The Human Interface: An OII Podcast

The Human Interface: An OII Podcast

By Oxford UniversityEducation
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The Human Interface: An OII Podcast episodes

  • The Skills That Win in an AI Job Market
    AI is reshaping every sector of the economy, but what does this mean for today's workforce and the skills they need to bring into their careers? In this episode, we explore what actually matters in today's job market: which AI skills matter, how to think about acquiring them, and where institutions and governments can lead the charge in shaping how AI fits into the future of work.
    AI is reshaping every sector of the economy, but what does this mean for today's workforce and the skills they need to bring into their careers? In this episode, we explore what actually matters in today's job market: which AI skills matter, how to think about acquiring them, and where institutions and governments can lead the charge in shaping how AI fits into the future of work.
    Fabian Stephany, researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute and author of the forthcoming book SKILLED, argues that today's biggest labour market can be understood through the lens of skills. The gap between the skills people have and the ones they need play out in wages, employment, and economic mobility.
    Prateek Sibal, who specialises in digital transformation in the communication and information sector at UNESCO, shares what this looks like inside public institutions. Governments are under growing pressure to adopt AI, but civil servants need to understand governance, service design, and how to maintain public trust.
    Together, they examine what individuals, employers, and governments need to do to close the AI skills gap, and why getting this right matters for societies as much as for careers.
    33 min
  • The Invisible Human Workforce Behind AI
    S2E3: This episode pulls back the curtain on the often-invisible human workforce powering AI, from content moderation to data labelling, exploring why global standards in AI supply chains must be enforced to protect worker safety. Veena McCoole talks with researchers Ashly Jiju and Ayca Ergin from the Fairwork Project at the Oxford Internet Institute. With new EU regulations like the AI Act on the horizon, the researchers share Fairwork’s response to readying companies to face this scrutiny: a research-backed audit and certification process designed to help organizations ethically build their AI.
    Links:
    Fairwork Project: https://fair.work/en/fw/homepage/
    Ashly Jiju: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/ashly-jiju/
    Ayca Ergin: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/ayca-deniz-ergin/
    32 min
  • S2 Ep3: The Invisible Human Workforce Behind AI

    This episode pulls back the curtain on the often-invisible human workforce powering AI, from content moderation to data labelling, and explores why global standards in AI supply chains must be enforced to protect worker safety. 

    With new EU regulations like the AI Act on the horizon, the researchers share Fairwork’s response to readying companies to face this scrutiny: a research-backed audit and certification process designed to help organizations ethically build their AI.

    32 min
  • S2 Ep2: What is the role of humans in the age of AI?

    This episode explores the evolving role of human oversight of AI systems in the workplace and beyond. With so much of our professional lives being permeated by AI-enabled tools, where do checks and balances come in, and what might they look like? 

    The OII’s Dr Johann Laux is joined by two members of Accenture’s Responsible AI team, Ali Shah and Maxine Setiawan, to discuss the commercial and regulatory considerations around human management of AI systems, and how we ensure new iterations of this technology remain ethical and accountable.

    38 min
  • What is the role of humans in the age of AI?
    S2E2: This episode explores the evolving role of human oversight of AI systems in the workplace and beyond. With so much of our professional lives being permeated by AI-enabled tools, where do checks and balances come in, and what might they look like?
    The OII's Dr Johann Laux is joined by two members of Accenture's Responsible AI team, Ali Shah and Maxine Setiawan, to discuss the commercial and regulatory considerations around human management of AI systems, and how we ensure new iterations of this technology remain ethical and accountable.
    38 min
  • How streaming affects musicians, and what they can do about it
    S2E1: It's never been easier for musicians to release music, but the economics of the music industry and online streaming mean earning a living has become ever more challenging. We explore how streaming platforms impact musicians. Researchers Dr Robert Prey (OII) and Dr Seonok Lee (University of Groningen) break down how the 'pro rata' model of streaming platforms dilutes payments to musicians, and draw on findings from a survey of 1,200 musicians across five countries to reveal cultural and economic differences in what it means to be a musician today.
    31 min
  • S2 Ep1: How streaming affects musicians, and what they can do about it

    This episode of The Human Interface from the Oxford Internet Institute explores how streaming platforms impact musicians today. While it's never been easier for musicians to release music, the economics of the music industry and online streaming mean earning a living has become even more challenging.

    Researchers Dr Robert Prey (OII) and Dr Seonok Lee (University of Groningen) break down how the 'pro rata' model of streaming platforms dilutes payments to musicians, and draw on findings from a survey of 1,200 musicians across five countries to reveal cultural and economic differences in what it means to be a musician today.

    31 min
  • The science behind successful start-ups, with Fabian Braesemann and Paul McCarthy
    The impact of founder personalities on startup success, how a predictive model outperforms industry standards to predict company success, and what factors can help us predict which startups will succeed. In the eighth episode of the OII Podcast, our experts discuss topics such as:
    * How founder personalities and early company characteristics significantly predict startup success
    * How traits of successful founders differ from traditional employees
    * Research implications for the broader startup ecosystem, including venture capital investors, potential buyers, and startup incubators
    Dr Fabian Braesemann is a Departmental Research Lecturer in AI & Work at the OII. His research focuses on the Science of Success. He uses data science methods to quantify the determinants of success in different fields of work.
    Professor Paul X McCarthy is a CEO, computational social science research leader and author. He founded the League of Scholars, and is also Adjunct Professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, as well as an Industry Fellow at The UTS Data Science Institute and an Honorary Fellow at Western Sydney University.
    Veena McCoole is Media and Communications Manager for the Oxford Internet Institute.
    The OII Podcast looks at issues and developments in the digital world that matter to us all, and explores them through thought-provoking conversations with experts and practitioners.
    To keep up with forthcoming episodes, follow the OII on social media where new episodes will be announced. Our social media links can be found on our website: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ (see end of page).
    36 min
  • How Can AI Be Deployed Ethically in the Defence Sector? With Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo and Sir Chris Deverell
    Our experts discuss why AI adoption in defence is slow -- covering procurement, regulation, and tech hurdles -- and how conflicts like the Ukraine war shape its future. They also call for public debate on risks and ethics. In the seventh episode of the OII Podcast, our experts discuss topics such as:
    - The factors behind AI’s slow penetration into global defence systems, including complex procurement, regulatory uncertainty, and challenges with interoperability.
    - How current geopolitical conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine War are shaping future AI development in defence with large amounts of new data.
    - The need for a public debate on the acceptable levels of risk and ethical trade-offs of AI implementation in defence.
    Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo is Professor of Digital Ethics and Defence Technologies at the Oxford Internet Institute, and DPhil Programme Director. Her research focuses on the ethics and governance of digital technologies, and ranges from designing governance measures to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to addressing the ethical challenges of using defence technology in defence.
    Sir Chris Deverell is a retired four-star General who is now advising many startups in the Defence sector. Chris has also given evidence to the House of Lords Committee on AI and Weapon Systems.
    Veena McCoole is Media and Communications Manager for the Oxford Internet Institute.
    The OII Podcast looks at issues and developments in the digital world that matter to us all, and explores them through thought-provoking conversations with experts and practitioners.
    To keep up with forthcoming episodes, follow the OII on social media where new episodes will be announced. Our social media links can be found on our website: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ (see end of page).
    50 min
  • Why social media is the new frontier for misinformation, and what we can do about it: Professor Mohsen Mosleh and Cameron Martel
    The link between misinformation and polarisation on social media, what's being done to combat misinformation and disinformation, the role of social media platforms and regulators, and where the research gaps are. In the sixth episode of the OII Podcast, our experts discuss topics such as:
    * The real world impacts that arise when people increasingly identify with their political tribes online
    * What role governments are playing in combating misinformation, and what more should be done to tackle this problem at a policy level
    * What the future holds for misinformation on social media, in the wake of generative AI, deepfakes and ever-evolving algorithms
    Professor Mohsen Mosleh is Associate Professor of Social Data Science at the Oxford Internet Institute. His research focuses on how misinformation and disinformation spread on social media, and how ties are formed on social networks.
    Cameron Martel is a PhD candidate at MIT Sloan School of Management and an incoming assistant professor at John Hopkins Carey Business School, focusing on why people believe and share misinformation, what forces shape the online social networks through which misinformation may spread, and which content moderation interventions are effective for improving online information quality.
    Veena McCoole is Media and Communications Manager for the Oxford Internet Institute.
    The OII Podcast looks at issues and developments in the digital world that matter to us all, and explores them through thought-provoking conversations with experts and practitioners.
    To keep up with forthcoming episodes, follow the OII on social media where new episodes will be announced. Our social media links can be found on our website: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ (see end of page).
    26 min

About The Human Interface: An OII Podcast

From the publisher's feed

In this series of The OII Podcast, experts from the Oxford Internet Institute and special guests come together to discuss digital world issues that matter to society. Over the coming weeks, we’ll…