, controlled access, and a verifiable audit trail — making it faster, easier, and more reliable to safeguard confidential assets.

The advanced solution demonstrates that technology need not be at odds with or replace human creativity and invention but can be used in service of them.

Beyond Innovation Alley

Responsible research and innovation - and their real-world impact - are featured elsewhere across Cambridge Tech Week, with Prof Julian Blow, UEA Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, participating in ‘The University Challenge: Spinning Out Tomorrow's Game-Changers' panel discussion (part of Start-up to Scale up Day).

The conversation is sure to be thought provoking, covering topics such as the differences between innovation ecosystems across the UK, Europe and the USA; the challenges and opportunities presented by AI to spinouts and technology transfer offices; attracting talent and investment; and what lessons for the future can be learned from existing spinout success stories.

Building on this, Prof Richard Stephenson, Chief Scientific Officer of UEA spin-out Cellexcel, will discuss his own personal academic and entrepreneurial journey developing award-winning water-resistant biomaterials at Wednesday evening fringe event ‘Meet the Spinouts’. The pioneering technology won Start-up of the Year at last year’s Cambridge Tech Week Innovation Alley and is set to revolutionise automotive, aerospace, construction and electronics industries, lowering their manufacturing and operating emissions and meeting Net Zero targets.

This is an exciting time for innovation and technology in higher education and beyond. As we look to the future, we will continue to focus on making a responsible and positive impact for people and planet.

Dr Nicola Hancock is Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at UEA, providing academic leadership for the University’s internationally renowned impact and innovation activity. She has extensive leadership experience in the NHS and HE sectors and is research-active in the field of stroke and neurorehabilitation.