The Business of AI

UKAI - The Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK
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AI is our Business. Looking at how businesses are using AI to build services and tools, transforming organisations and delighting consumers. We explore the different types of businesses that are emerging and find out how they are using AI technology. UKAI is the trade association for AI businesses in the UK. The show is hosted Tim Flagg, AI entrepreneur and chief executive of UKAI. Featuring business leaders, policymakers, authors, politicians and entrepreneurs. Join us to learn how to build your AI business.

  1. 2D AGO

    58. How AI Optimises Infrastructure, Turning Complexity into Clarity, with Michael Avant-Smith BMA

    AI can help make sense of complex infrastructure projects, turning disconnected systems into clear plans that improve efficiency at scale and help protect national infrastructure. Energy, water, and other essential networks are under growing pressure from new demand, climate goals, and public expectations, and decisions in one area increasingly affect everything else. This conversation with Michael Avant-Smith, from Business Modelling Applications, looks at how AI is being used to bring clarity to that complexity: linking data, testing options, and showing trade-offs in ways people can understand and act on. By supporting better planning, faster decisions, and continuous adjustment as conditions change, AI becomes a practical tool for building infrastructure that keeps up with the pace of change. AI is our Business. UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co

    39 min

  2. JAN 23

    57. Why Sustainability and AI Are About to Collide (Hard): Alex Smith

    What does real sustainability look like when AI enters the room—loud, power-hungry, and ethically ambiguous? In this episode of the UKAI Women in AI Podcast, we’re joined by Alex Smith, CEO of Future Plus, to talk candidly about non-linear careers, leadership under pressure, and why sustainability must move from glossy reports into everyday business decisions. Alex shares her journey—from hospitality and professional sailing to building a guided SaaS platform that helps businesses embed sustainability across climate, social impact, governance, and economic resilience. Along the way, we explore: Why sustainability and AI are fundamentally governance problems The myth of “perfect” sustainability (and why progress matters more) AI’s impact on net-zero pledges, workforce trust, and bias Lessons from working parents, single motherhood, and executive leadership How AI is being used to reduce food waste through projects like Bridge AI, in collaboration with Innovate UK, Google, and Nestlé This is not sustainability as virtue-signalling. It’s sustainability as discipline: measured, managed, and embedded—especially as AI accelerates faster than our moral reflexes. 📌 Key theme: Just because we can, should we? 🔗 Learn more about Alex’s work: https://www.futureplus.co.uk 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on AI, governance, and impact AI is our Business. UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co

    21 min

  3. JAN 20

    56. Women, Work and the Future of AI: Sheridan Ash and Tech She Can

    In this episode of the UKI Women in AI podcast, Sheridan (Founder & Co-CEO of Tech She Can) tells the story from “Well Rough” (Wellingborough, as lovingly rebranded by its own sign-vandals) to global consulting, to launching a charity that’s reached hundreds of thousands of children with tech-for-good education. You’ll hear: How an undiagnosed dyslexia and leaving school with few qualifications didn’t end the story—it started it The early rebellion: campaigning at school so girls could do metalwork and welding (because stereotypes deserve to be mocked, not obeyed) Why curiosity and preparation beat “having a perfect plan” (spoiler: plans rarely survive contact with reality) Lessons from Accenture and PwC—and how Sheridan helped move the needle on women in tech inside a major UK firm The research that exposed why many girls don’t choose tech (hint: it’s not “lack of ability”—it’s lack of invitation and visibility) Building Tech She Can through the pandemic, scaling resources, and focusing now on work experience, apprenticeships, and pathways—especially for young people without easy access to “who you know” networks Leadership habits that actually work: relentless note-taking, diverse teams, and staying coachable (even when your ego wants a throne) Sheridan also talks about the power of storytelling—personally and structurally—and shares how role models (from Wonder Woman to Lyra) can widen what young people believe is possible. If you care about AI, skills, education, and the pipeline into tech that isn’t quietly rigged for the already-privileged: this one’s for you. #WomenInAI #AI #TechForGood #DigitalSkills #Education #DiversityInTech #Leadership #Apprenticeships #Careers #UKTech AI is our Business. UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co

    36 min

  4. JAN 15

    55. AI, Finance & Chaos: Lida Cepuch on Risk, Governance, and Surviving the Markets

    In this episode of the UKAI Women in AI Podcast, Zahra sits down with Lida Cepuch — a technologist-turned-governance heavyweight whose career has zig-zagged through derivatives trading floors, complex risk management, and the boardrooms of some of Europe’s most regulated financial institutions. Lida cuts through the usual platitudes and lays out the raw mechanics of building a career at the intersection of technology, finance, and governance, starting from her early days in computer science at the University of Waterloo (back when coding required punched cards) all the way to shaping AI strategy for a UK-regulated alternative investment manager. Across this conversation you’ll hear about: Surviving Black Monday (1987) and making decisions with imperfect information Remote team leadership long before Zoom made it fashionable How technological literacy became her most valuable long-term asset The structural reasons girls fall out of STEM at age 11–12 Why governance around AI is still a conceptual minefield How allyship, networks, and unvarnished mentorship shape a career The reality of navigating male-dominated rooms in the 80s and 90s Raising four children while handling high-volatility roles in finance Her current project Lectern, using AI to help families save for education Why society cannot afford a generation priced out of university How AI can support — rather than distort — education, decision-making, and equity Lita also speaks frankly about personal challenges, and how resilience, clarity of thought, and a deep network of mentors carried her through chaotic inflection points — from 9/11 to market collapses. If you’re interested in: AI governance, female leadership in finance, long-term strategy, risk, education policy, or the hard practicalities of deploying AI responsibly, this episode is essential. Connect with Lita: linkedin.com/in/lidacepuch Subscribe to the UKAI Women in AI Podcast for more conversations with the women shaping the future of AI — not in theory, but in the bruising, high-stakes world where technology meets power. AI is our Business. UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co

    28 min

  5. JAN 13

    54. Governing The Machine: The UK's Chance to Lead with Ray Eitel-Porter & Paul Dongha

    How do you actually govern AI so you can use it at scale without blowing up your risk register? In this episode of the Business of AI podcast, Tim chats with Ray Eisel Porter (former Global Lead for Responsible AI at Accenture) and Dr Paul Donga (Head of Responsible AI & AI Strategy at NatWest) about their new book, Governing the Machine – a practical blueprint for AI governance in real organisations, not in theory slides. They unpack: What agentic AI really was in the 1990s – and why today’s “agents” are nowhere near the autonomous rational planners people are hyping. How to build AI governance as an enabler, not a tick-box brake on innovation. Why generative AI widens and deepens the risk landscape, especially in financial services. The emerging role of the Chief AI Officer and where responsible AI, ethics boards and risk teams fit in. How to make governance relevant to actual workers, not just a PDF policy nobody reads. Why the UK has a genuine opportunity to lead globally on responsible AI, given its regulators, legal culture, and new AI Safety Institute. In this conversation, we cover: Ray’s journey from leading global responsible AI at Accenture to co-authoring Governing the Machine Paul’s background in agentic AI research in the 1990s and his move into banking and AI ethics The mindset shift: governance as a way to sleep at night and unlock AI value Practical steps to get started: Identifying checkpoints where “does this include AI?” gets asked Using risk triage to decide when heavier governance is needed Embedding questions through the AI lifecycle, not as a final checklist Why FOMO about agentic AI is misplaced – and what today’s “agents” really do (mostly advanced search and orchestration, not deep planning) How to keep governance flexible as technology and regulation move, including using standards beneath policies The human side: training, culture, new roles (AI ethicists, data curators, responsible AI leads), and using AI to augment work rather than replace it The UK’s regulatory positioning vs the EU AI Act and the US – and why a pro-innovation, guidance-driven approach might actually work If you’re a business leader, risk professional, data/AI lead, or policymaker wondering where to start with AI governance – or whether you really need a Chief AI Officer – this episode will give you a concrete framework and a reality check on the current hype. 📖 The book: Governing the Machine – available now from major booksellers. 🎙️ Podcast: Business of AI Podcast – subscribe for new episodes. 👉 Watch / Listen and let us know in the comments: Do you think your organisation is ready for agentic AI? Should the UK aim to lead the world on responsible AI – and is it doing enough? AI is our Business. UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co

    48 min

  6. 12/31/2025

    53. Work Amplifiers: How AI Agents Can Transform Non-Profits with Alex Skinner

    AI agents can become “work amplifiers” for non-profits and membership organisations IF you start with the problem, not the solution. In this in-person episode, Alex Skinner (CEO & Co-founder of Pixl8) explains how AI can help lean teams do more with less: automating document-heavy workflows, triaging submissions, and turning messy archives into searchable knowledge. We dig into: * Why many AI projects fail by starting with a solution instead of a clear objective, * Alex’s “recipes” approach: matching the right model/tool to the right workflow, * How to pilot safely, measure success, and scale from proof-of-concept to production, * The new reality of testing: using AI to test AI in a probabilistic world, * Practical risk controls: human-in-the-loop, auditing, least access, and separating duties, * Sensitive data strategies: orchestrators, data security, open-source models, and private deployments, * What Alex is most excited about for 2026: 'Lane Assist', moving beyond chat into proactive, workflow-based AI. AI is our Business. UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co

    49 min

  7. 12/30/2025

    52. Bold, Loud, Unstoppable: How Women Can Win in AI with Ramyani Basu

    Ramyani shares her 25-year journey from being the only woman in engineering classes to leading digital, analytics, and AI across Northern Europe, while championing diversity and lifting other women as she climbed. She opens up about a defining early-career moment: being told to tone down her bold colours and emotions and why choosing authenticity became a turning point. Ramyani makes the case that AI is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for women because it rewards problem-solving, leadership, and collaboration, not just coding. Expect practical advice (passion, resilience, learning through failure), a look at major AI transformation programs she’s leading in banking and heavy industry, and a powerful call to use women’s “superpower” alongside technology to create lasting business and societal impact. Ramyani Basu is a senior partner at Kearney. AI is our Business. UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co

    16 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    51. Leveraging AI as a Competitive Advantage in a Global Corporation with Bosch's Steffen Hoffmann

    Bosch on Skills, Trust, and the Future of Work. What does real adoption actually look like inside a global industrial giant? In this episode, Stefan Hoffmann, President of Bosch for Northern and Eastern Europe, cuts through the noise to explain how AI is already transforming manufacturing, HR, energy, and R&D. From training 65,000 employees and building trust in AI tools, to green energy, hydrogen, and automated driving, this fascinating conversation explores how businesses can use AI to boost productivity, stay competitive, and prepare people, not replace them, for the future of work. AI is our Business. UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co

    44 min
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About

AI is our Business. Looking at how businesses are using AI to build services and tools, transforming organisations and delighting consumers. We explore the different types of businesses that are emerging and find out how they are using AI technology. UKAI is the trade association for AI businesses in the UK. The show is hosted Tim Flagg, AI entrepreneur and chief executive of UKAI. Featuring business leaders, policymakers, authors, politicians and entrepreneurs. Join us to learn how to build your AI business.

Information

  • Creator
    UKAI - The Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Business of AI
  • Show Website
    The Business of AI