Intelligence Explosion: Managing the coming wave of hybrid intelligence

Tamim Asey

This podcast decodes the AI revolution: how intelligence is exploding across science, tech and industry—what it means, and how we manage what comes next.

Episodes

  1. SEP 25

    Episode 7. The Algorithmic Kill Chain: Dr. Lauren Gould on Data, Death and Deployment of AI in Warfare

    In this episode, host Tamim Asey sits down with Associate Professor Lauren Gould, a leading scholar of conflict studies at Utrecht University. She is the Project Leader of the Intimacies of Remote Warfare and Realities of Algorithmic Warfare research programs and a Senior Researcher at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Her publications and projects critically explore the politics of remote warfare, algorithmic decision-making, security assemblages and the militarization of digital infrastructures. The conversation centers on her co-authored paper "Tracing Algorithmic Harm: From Innovation to Deployment and Impact on Civilians" — written with Linde Arentze and Dr. Marijn Hoijtink. The paper examines the full lifecycle of military AI: from innovation and design in tech companies to deployment in programs such as Project Maven and Microsoft Azure and finally to the often-overlooked consequences for civilians on the ground. We discuss the expanding role of big tech firms in warfare, the accountability gaps created when algorithms make life-and-death decisions and how algorithmic harm is reshaping the ethics, politics and practice of contemporary conflict. This is a deep dive into the new frontiers of war where data, algorithms and corporate actors converge: raising profound questions about security, rights and the future of global order.

    1h 3m
  2. AUG 19

    Episode 3. Insights from the Humanitarian AI Survey 2025: Algorithms, Ethics and the New Humanitarian Aid Machine

    Artificial intelligence is no longer just a future concept in humanitarian work — it’s already reshaping how crises are predicted, aid is delivered and decisions are made on the ground. In this episode of the Intelligence Explosion podcast, host Tamim Asey with guests unpack the landmark July 2025 report, “How are humanitarians using artificial intelligence in 2025? Mapping Current Practice and Future Potential.” This is the first global snapshot of AI adoption in the humanitarian sector, co-authored by Ka Man Parkinson (Humanitarian Leadership Academy), Madigan Johnson (Data Friendly Space) and Lucy Hall. Our guests: •Ka Man Parkinson is Communications and Marketing Lead at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, part of Save the Children UK. She co-led the global study on humanitarian AI adoption and also produces the Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives podcast. •Madigan Johnson is Head of Communication at Data Friendly Space. She specializes in digital strategy, user behavior, and human-centered design, with a focus on responsible and ethical AI in humanitarian action. •Lucy Hall co-led the study alongside Ka Man and Madigan, bringing her expertise to shaping and delivering this pioneering global report. We discuss: •How humanitarian organizations are experimenting with large language models and algorithms in real-world operations. •The opportunities AI offers for crisis response and resource allocation. •The ethical and governance challenges that come with automation and predictive tools. •What the future might hold for accountability, agency, and human oversight in AI-powered humanitarian action. Read the full survey report here: https://www.humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Initial-insights-report-How-are-humanitarians-using-artificial-intelligence-in-2025-Mapping-current-practice-and-future-potential.pdf Tune in for a fascinating discussion at the frontier of technology, ethics and humanitarian futures.

    1h 8m
  3. JUL 28

    Episode 1. Governing Minds - Carbon and Silicon: Ethics, Power and the Architecture of Machine Cognition

    In this inaugural episode of Intelligence Explosion, host Tamim Asey speaks with Professor Elke Schwarz, a political theorist at Queen Mary University London and Vice Chair of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control. She is the author of the acclaimed book Death Machines: The Ethics of Violent Technologies and a leading expert on the intersection of emerging technologies, cognition and governance. As artificial systems increasingly simulate human thought and decision-making, we explore the scientific foundations of machine intelligence and the structural changes it is driving in warfare, policy and society. This episode covers: •What we mean by mind, intelligence and cognition, and how AI is redefining these concepts •The idea of intelligence explosion and the rise of hybrid intelligence •The ethical and regulatory challenges of autonomous weapons and algorithmic decision-making •The automation of public services and its impact on fairness, accountability and oversight •How responsibility is diffused and delegated in complex systems •National and global efforts to regulate AI akin to Geneva convention for Algorithms and Brettonwoods for AI and the critical gaps that remain Drawing on her influential work, including Blitzscaling War and Trolleyology: Algorithmic Ethics for Killer Robots, Professor Schwarz offers a compelling analysis of how machine cognition is reshaping power, responsibility and the future of governance. This is a deeply informative and insightful conversation on the future of human and machine brains, cognition and control.

    1h 2m

About

This podcast decodes the AI revolution: how intelligence is exploding across science, tech and industry—what it means, and how we manage what comes next.