Let's Chat Ethics

We’re joined by ⁠Ramsay,⁠ founder and CEO of ⁠Mission Control⁠, a leading AI Safety company building trust infrastructure for AI systems where failure is not an option. With a career spanning brain architecture, behavioral engineering, theoretical chemistry, and digital therapeutics, Ramsay has been at the forefront of where technology, innovation, and human flourishing intersect. Now, he and his team are accelerating AI Safety to ensure that synthetic intelligence—humanity’s greatest invention—remains a force for good.

In this episode, we dive deep into the nature of intelligence—both artificial and human. The term stochastic parrot—coined by Emily M. Bender, Timnit Gebru, Angelina McMillan-Major, and Margaret Mitchell in their 2021 paper, On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots—describes large language models (LLMs) that generate language without true understanding, merely predicting words based on probability. But what if humans aren’t so different? Ramsay brings a provocative perspective: maybe our own cognition is just a more advanced version of predictive pattern-matching.

Together, we explore the future of Responsible AI, the ethical boundaries of intelligent machines, and what the accelerating pace of AI means for the workforce. Will automation redefine the nature of work itself? What safeguards are needed to ensure AI benefits society? And in a world where machines mimic human cognition, what does it truly mean to be intelligent?

Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion at the frontier of AI, ethics and the future of work.

Is surveillance capitalism as dangerous as its critics claim, or have we overstated its risks? In this episode, we dive into Peter Königs' controversial defense of surveillance capitalism, challenging the dominant narrative that Big Tech is eroding privacy, manipulating politics and fueling government surveillance.

We explore:
🔹 The true impact of targeted advertising – is it really manipulating us?
🔹 The role of social media in politics – filter bubbles, misinformation, and polarisation.
🔹 The mental health debate – does social media really "rewire" our brains?
🔹 The government surveillance paradox – are Big Tech companies enablers or privacy defenders?

Join us as we debunk myths, analyse real-world data, and discuss the ethics of digital capitalism in an era dominated by Google, Facebook and Twitter/X.

For those interested to read the research paper:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-024-00804-1

As the UK’s Labour government takes the reins, the future of AI regulation hangs in the balance. Will they align with the EU’s AI Act, follow the US’s light-touch approach, or carve out their own path? And with growing pressure from a potential second Trump administration, how much independence can the UK maintain?

In this episode, we break down Labour’s AI strategy, the implications of Anthropic’s recent contract to boost UK government efficiency, and whether AI policy will be driven by ethics or economic pressure. Is meaningful regulation even possible—or will the UK cave to industry and international influence?

Tune in as we explore the politics, power plays, and big tech lobbying shaping the future of AI regulation..

In this episode of "AI Unplugged," we dive deep into the latest controversies and dramas shaking the world of AI. First, we unravel DeepSeek, exploring the the hype, privacy concerns and data security issues comparing this with OpenAI.

Next, we delve into the high stakes drama between OpenAI and Elon Musk, examining Musk's audacious $97.4 billion bid to take over OpenAI and the ensuing power struggle with Sam Altman⁠⁠. Finally, we discuss the broader implications of AI on geopolitics, highlighting how nations are navigating the complex landscape of AI development and big techs involvement in this!Tune in to stay informed about the latest developments in AI and their impact on our world

What are your thoughts on these topics? We'd love to hear from you!

What would an ethical dating app look like? Can tech help us build real connections, or is it making modern love worse?

We sat down with Natasha McKeever and Luke Brunning two philosophers of love & relationships from the Centre for Love, Sex & Relationships (@University of Leeds) to explore:

📱 How dating apps shape our choices
💔 The ethics of swiping culture
🤖 Can AI help us find love—or just monetize our loneliness?

🔥 This conversation is a must-listen for anyone curious about love, tech, and ethics!

Do you think dating apps need an ethical makeover?

We are back!! Happy 2025.. we are kicking off the year with a quick catch up on our past year, Meta's freedom of speech & Elon Musk's influence on Twitter. We are looking forward to bringing you bi-weekly news, topics and guests all in AI and AI Ethics.. stay tuned..

In this episode, we delve into the evolving landscape of AI regulation as we unravel the intricacies of the European Union's groundbreaking AI Act. Released as a comprehensive regulatory framework, the EU's AI Act is set to shape the future of AI development, deployment, and governance across the member states and the world.

Join us as we explore the key provisions of the AI Act, examining its impact on both businesses and individuals. We'll discuss the high-risk AI applications that will face stringent regulations, the requirements for transparency and human oversight, and the implications for fostering innovation while ensuring ethical AI practices.

This week we were joined by the incredible Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos. Lydia is a multifaceted expert who has worked with the United Nations, NATO, US Special Operations, US Secret Service, IEEE, the European Commission, management consultancies, industry, academia and foreign governments. And havs experience working in US, Europe, Middle East and East Asia. Lydia's expertise range across AI, AI Ethics, Cyber Security, Art, Fashion, Health & more!

In this episode we explore topics ranging from the role of humans in the future of AI, the value humans offer vs AI and the environmental impact of AI.

In the episode we reference Lydia's recent talk on the Corporate Social Responsibility of AI a 15 min talk that we highly recommend people watch where Lydia looks at some of the United Nations SDG's and what they mean.

More of Lydia's work -

Happy New Year! We back in 2024 and what a year 2023 was for tech..

In this episode, we delve into the fascinating and increasingly crucial realm of AI governance. As AI continues to evolve, questions of ethics, accountability, and regulation become paramount. Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities surrounding AI governance, featuring this weeks special expert guest Lofred Madzou. From the ethical considerations of autonomous systems to the role of policymakers in shaping AI policies, we look at the complex landscape of governing AI.

Lofred is the Director of Strategy at Truera – an AI Quality platform to explain, test, debug and monitor machine learning models, leading to higher quality and trustworthiness. Outside his day job, he is a Research Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute (University of Oxford) where he mostly focuses on the governance of AI systems through audit processes. Before Joining Truera, he was an AI Lead at the World Economic Forum where he supported global companies, across industries and jurisdictions, in their implementation of responsible AI processes as well as advised various EU and Asia-Pacific governments on AI regulation. Previously, he was a policy officer at the French Digital Council, where he advised the French Government on AI policy. Most notably, he co-drafted the French AI Strategy.

On this episode of the Philosopher's Takeover, we look back on our episode with Tess Buckley. We discuss ableism and the meaning of baselines, posthumanist feminism and Donna Haraway's foundational work "The Cyborg Manifesto".

References:

A Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway

Man-Computer Symbiosis by J. C. R. Licklider

Diary of a CEO podcast

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