Growing up with AI

Start Gentle, Learn Fast: A Regulator’s Playbook for AI with Steve Unger


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Join me as I sit down with Steve Unger, former Ofcom executive and now advisor to public and private sector organizations, to unpack how to govern AI without stifling innovation.

Drawing on lessons from telecoms and broadcasting, Steve argues for a “start gentle” approach: begin with transparency obligations, target clear harms, and only regulate what’s practical to enforce.

We explore the history that helps make sense of today’s hype, why use‑case regulation (from deepfakes to autonomous vehicles) matters more than tech‑wide bans, and how norms set by responsible industry can become workable policy.

Along the way, Steve reflects on grand parenting in a digital world, the art of guiding without overstepping, and the human skills - pattern‑making, judgment, emotional intelligence - that will still matter for our kids.

If you care about keeping children safe online while preserving free expression and innovation, this conversation offers a grounded path forward and a hopeful view of peace and prosperity for the next generation.

And then go and read Steve's new book: "From Beacon Fires to Fibre Broadband: A history of innovation, enterprise and regulation"

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Growing up with AIBy Gabriel