The tables have turned! Tim El-Sheikh is being interviewed by Ben Byford on his show, The Machine Ethics Podcast, discussing why the AI bubble is far worse than we thought and how it has become a financial nightmare.

Ben is a good friend of our show here at The CEO Retort and a previous guest who discussed digital ethics and ethical AI, without the hyperbolic doom-and-gloom fantasy.

As part of our collaboration, I’m the guest this time, and Ben and I discuss podcasting, the history of OpenAI, London startups, AI use cases, and whether GenAI is even safe.

But the key topic of our discussion is the AI bubble, snake oil salesmen, and whether we need all these data centres.

Above all, we are exploring the financial implications post the AI bubble explosion.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:01:45) – CEOR Intro

(00:02:25) – Tim's journey with AI as a deeptech entrepreneur since 2002 and why he decided to launch The CEOR podcast.

(00:08:53) – Why Tim believes Google is still the dominant force in AI today, not OpenAI, based on his observations at Google Campus London.

(00:10:32) – How did the current wave of AI cause the rise of the AI bubble?

(00:22:03) – What impact does the AI bubble have on regular people's lives?

(00:27:19) – What makes this AI bubble different?

(00:33:30) – The failure of the AI sector in justifying their claims that AI "can change everything" and the dangerous consequences of this delusion.

(00:39:39) – Replacing humans is a fantasy. It's about profit and control, not innovation. There is nothing new here!

(00:46:10) – The "anti-human" rhetoric from the AI sector, coupled with aggressive and unlawful data grab, thought manipulation and why it must stop.

(00:52:30) – What could the world look like after the AI bubble bursts?

(00:56:37) – Why "AI Data Centres" are not "long-term" investments with big ROIs like railways.

01:01:20) – Why nonprofits and socially responsible AI research and services will play a critical role in the post-AI bubble cleanup.

(01:05:12) – Tim's advice on how to protect yourself from chatbots' praise!

Episode Notes & Citations:

https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/12/01/collab-episode-the-ai-bubble-is-much-worse-than-we-thought-its-a-financial-nightmare⁠

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Professor Scott Lucas returns for the latest edition of our Misinformation Watch series, and we delved into the tangled web of political manoeuvring and misinformation that has gripped both the Democratic and Republican parties over the past two weeks.

Professor Scott Lucas is a highly experienced and globally renowned expert in American politics, US and British foreign policy, and a wide range of international affairs, with a specific focus on the Middle East, Iran, Europe, and Asia. He also has expertise in new media, intelligence services, and propaganda.

Scott has also been an active journalist since 1979 and is the founder and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView, a prominent news site that provides daily news and analysis of global affairs.

Scott is a frequent and leading political analyst on major international media outlets, including Times Radio, BBC, CNN, Sky News, Al Jazeera English, France 24, and Deutsche Welle, which significantly contributes to his global recognition.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:01:38) – CEOR Intro

(00:02:19) – The tangled political manoeuvring of the Democratic and Republican parties

(00:09:11) – Epstein Survivors' campaign video calling for the release of all the Epstein files

(00:10:29) – What Epstein emails reveal about Trump's knowledge of Epstein activities

(00:18:54) – The multi-layered misinformation storm created by Trump and his supporters to cover up the Epstein scandal

(00:27:23) – Be very careful of what you read on social media around the Epstein revelations

(00:29:33) – Could the Trump Administration have doctored the files while holding back their release?

(00:34:27) – How some elements of the media are politicising the Epstein scandal, ignoring the victims and the culprits

(00:39:06) – The reasons behind and the impact of the US government shutdown on people's lives, and the release of the files.

(01:01:20) – When Trump's presidency ends, how can the public demand new laws to control and scrutinise future presidents?

(01:14:44) – How to differentiate between misinformation, disinformation and propaganda, and take responsibility for the information you choose to consume!

Episode Notes & Citations:

https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/11/24/scott-lucas-how-epstein-changed-us-politics-forever/

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Dr Arik Kershenbaum is a globally renowned zoologist and researcher at Girton College, University of Cambridge, specialising in animal communication and astrobiology.

Arik is an international bestseller for his book, The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy, and has also released a more recent book, Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication.

His research and books explore the science of animal communication and its implications for understanding ourselves and potentially extraterrestrial life.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:03:31) – What is the true meaning of intelligence, and how did it evolve?

(00:12:40) – Do animals talk, and does language mean higher intelligence?

(00:18:59) – Why wolves and dolphins have closely related communication dynamics?

(00:21:23) – Group thinking, conflicts and shared intelligence demonstrated by wolves and dolphins

(00:29:48) – Why do humans question their existence and the meaning of life, while animals don't?

(00:35:40) – What has Arik's research in zoology and astrobiology revealed about humans' evolution?

(00:40:35) – Are humans aliens? Why do we appear to be different from all other animals?

(00:40:35) – Why do humans feel disconnected from the environment and earth?

(00:47:55) – How technology made humans less intelligent, too comfortable, and less robust

(00:49:57) – How our limited interpretation of intelligence influences the growth of AI

(01:00:44) – Tim and Arik debate whether machines can ever become intelligent and conscious

(01:17:36) – Can AI help us translate animal communication and define consciousness?

(01:23:11) – The peculiar case of Alex the parrot and his cognitive and communicative abilities

(01:32:45) – Based on Alex the parrot's anomaly, could parrots or any other animals have evolved linguistically like humans in a different environment?

(01:37:08) – Based on Arik's data models, how will humans and animals evolve in the next 4 million years?

(01:44:05) – Astrobiology and intelligence beyond Earth: What alien civilisations look like if they were 1 million years ahead of us?

(01:50:06) – Arik's fascinating story with zoology, his upcoming expeditions with his new AI tech

Episode Notes & Citations:

⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/11/17/arik-kershenbaum-how-animals-reveal-secrets-of-our-intelligence/

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A pioneer of British streetwear and impact investing, Roger Wade founded Boxfresh in 1989 and launched the world’s first pop-up mall, BoxPark Shoreditch, in 2010, which has since expanded to Croydon and Wembley.

After achieving successful exits from both businesses, Roger founded and became chairman of Boxfund VC, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage, purpose-driven consumer brands with a focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) values.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:04:02) – The big problem with today's investors and VCs and their obsession with hype over longevity

(00:13:13) – Why UK-based investors pushing for quick exits and selling to US corporations is a bad idea for sovereignty

(00:18:21) – Can Europe challenge US investment dominance, especially under the Trump Administration?

(00:21:00) – How is Brexit the real catalyst for the UK's economic chaos and empowered US vulture capitalists

(00:23:32) – Why business sectors and professionals need to start understanding and scrutinising current geopolitics

(00:36:00) – How our political leaders allowed major US corporations to destroy the British economy

(00:46:00) – Roger Wade's remarkable story, from poverty and racial attacks, to one of the UK's most pioneering entrepreneurs and VCs

(00:58:17) – The courage to challenge the status quo for business professionals, and why they must start speaking out now!

(01:04:23) – How powerful US corporate lobbying groups have a dangerous influence on UK politics and business

(01:11:50) – Have the current broken, divisive politics and the Middle East conflict exposed the weakness of the status quo

(01:17:34) – Roger's hopeful view of the future: Are you a lover or a hater?

Episode Notes & Citations:

⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/11/10/roger-wade-responsible-entrepreneurs-and-investors-are-the-only-hope-for-a-better-future/

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Professor Scott Lucas is a highly experienced and globally renowned expert in American politics, US and British foreign policy, and a wide range of international affairs, with a specific focus on the Middle East, Iran, Europe, and Asia. He also has expertise in new media, intelligence services, and propaganda.

Scott has also been an active journalist since 1979 and is the founder and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView, a prominent news site that provides daily news and analysis of global affairs.

Scott is a frequent and leading political analyst on major international media outlets, including Times Radio, BBC, CNN, Sky News, Al Jazeera English, France 24, and Deutsche Welle, which significantly contributes to his global recognition.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:04:01) – Are the left-right political divisions relevant in modern politics?

(00:11:57) – How people got distracted from the core issues under delusional populist narratives.

(00:21:43) – Has the status quo failed to protect itself from populist politicians and authoritarian wannabes?

(00:36:07) – How did Trump and the architects of Project 2025 (and Brexit) manage to achieve their aims so rapidly, and can America survive?

(00:49:18) – Why focusing on local positive political impact can drive wider positive change nationally.

(00:54:54) – Should voters be held responsible for electing authoritarians and the consequences of far-right movements like Brexit?

(01:22:07) – Will the current hostile political environment open up the door for younger political leaders, such as Zohran Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)?

Episode Notes & Citations:

https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/11/03/scott-lucas-why-you-must-now-understand-politics-and-the-new-economic-reality/

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May is an award-winning journalist who led a large-scale investigation into the Tony Blair Institute’s (TBI) insidious relationship with tech multi-billionaire Larry Ellison, founder of the tech and data conglomerate Oracle.

May is the editor at investigative newsroom Lighthouse Reports, where she coordinates teams of journalists and carries out investigative reporting to produce stories that are published in some of the world’s leading media outlets.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:04:32) – Insider revelations of how TBI pushes Oracle’s products onto governments

(00:12:49) – The length of the relationship between Tony Blair and Larry Ellison

(00:14:06) – Why should people be concerned about this relationship?

(00:20:52) – How the TBI is influencing the current UK government’s obsession with American tech

(00:28:13) – What was the trigger point that rang the alarm bells with May and her colleagues?

(00:37:25) – TBI appears to be acting as Larry Ellison’s and Oracle’s dedicated sales operation

(00:38:38) – How Tony Blair and many leaders obsessively believe in AI and tech, as if it’s religion!

(00:42:54) – Can the obsessive reliance on AI and the addiction to AI companions ever be reversed?

(00:58:42) – How May discovered the link between the tech sector and migration policies.

(01:06:50) – The role played by big tech platforms in influencing migration narratives and policies

(01:15:32) – How and why did May choose to become a journalist, and her advice to noobs like Tim!

(01:25:11) – What is the future of the mainstream media and the public’s trust in journalism?

Episode Notes & Citations:

https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/10/27/may-bulman-tony-blairs-institute-turned-into-oracles-sales-and-lobbying-operation/

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A powerful discussion with the visionary entrepreneur and campaigner Cindy Gallop – founder and CEO of "Make Love not Porn" (MLNP) social platform. Our conversation delved into her unique entrepreneurial journey, the rise of toxic masculinity, and the critical role of human curation in content moderation.

Cindy has turned her illustrious advertising career into a lifelong pursuit of changing the world, her way — one daring project after another. After all her success in the advertising world, Cindy resigned as chairman of BBH in 2005 to do something different.

Today, she continues to work in branding and advertising as a consultant, but is also tending to some fascinating projects of her own. She launched MakeLoveNotPorn at TED2009, in an attempt to squash the myths of hardcore pornography and to begin a dialogue around how real people have sex.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:04:28) – Cindy’s entrepreneurship journey and discovery of the toxic sexual habits of young men

(00:12:48) – Societies’ failure in teaching and understanding the meaning of good sexual values and positive behaviours

(00:25:06) – Why is there such a taboo around sex, and how toxic masculinity shaped the tech sector

(00:33:17) – How Cindy targets the right investors and her exit strategy with MLNP and her academy

(00:40:45) – How Cindy faces down the current rise of toxic masculinity and the prospering online manosphere

(00:50:43) – Why we need to urgently rebuild the future of the Internet through female and minority points of view

(00:52:01) – Cindy’s AI project built on Algorithm for Consent on exclusive MLNP “LVM” training data

(00:54:37) – The consequences of social media’s and BigTech’s failure to implement human-curation models to prioritise AI

(00:58:14) – How positive tech can influence mass behavioural change and sexual attitude at scale

Episode Notes & Citations:

⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/10/20/cindy-gallop-ai-bosses-fuel-and-benefit-from-toxic-masculinity/

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Angus Hanton is a British entrepreneur, economist, and investor with a career spanning over 40 years. He is the author of the groundbreaking book and bestseller, Vassal State: How America Runs Britain, based on his research that lays bare the extent to which US corporations own and control Britain's economy.

Angus is also the co-founder of the Intergenerational Foundation (IF), a UK-based think tank focused on promoting the interests of younger generations.

He is a self-described baby boomer who uses his background to analyse how government policies have transferred wealth and liabilities from older to younger generations.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:04:16) –The danger of the AI bubble powering 80% of the stock market

(00:09:10) – How British tech sectors have become totally reliant on Silicon Valley

(00:14:02) – What triggered Angus to write his "Vassal State" book?

(00:24:48) – How and why have UK governments allowed a complete takeover by US corporations?

(00:30:43) – The role of politicians and policy: Was it all by design or incompetence?

(00:33:45) – Who is ultimately responsible for the British economic extraction by the US?

(00:44:21) – Will the latest $200bn tech and AI investment pledged by the US kill British tech?

(00:52:23) – Brexit and politicians' lack of business understanding made matters much worse

(00:58:56) – Has the US takeover of Britain's economy made the UK richer or poorer?

(01:03:37) – Why do British politicians put US interests first, while claiming patriotism?

(01:09:47) – The negative impact of the current rise of AI on future employment and employers

(01:15:50) – Is the UK the worst case scenario of a vassal state, or are there other vassal states?

(01:23:21) – If US stock markets are overly dependent on the AI bubble, what will happen to the UK economy when it bursts?

(01:32:49) – Can the UK ever rejoin the EU as America's vassal state?

(01:36:20) – How should people and younger generations navigate the hype-up AI-driven future?

(01:44:46) – The negative influences from thinktanks, lobbyists and weakening regulations

(01:48:07) – Is the Vassal State book anti-American?

(01:50:27) – What lessons should we learn from America to stop us from being a vassal state?

Episode Notes & Citations:

⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/10/13/angus-hanton-how-america-owns-britain-and-can-turn-countries-into-vassal-states/

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This special AMA episode marks our celebration of hitting just over 20,000 followers and subscribers across all platforms 🎉

I delve into your questions, mostly around the challenges and misconceptions surrounding AI, the importance of expert voices, and the launch of my new non-profit initiative promoting socially responsible AI. And there are more announcements around the podcast itself and our plans.

Thank you all for your amazing support, including those who do not necessarily agree with me, but you still engage positively. We all aim to learn from one another in a world filled with clickbait nonsense.

Not here! CEOR's mission is to bring real experts and forward-thinkers out of the clickbait shadows for greater knowledge, purpose, and performance.

Much love to you all ❤️

Serial deeptech entrepreneur, award-winning innovator, and author Henry Nash discusses AI's hype versus reality, explains why we must now focus on AI's ROI, and explores the future of quantum computing.

Henry, who began his entrepreneurial journey in 1986, has worked on a range of tech startups, including Insignia Solutions and Transitive. He is currently involved in leading IBM’s startup programs that support companies scaling through the IBM ecosystem.

Henry believes in bringing the business and technology groups of a company together to achieve the near-impossible. Immersive 3D VR chat rooms 25 years before Facebook Meta, horizontally scalable distributed infrastructure 10 years before cloud, the Queen’s Award for Technology and the Queen’s Award for Export, are just some of the things the companies he’s founded have achieved.

• This conversation was recorded in 2024, before I decided to launch the podcast. Yet the talking points are so relevant to today’s hype-driven AI world that I felt the episode needed to be revived and included in the CEOR debates. It also demonstrates the reality that AI has not really changed much. It’s my counterparts behind the technology who keep on moving the goalposts.

Timstamps:

(00:00:00) – Preview

(00:05:43) – IBM's current approach to AI and why they're not in the conversation.

(00:10:52) – Why businesses and enterprises perceive generative AI as high-risk.

(00:14:15) – AI models work well in controlled environments, but struggle in the real world.

(00:17:38) – Did the tech and AI sectors fail in educating and informing the public about AI?

(00:20:34) – Henry's remarkable journey as a deeptech and innovation entrepreneur since 1986!

(00:30:58) – How politics and Brexit severely damaged the UK's global standing in AI and deeptech.

(00:35:16) – Where are we in the current AI hype cycle, and is it "real" innovation?

(00:46:51) – The killer AI solution is the one that offers the real return on investment (ROI)!

(00:54:09) – Can AI really replace humans, and who is actually driving this narrative?

(01:06:11) – The role of AI in transforming education, prioritising soft skills and critical thinking.

(01:25:10) – The upcoming excitement of quantum computing. Is it the new hype?

(01:33:57) – The Impact of quantum computing on AI's future and data encryption.

(01:38:39) – The other side of the AI hype: The nihilists, AI doomers and the ethics bros!

(01:42:09) – How AI is perceived by some as a divine being and above humanity!

(01:48:58) – The tech sector seems to prioritise AI's "rights" over human rights!

(01:52:56) – Can regulation be used as a tool to prioritise safer and useful AI?

(01:56:20) – The future of the current AI models and the end of the current bubble.

Episode Notes & Citations:

https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/09/29/henry-nash-forget-hyped-up-ai-we-must-now-focus-on-real-value-and-roi/

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