Digital Identity, Universal vs. Personal - WHY, WHAT and for WHOM

SPEAKER

Michael Poulin

AGENDA

18:00 doors open; networking over light refreshments

18:15 BCS SPA AGM

18:30 or as soon as possible thereafter presentation begins

20:00 approximately end of presentation; pizza and drinks at BCS London

20:45 everyone out - adjourn to the Old Doctor Butler's Head if desired

SYNOPSIS

Join us for a thought-provoking session exploring the evolving landscape of digital identity. We’ll unpack the distinctions between identity, identifiers, and identity management, and examine how these concepts apply beyond tech systems – into society itself.

The talk traces the historical roots of a new identity concept, from technocracy to modern ESG principles, and a societal model shaped by digital control and unquestionable obedience to rulers.

We’ll dissect the Universal Digital Identity (UDI), its ethical implications in contrast to the EU human-centric principles, and how AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT reflect broader systemic risks. Britain’s BritCard initiative will be critically assessed – its past failures, current trajectory, and why it may not succeed.

As a counterpoint, we’ll present the Personal Digital Identifier (PDI): a self-sovereign alternative with statistical robustness and global relevance. Expect a mix of technical insight, societal critique, and practical examples.

Whether you're building identity systems or thinking about their impact, this session will both challenge and inspire.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Michael Poulin is an experienced Enterprise and Solution Architect with over 30 years in the IT industry.

His career spans Russia, the USA, and the UK, with the last 20 years focused on senior architecture roles in the financial sector. He has worked extensively on digital transformation, SOA services, security, cloud and microservices, risk management, and regulatory governance.

On LinkedIn, he has 2,719 followers. Michael holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Cybernetics and has personally conducted research in pattern recognition and machine learning. He is the author of four books and over a hundred articles on architecture and best practices.

Currently he publishes on Medium and Substack. He has contributed to the OASIS Reference Architecture Foundation (RAF) for SOA.

He also served as a board member of the Business Architecture Society and was recognised in the 2001 International Who’s Who of Information Technology.

Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.

BCS is a membership organisation. If you enjoy this event, please consider joining BCS. You’ll be very welcome. You’ll receive access to many exclusive career development tools, an introduction to a thriving professional community and also help us Make IT Good For Society. Join BCS today:

https://www.bcs.org/membership/events

If you are attending in person, please familiarise yourself with the Visitor Instructions for the BCS London Office.

Please note, if you have any accessibility needs, please let us know via groups@bcs.uk and we’ll work with you to make suitable arrangements.

For overseas delegates who wish to attend the event, please note that BCS does not issue invitation letters.

THIS EVENT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Software Practice Advancement (SPA)

Visit http://www.bcs-spa.org