The Age of AI with Lara Lewington and Ben Clark

Joy Peddlers
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We’re told we’re living in the Age of AI. This series asks what that really means and what matters beyond the hype. Join tech journalist Lara Lewington and Ben Clark from Future Worlds at the University of Southampton as they look past the noise to explore the ideas, decisions and technologies shaping how we live, work and think. From overlooked stories to the researchers, founders and systems building the future, this is where the biggest questions about AI are tackled by the people closest to the answers. This is The Age of AI. New videos every Thursday. Leave a comment below or contact us on theageofaipod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Don't Switch Your Brain Off: How To Stop Your Brain Becoming AI Slop | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

    4d ago

    Don't Switch Your Brain Off: How To Stop Your Brain Becoming AI Slop | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

    Is AI making us smarter... or slowly making us useless? In this episode of The Age of AI, Lara Lewington and Ben Clarke tackle one of the biggest questions surrounding artificial intelligence today. As AI becomes increasingly woven into our daily lives, are these tools helping us flourish, create and solve bigger problems — or are they encouraging us to outsource our thinking altogether? From AI assistants managing emails and schedules to groundbreaking advances in healthcare, brain-computer interfaces and disease detection, the conversation explores the enormous opportunities AI presents. But it also confronts the growing concerns around dependency, critical thinking, memory and what happens when we stop questioning the answers AI gives us. Along the way, Lara and Ben discuss: • Whether AI is augmenting human intelligence or replacing it • How AI could transform healthcare and medical diagnosis • Neuralink and the future of brain-computer interfaces • Why AI may help doctors rather than replace them • The danger of "AI slop" and outsourcing your thinking • What AI means for future generations growing up with these tools• How to use AI without losing the skills that matter most The Age of AI looks beyond the headlines to explore the technologies, ideas and decisions shaping the future. 👍 Like, subscribe and leave a comment with your thoughts: Is AI making us smarter or making us lazy? #ai #artificialintelligence #technology #futureofwork #healthcareai #neuralink #machinelearning #innovation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    30 min
  2. Is AI Too Powerful to Control Responsibly? | Natasha McCarthy

    May 28

    Is AI Too Powerful to Control Responsibly? | Natasha McCarthy

    Is AI helping humanity… or creating problems we’ll regret later? In this episode of The Age of AI, Ben and Lara sit down with In this episode of The Age of AI, Ben and Lara sit down with Natasha McCarthy, Associate Director for Policy at the Royal Academy of Engineering to explore the future of responsible AI from sustainability and energy use to trust, transparency and regulation. As AI becomes embedded in everything from healthcare to national infrastructure, Natasha explains why the choices we make now could shape society for decades to come. Can AI be both powerful and sustainable? Who should be held accountable? And are we moving too fast without fully understanding the long-term consequences? A thoughtful, optimistic and honest conversation about how we build AI that actually works for people and for the future. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Podcast #TechPodcast #SustainableAI #FutureTech #AIRegulation #Technology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    47 min
  3. From UK to Silicon Valley : The AI Gap Explained

    May 21

    From UK to Silicon Valley : The AI Gap Explained

    This week on The Age of AI, Lara Lewington and Ben Clark dive into the explosive AI boom transforming San Francisco and ask whether the UK and Europe are being left behind. Fresh off the plane from Silicon Valley, Ben shares what it actually feels like inside the epicentre of the AI boom: billions pouring into startups, OpenAI everywhere, NVIDIA dominating infrastructure, and a culture obsessed with moving faster than ever before. The episode explores:• Why San Francisco suddenly feels like the centre of the world again• The staggering amount of money flooding into AI• Why OpenAI, Anthropic, NVIDIA and Scale AI are dominating investment• Whether Europe is quietly building the future differently• The rise of UK AI success stories like ElevenLabs• Why Europe creates brilliant researchers — but struggles to scale companies• Whether Britain’s culture holds founders back• And why some entrepreneurs believe America is still the only place truly willing to back enormous ideasFeaturing discussion around:OpenAI • Anthropic • NVIDIA • ElevenLabs • Scale AI • Ronjon Nag • Silicon Valley • longevity research • frontier AI • venture capitalPlus: Are we underestimating how quickly AI is entering everyday life? And could this moment become even bigger than the internet boom? Subscribe for new episodes every week. #AI #OpenAI #ChatGPT #SiliconValley #Anthropic #NVIDIA #ArtificialIntelligence #TheAgeOfAI #TechnologyPodcast #ElevenLabs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    36 min
  4. Inside OpenAI: ChatGPT is only the start | Laura Modiano

    May 14

    Inside OpenAI: ChatGPT is only the start | Laura Modiano

    Laura Modiano reveals ChatGPT is only the start. Today we’re joined by Laura Modiano. Laura leads Startups across EMEA at OpenAI, where she works closely with founders, investors, and developers building the next generation of AI companies. Laura discusses the AI startups changing entire industries and gives a rare inside look at how founders, developers and investors are actually building with AI right now. Laura also shares what it’s really like working inside OpenAI during one of the biggest technological shifts in modern history. 🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more conversations exploring how AI is reshaping the world around us. #AI #OpenAI #ChatGPT #ArtificialIntelligence #Startups #TechnologyPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    56 min
  5. Are Humans Losing to Robots? 🤖 | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

    May 7

    Are Humans Losing to Robots? 🤖 | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

    Is this the Chat GPT moment of humanoid robot advancement? This week on The Age of AI, we dive into one of the biggest questions in tech right now: are humans losing the race to robots? The answer this week is - yes! A humanoid robot actually beat a human in a half marathon last week! In this episode Lara and Ben ask how developed these humanoid robots ACTUALLY are? We break down what these robots can actually do today, where the hype is running ahead of reality, and what this means for jobs, businesses, and the future of work. Is this the next industrial revolution — or are we overestimating how ready robots really are? 🎧 Watch now and decide for yourself: evolution… or replacement? #AI #Robotics #FutureOfWork #HumanoidRobots #ArtificialIntelligence #TechPodcast #TheAgeOfAI 🎧 Got a question you want answered on the show? Drop it in the comments or email us at theageofaipod@gmail.com Instagram: @theageofaipodYouTube: @theageofaipodLinkedIn: The Age of AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    38 min
  6. Are we in an AI bubble or an AI boom? | Ali Mitchell

    Apr 30

    Are we in an AI bubble or an AI boom? | Ali Mitchell

    Is the AI boom about to burst… or are we only just getting started? This week on The Age of AI, Lara Lewington and Ben Clark sit down with investor and tech thinker Ali Mitchell to unpack one of the biggest questions in tech right now: are we in an AI bubble? From sky-high valuations to the race for dominance among tech giants, Ali cuts through the hype to explore what’s real, what’s overblown, and what happens next if the bubble does burst. We dig into how to spot genuine innovation vs. noise, what smart investors are actually looking for, and whether we’re heading for a correction—or a complete transformation of how business works. If you’ve been wondering whether AI is the next dot-com crash or the biggest shift of our generation, this one’s for you. 🎧 Watch now and decide for yourself: bubble… or boom? #ai #artificialintelligence #techpodcast #futureofwork #investing #startuplife #theageofai 🎧 Got a question you want answered on the show? Drop it in the comments or email us at theageofaipod@gmail.com Email: theageofaipod@gmail.com Instagram: @theageofaipod YouTube: @theageofaipod Linkedin: The Age of AI The Age of AI is brought to you by AIR, a launchpad for researchers to create innovative AI startups. Supported by Responsible Ai UK, an international ecosystem for responsible AI research and innovation, and delivered by Future Worlds, the tech startup accelerator at the University of Southampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    57 min
  7. AI & Mental Health: Support, Risk & Reality | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

    Apr 23

    AI & Mental Health: Support, Risk & Reality | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

    1 in 3 adults in the UK have used AI for mental health support — but what does that actually mean? In this episode of The Age of AI, we explore the rapidly growing role of AI in emotional wellbeing, from therapy chatbots and AI companions to large language models people now turn to for comfort, advice, and connection. With expert guidance from Dr Jennifer Cearns, Lecturer in AI at the Department of Social Anthropology & Centre for Digital Trust & Society at The University of Manchester We ask: When does a chat become emotional support? Can AI genuinely help with mental health — or does it sometimes reinforce risk? And what happens when people form real emotional bonds with systems that don’t truly understand them? Alongside powerful real-world stories and expert insight, we also examine the tensions at the heart of this shift — between accessibility and safety, support and dependency, optimism and harm. From viral cases and court debates to the rise of dedicated mental health platforms like Wysa, this episode asks a critical question: Are we witnessing a revolution in care — or something we’re still not fully prepared for? #ai #techpodcast #mentalhealth #therapy 🎧 Got a question you want answered on the show? Drop it in the comments or email us at theageofaipod@gmail.com Email: theageofaipod@gmail.com Instagram: @theageofaipod YouTube: @theageofaipod Linkedin: The Age of AI The Age of AI is brought to you by AIR, a launchpad for researchers to create innovative AI startups. Supported by Responsible Ai UK, an international ecosystem for responsible AI research and innovation, and delivered by Future Worlds, the tech startup accelerator at the University of Southampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    25 min
  8. AI Archaeology: Unlocking Science's Secrets | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

    Apr 16

    AI Archaeology: Unlocking Science's Secrets | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

    What if decades of scientific breakthroughs were already discovered… but never used? In this episode of The Age of AI, we sit down with Sam Munday, the founder of Data Revival, a startup using AI to unlock “lost” scientific knowledge buried in handwritten lab notebooks, PDFs, and decades-old research files. From chemical companies discovering forgotten experiments to pharmaceutical teams accelerating drug discovery, AI is now turning unstructured R&D data into usable scientific intelligence. We explore how: Entire breakthroughs have been unknowingly re-tested decades later AI is digitising 40+ years of hidden scientific knowledge Lab notebooks contain critical insights modern systems can’t access Chemistry, materials science, and medicine could all be accelerated This is a conversation about more than data — it’s about what humanity may have already discovered, but never fully used. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    54 min
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About

We’re told we’re living in the Age of AI. This series asks what that really means and what matters beyond the hype. Join tech journalist Lara Lewington and Ben Clark from Future Worlds at the University of Southampton as they look past the noise to explore the ideas, decisions and technologies shaping how we live, work and think. From overlooked stories to the researchers, founders and systems building the future, this is where the biggest questions about AI are tackled by the people closest to the answers. This is The Age of AI. New videos every Thursday. Leave a comment below or contact us on theageofaipod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • Creator
    Joy Peddlers
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Joy Peddlers

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