AI Ethics Now
AI Ethics Now is a podcast dedicated to exploring the complex issues surrounding artificial intelligence from a non-specialist perspective, including bias, ethics, privacy, and accountability. Join us as we discuss the challenges and opportunities of AI and work towards a future where technology benefits society as a whole. This podcast idea was first developed by Dr Tom Ritchie and Dr Jennie Mills as part of The AI Revolution: Ethics, Technology, and Society module, taught as part of IATL at the University of Warwick.
Episodes
9. AI and Scale: Who Decides When Millions of Children Log On?
What does ethical AI look like when millions of children are logging on every school day? And what should an AI tutor do when a student tells it something it was never designed to hear?In this episode, I speak with Dr Stephen Hodges, CEO of Efekta Education, the global AI education company. Stephen trained in computer science before spending two decades in education, and through Efekta he has brou
8. AI and Chatbots: Who Checks What They Tell Students?
What happens when the chatbot answering your applicants gets it wrong, and nobody notices?In this episode, I speak with Martha Horler, founder of Sparkline Advisory and known to many in the sector as the data goddess. Martha has spent two decades in UK higher education working in student data, statutory returns, digital systems and organisational change. She started out answering the phone to stud
7. AI & Us: A Musical Journey Through Human Identity in the Age of AI
A camera isn't the photographer. So what is AI, when it's the tool behind the art?In this episode, I speak with Glenn Stockton, a retired entrepreneur, photographer, and grandfather of ten who has lived through every major digital shift of the last 45 years, from early Macintosh computers to launching one of the first internet businesses in 1997. Glenn is the creator of AI and Us, a five-s
6. AI and Hope: Rewiring Universities for Human Flourishing
What is AI actually revealing about us as humans? And what would it mean to build institutions that help us become more human, not less?In this episode, I speak with Dr Jessica Riddell, Professor of Early Modern Literature at Bishop's University, Quebec, where she holds the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence. Jessica is the founder of the Hope Circuits Institute
5. AI and Accountability: When Does a Suggestion Become a Decision?
What happens when a machine's output looks more certain than the evidence behind it? Where does responsibility sit when an AI flags a decision that nobody actually signed off on? And can a company built around one founder's neurodivergent thinking scale into something an institution like the NHS can trust?In this episode, I speak with Varun Sharma, Founder of NEUVIOR. Varun built the company after
4. AI and Healthcare: Who's Actually Accountable When It Fails?
Where does accountability actually land when an AI system causes harm in a healthcare setting? And is the EU AI Act the compliance headache many organisations fear, or just common sense engineering practice by another name?In this episode, I speak with Antonina Burlachenko, Head of Quality and Regulatory Consulting at STAR, who works directly with healthcare, medtech, and AI product teams navigati
3. AI and Access: The Words That Include and the Words That Don't
What happens when a chatbot speaks to you in a way you simply can't relate to? Can language that is designed to help actually exclude the very people who need support most? And when a machine sounds human, what do we lose when it can't behave like one?In this episode, I speak with Dr Doris Dippold from the University of Surrey, whose research examines how we design for rapport between huma
2. AI and Youth: Growing Up Inside the Machine
Who is speaking for the generation that never knew a world without AI? What does it mean to form your identity, your creativity, and your sense of self inside systems designed to keep you engaged? And why are the people most affected by AI the ones least consulted about it.Season 3, Episode 2 features Nikhil Gujral, a 15-year-old Bay Area high school student who recently addressed researchers and
1. AI and Originality: The End of Excuses
Is AI killing creative originality or finally exposing the people who never had any? What happens when the barriers to making something disappear entirely? And if anyone can generate content, what does it mean to actually have something to say?Season 3 of AI Ethics Now opens with Billy Boman, AI director, founder of Billy Boman AI Productions, and educator on Europe's only dedicated creative A
20. AI and Grief: When Death Becomes a Business Model
Content note: This episode contains discussion of bereavement, pregnancy loss, and references to suicide. Please take care when listening.What happens when grief becomes a product? When the people we've lost are turned into data? And who are AI resurrection services really designed to serve - the bereaved, or the bottom line?In this episode, Alfrun Rose, writer, performer, and the creative for
19. AI and Inclusive Clinical Education: Levelling the Playing Field or Reinforcing the Bias?
Can generative AI help create fairer healthcare training, or will it simply amplify the inequities already baked into clinical education? And what happens when the shortcuts we reach for in curriculum development undo years of hard-won progress on inclusive practice?In this episode, Ban Haider and Saskia Walker, both senior lecturers at City St George's, University of London, discuss their wor
18. AI and Co-Intelligence: Beyond Prompts to Critical Partnership
Is the biggest danger of AI not the technology itself, but how unreflectively we use it? And what does it actually mean to be the "human in the loop" when that concept remains frustratingly vague?Valentina Vlasova and Dr Kevin Coffey, senior lecturers at OMNES Education London, discuss the Co-Intelligence and AI Literacy module they designed after witnessing widespread unreflective AI us
17. AI and Amplification: Beyond Automation to Human-Centred Progress
Is AI destined to replace us, or can it help us thrive? And why are we still stuck in the "wow" phase when we should be asking harder questions about implementation?Dr Bryan Reimer, research scientist at the MIT Age Lab and co-author of How to Make AI Useful: Moving Beyond the Hype to Real Progress in Business, Society and Life, discusses AI's journey from "wow" to "wo
16. AI and Evidence: When Nobody is Accountable
What happens when AI is used to analyse human behaviour and relationships, and the output is treated as reliable evidence in a formal process against another person?Dr Craig Webber, School Lead for the MA in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Southampton, joins the podcast to explore a growing and largely unaddressed risk at the intersection of AI and institutional decision making. Craig
15. AI and the Campus Revolution: When Students Outpace Their Universities
What happens when AI use among university students doubles in a single year and institutions are still catching up?To mark the launch of Coursera's 2026 AI on Campus Report, Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer, and Jack Moran, Global Enterprise PR Manager, join me to discuss the findings. With nearly half of UK students now using AI to complete their study tasks and 80% reporting improved
14. AI and Agentic Systems: Balancing Autonomy with Human Oversight
When AI agents can navigate systems autonomously, where do you draw the line between efficiency and control?Ed Crook, VP Strategy & Operations at DeepL, reveals how the company shifted from specialised translation to launching autonomous AI agents, and why human-in-the-loop oversight remains non-negotiable even as agentic AI scales across heavily regulated industries.This conversation explores
13. AI and Ecolinguistics: Building Ecosophies to Stop AI Amplifying Environmental Harm
How do we prevent AI from amplifying destructive environmental narratives at a massive scale - potentially 100 billion words per day?Mariana Roccia and Jorge Vallego, from the H4rmony Project, reveal how ecolinguistics and ecosophies can reshape how large language models engage with ecological issues whilst addressing cultural and linguistic bias in AI-generated environmental discourse.This conver
12. AI and Dialogic Feedback: Reframing Student Agency Through AI Partnerships
What happens when AI becomes a dialogic partner in feedback rather than a replacement for human judgment? Dr Viktoria Magne, Dr Rebecca Mace, Sarah Hooper, and Dr Sharon Vince from the University of West London and University of Worcester reveal how structured AI conversations are helping students engage more deeply with feedback whilst keeping academic judgment clearly human-led.This conversation
11. AI and Assessments: When Students Ask "Does This Sound Like Me?"
What happens when students delegate not just writing, but reasoning itself to AI? Chahna Gonsalves, Senior Lecturer at King's Business School, reveals how generative AI is transforming critical thinking in higher education through what she calls "epistemic offloading", the process of outsourcing intellectual work to tools like ChatGPT.This conversation examines how students are using
10. AI and Dependence: Are We Misdiagnosing the Harms?
Do you use ChatGPT or Claude daily for work? Mark Carrigan, Senior Lecturer in Education at Manchester Institute of Education, joins the podcast to discuss why we might be misdiagnosing the harms of generative AI. His research suggests the problems aren't inherent to the technology itself, but arise when AI systems meet the already broken bureaucracies of higher education and other sectors.Mar
9. AI and Bias: How AI Shapes What We Buy
As you search for Christmas gifts this season, have you asked ChatGPT or Gemini for recommendations? Katarina Mpofu and Jasmine Rienecker from Stupid Human join the podcast to discuss their research examining how AI systems influence public opinion and decision-making. Conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford, their study analysed over 8,000 AI-generated responses to uncover system
8. AI and Decentralisation: Own AI or Be Owned By It
In this episode, Max Sebti, co-founder and CEO of Score, challenges the centralised control of computer vision systems and makes the case for decentralised AI as a matter of public interest.Max brings experience from AI data annotation and model development, where he witnessed how closed systems collect and control vast amounts of visual data. Now at Score, running on the Bittensor network, he'
7. AI and Security: The Arms Race We're Losing
In this episode, Jadee Hansen, Chief Information Security Officer at Vanta, reveals why AI security isn't keeping pace with AI adoption—and why that should concern every organisation.Jadee brings over 20 years of cybersecurity experience across highly regulated sectors, from Target to Code42, where she co-authored the definitive book on insider risk. Now at Vanta, a leading trust management pl
6. AI and Enterprise Implementation: Building Bodies for Intelligent Brains
In this episode, Christian Lund, co-founder of Templafy, the leading AI-powered document generation platform, diagnoses why billions in AI investment aren't translating into business results.Christian's two decades in document automation have given him a front-row seat to AI's enterprise struggles. His central observation: organisations have successfully built the "brain" of AI systems but they're
5. AI and Transparency: Rethinking Assessment Through Authorship
In this episode, Ryan Bolick, adjunct assistant professor at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering and Turing Fellow at Fuqua School of Business, discusses Byline - a writing transparency tool he founded that tracks AI and human authorship in real time.Ryan's journey began after his sister-in-law received a zero on her first undergraduate paper when AI detectors falsely claimed she'd used
4. AI and Creativity: What Creative Machines Teach Us About Ourselves
In this episode, Dr Maya Ackerman, computer scientist, CEO, musician, and author of the new book "Creative Machines: AI, Art and Us," explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and human creativity. This conversation with Maya challenges fundamental assumptions about machine creativity, with her arguing that the fear of AI hallucinations reveals more about human psychology than
3. AI and Education: From Teaching Tools to Teaching Thinking
In this episode, Dr Viktoria Mileva, Lecturer in Psychology and Faculty AI Lead at the University of Stirling, explores why we need to move beyond teaching students how to use AI tools towards developing critical AI literacy. Vicky argues that whilst students will naturally learn to use intuitive AI interfaces, they need deeper understanding of what's happening behind the scenes.The conversation t
2. AI and Practice: From Principles to Real-World Solutions
In this episode, Lizbeth Chandler, Innovation Lead at Accenture and one of the top 50 people in AI ethics globally, shares her journey from accessible tech user to AI ethics pioneer. With a background spanning computer science, law, and sustainability, Lizbeth offers insights into translating ethical principles into technical solutions.Lizbeth's story begins with her personal experience of growing
1. AI and Students: What Universities Don't Know
In this first episode of season two, Yanyan Li, Meifang Zhuo, and Gunisha Aggarwal, three researchers from the University of Warwick, share findings from their WIHEA-funded study exploring how university students actually use AI in their academic work. Not what institutions think they should do, but what they're really doing.Through focus groups with Warwick students, their research reveals a comp
20. AI and Copyright: Navigating Creative Technology's Legal Challenges
In this final episode of the first season, Liesl Rowe, Senior Digital Library Advisor and copyright expert at Leeds Beckett University, demystifies one of the most complex aspects of AI adoption: copyright law. As AI tools become increasingly accessible, understanding the legal landscape becomes crucial for educators, students, and creators alike.Liesl explores the fundamental challenge that's
19. AI and Enterprise: Building Innovation Beyond the Hype
In this episode, John Mills, research and innovation expert turned entrepreneur, cuts through the AI hype to explore what really drives successful enterprise adoption. With 14 years of experience working with emerging technologies at the University of Central Lancashire and recent transition to running his own AI consultancy for newsrooms, John offers a unique perspective on innovation in practice
18. AI and Learning: What HE Can Discover from FE Innovation
In this episode, Philippa (Pip) Armstrong, Digital Innovation Development Coach at Nottingham College, demonstrates how Further Education's collaborative culture offers valuable lessons for Higher Education's approach to AI integration. Rather than banning or tiptoeing around generative AI, Nottingham College has drawn a clear "line in the sand" with their innovative approach that other sectors ca
17. AI and the Wrath of Khan't: From Technology Panics to Solar Punk Futures
In this episode, Stephen Taylor from Regent's University London unpacks our historical tendency to panic about new technologies - from the Luddites destroying textile machinery to farmers blocking tractors, and now AI systems. As Learning Technology Lead, Stephen occupies what he terms the 'third space,' straddling academic and professional services to offer a unique vantage point on t
16. AI and Education: The Quiet Revolution in Learning Technology
In this episode, we chat with Graham Atwell, Director of Pontydysgu and Honorary Associate Professor at Warwick University's Institute for Employment Research. With over nine years of experience working with AI in education, Graham offers a refreshingly candid perspective on the current AI landscape. We explore his views on the most exciting recent AI advancements, particularly in language transla
15. AI and Innovation: Bridging Startups and Education
In this episode, we speak with Randeep Wilkhu, tech entrepreneur and founder of AI company Finden. With 22+ years of experience in the tech industry, including roles as a developer, venture capitalist, and startup founder, Randeep brings valuable insights on AI innovation. We discuss the characteristics of successful AI entrepreneurs, how his technical background provides an advantage in the AI sp
14. AI and Academic Integrity: Reimagining Education Through Innovation
In this episode, we speak with Helen Hope, who leads academic integrity initiatives at the University of Worcester. With extensive experience in both higher education and secondary schools, Helen brings valuable insights from across educational sectors. We discuss how the emergence of generative AI in late 2022 disrupted established academic integrity practices, and how Helen has since led a unive
13. AI and Transformation: Industry Insights for Higher Education
In this episode, we speak with Raja Javaid, Chief Information and Transformation Officer at the University of Warwick. With 20+ years of experience in the private sector at companies like Dixons, Boots, and Rolls-Royce, Raja brings a unique cross-industry perspective to AI in education. We discuss the "iPhone moment" of generative AI, Warwick's new AI Centre of Excellence, and how the university i
12. AI and Education: The Human-AI Partnership
In this episode, we explore AI in education with University of Chester experts, Dr Katharine Welsh and Laura Milne. Katharine, an Associate Professor and University Innovation Fellow, and Laura, Head of Digital Education, lead their institution's AI and Education Working Group. They share insights on how they are working to responsibly integrate AI into their higher education context. Our conversa
11. AI and Social Justice: Decolonising Digital Knowledge
In this episode, we explore the complex relationship between AI, social justice, and education with Dr Gurnam Singh, Honorary Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. Drawing from his extensive background in anti-racism, decoloniality, and pedagogical research, Dr Singh examines how AI systems intersect with existing social inequities. The conversation unpacks critical questi
10. AI and Ethics in Practice: Corporate Perspectives
In this episode, we delve into the critical intersection of AI ethics and corporate responsibility with Ganesan Keerthivasan and Tom Tirpak from ZealStrat, a strategic management consulting firm. Our guests bring unique perspectives: Ganesan, an MD-turned-CEO with a background in healthcare, and Tom, an electrical engineering PhD with extensive experience in AI implementation across multiple indus
9. AI and Consciousness: The Human Condition
In this episode, we will begin to explore the intriguing world of consciousness and artificial intelligence with Professor Anil Seth, a renowned expert in cognitive and computational neuroscience. Professor Seth, whose research spans AI, neuroscience, and philosophy, offers a unique perspective on the ethical dimensions of AI. We examine the possibility of artificial consciousness, the impact of A
8. AI and the Future of Work: Unlocking Productivity
This week, we explore the exciting potential of AI in the workplace with Daniella Latham, Principal Product Marketing Manager at Atlassian. Daniella shares her perspective and expertise on the impact AI has on knowledge workers and ethical implications in business - from entrepreneurs and start-ups to big enterprises.
AI Ethics Now
Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and be
7. AI and Human Rights: Why are Robots always white?
This week, we delve into the critical intersection of AI and human rights. Our guest, Imogen Canavan, is a legal consultant working on the front lines of refugee protection. With her expertise in human rights and her experience supporting individuals fleeing persecution, Imogen provides invaluable insights into the potential impacts of AI on refugees and the importance of ensuring that these techn
6. AI and Education: Ethical Dilemmas and Design Thinking Solutions
This week we are joined by Pavan Konanur, CEO and Co-Founder of Hoja AI, an educational AI start up. Pavan discusses the concepts of AI, Innovation, and Design Thinking.
AI Ethics Now
Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and beyond.
A University of Warwick IATL Podcast
This podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie and Dr Jennie Mills, the module leads of the IAT
5. AI and Policy: Health, Wealth, and Universal Human Happiness
In this episode, Smera Jayadeva, a Researcher at the Alan Turing Institute and Visiting Researcher at the Digital Environment Research Institute, joins us to discuss critical issues in AI ethics and responsible innovation
AI Ethics Now
Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and beyond.
A University of Warwick IATL Podcast
This podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchi
4. AI and Governments: The Revolution in Telecommunications
This week, we chat with Dr. Chris Murphy, Regional CTO, EMEA at VIAVI Solutions, and a member of the UK Telecom Innovation Network. He discusses the opportunities and threats of AI in the UK telecoms industry
AI Ethics Now
Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and beyond.
A University of Warwick IATL Podcast
This podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie and Dr Jenn
3. AI and Decoloniality: What could possibly go wrong?
This week, we're joined by Dr Sanjay Sharma, Associate Professor in the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies at the University of Warwick. Sanjay's sector-leading work on technologies of race and racism, drawing from critical data justice, decolonial, and abolitionist perspectives, provides crucial insights into the potential harms of AI. AI Ethics Now Exploring the ethical dilemmas
2. AI and Education: The Future of AI-Powered Learning
This week, we explore the exciting potential of AI in education with Dr Lynne Taylerson, Director and Lead Trainer at Real Time Education. Lynne, also a researcher in learning technology and a consultant for an AI design organisation, shares her insights on creating engaging learning spaces powered by AI. Join us for a conversation about the future of education.
AI Ethics Now
Exploring the eth
1. The AI Revolution: AI and the Future of Humanity
This week on AI Ethics Now, we're joined by Andrew Maynard, Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions at Arizona State University, a leading voice on the future of humanity. Professor Maynard has increasingly focused his research on the responsible development of AI, exploring the ethical, social, and environmental implications of this transformative technology. A renowned commentator on the fu
