Inclusive AI Podcast

Inclusive AI Lab

The Inclusive AI Podcast is a production of the Inclusive AI Lab at Utrecht University. We incubate global leaders and build inclusive, sustainable AI ecosystems that bridge the Global North and South, ensuring that data, tools, services, and platforms work for all.

Episodes

  1. S2 Ep. 5 Culture as Power for AI

    5d ago

    S2 Ep. 5 Culture as Power for AI

    In this episode, we explore how culture can shape the future of AI. How are artists, storytellers, and entrepreneurs across the Global South using AI to create new narratives and forms of expression? Could small language models help decentralize global culture? And what creative AI projects are already challenging dominant technological imaginaries? We also reflect on storytelling, identity, and technological power — and why culture is central to more inclusive AI futures. At the Inclusive AI Lab, this aligns with our long-standing work with creatives across the Global South who are reshaping the rules of the game to be seen, heard, and to drive the global creative economy. In this episode, we spoke with:  Franklin Ozekhome, global strategy consultant and pop culture expert, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Maskvrade  Jensina Larsen, co-founder of Unfurl Futures and World Pulse, and digital impact entrepreneur. Lucie Chateau, assistant professor of Screen Media at Utrecht University and Creative AI lead, Inclusive AI Lab.

    49 min
  2. S2 Ep. 4 Reclaiming AI for Good

    May 26

    S2 Ep. 4 Reclaiming AI for Good

    In this episode, we explore how AI can be reclaimed as a force for public good. How can governments, NGOs, and research institutions move beyond “AI for Good” pilots toward real, lasting impact? What can we learn from past failures in algorithmic governance? And how do we design AI systems for care, inclusion, and access — rather than surveillance or control? We also reflect on the need for institutional trust, global solidarity, and collaboration in times of uncertainty. At the Inclusive AI Lab, we challenge tech-centered “AI for Good” narratives and pilot-driven approaches that rarely scale. Instead, we center contexts, cultures, and communities in rethinking what meaningful impact looks like. In this episode, we spoke with: Ron Guerrier, Chief Technology Officer at Save the Children. Rana Kuseyri, Responsible AI researcher, Inclusive AI Lab, and PhD candidate at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

    35 min
  3. S2 Ep. 3 AI Investments to Make the Market Work Again

    May 26

    S2 Ep. 3 AI Investments to Make the Market Work Again

    In this episode, we explore how AI investment can better support entrepreneurship, creativity, and opportunity across the Majority World. Why do so many innovation ecosystems still struggle to access funding and infrastructure? What kinds of leadership, networks, and investment models can help local ecosystems thrive? And how can AI move beyond extractive models toward long-term social and economic value? We also reflect on the environmental and infrastructural costs of AI, and what it means to build more sustainable and globally inclusive technological futures. At the Inclusive AI Lab, we see investment in the Majority World as essential — and affirm that culture is capital. Featuring Nohelia Sanchez (Kuntur Ventures & Kuntur Lab) and Celina Lee (Zindi). ·         In this episode, we spoke with: Nohelia Sanchez, founder of Kuntur Ventures and co-founder of Kuntur Lab, focused on connecting people, ideas, and markets across the creative economy.Celina Lee, founder and CEO of Zindi, and advocate for diversity and inclusion in AI development globally.

    42 min
  4. S2 Ep. 2 AI Policies and Geopolitics — Where Regulation and Innovation Go Hand in Hand

    May 26

    S2 Ep. 2 AI Policies and Geopolitics — Where Regulation and Innovation Go Hand in Hand

    In this episode, we explore how AI policy and geopolitics are reshaping innovation across the Global South. What does AI governance look like beyond Silicon Valley and Brussels? Can regulation and innovation reinforce public interest rather than deepen inequality? And how can regions across Africa, Latin America, and Asia build partnerships grounded in their own priorities, infrastructures, and realities? We also reflect on why listening, multistakeholder collaboration, and long-term thinking are essential to more inclusive digital futures. At the Inclusive AI Lab, we believe this is about more than regulation — it’s about shifting the rules of the game, and the spaces where governance itself is designed and enforced, including through new AI-enabled systems. In this episode, we spoke with: Sonia Jorge, Founder and Executive Director, Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP).   Chux Daniels, Research Fellow in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex Business School, Associate Professor at the Department of Engineering and Technology Management, University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Director of the Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC) Africa Hub.

    48 min
  5. S2 Ep. 1 Deepfake Harms, Gender Security, and Feminist AI

    May 26

    S2 Ep. 1 Deepfake Harms, Gender Security, and Feminist AI

    In this first episode of our second season, we explore a critical question: how do we build AI systems that are not only compliant, but genuinely feminist? As harms like deepfakes increasingly target women and vulnerable communities, we ask what kinds of design choices, policy frameworks, and community-led interventions are actually making a difference. What does digital safety look like in practice across different cultural and political contexts? And how can we move beyond reactive regulation toward approaches grounded in care, participation, and lived experience? We also explore the role of the Global South in shaping alternative futures for AI governance—ones that are more inclusive, contextual, and community-driven. At the Inclusive AI Lab, we don’t only focus on safety and harm reduction, but on expanding freedoms, reclaiming digital spaces, and imagining more joyful, pleasure-oriented digital futures.  In this episode, we spoke with: Kirthi Jayakumar, founder of the Gender Security Project and PhD in Feminist Approaches to Digital Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies at Utrecht University  Weijie Huang, Researcher on Google’s Gender AI Safety Protocols and a PhD candidate at Utrecht University.

    41 min
  6. Inclusive AI Podcast

    Season 1, Episode 1 Trailer

    Inclusive AI Podcast

    A podcast by the Inclusive AI Lab at Utrecht University Exploring how AI is transforming creativity and expression across the Global South. Season 1 is sponsored by Utrecht Univ. Culture, Heritage & Arts Impact Network and Horizon European Grant project FINDHR (No 101070212)

    5 min
  7. Ep. 6. Repair: What does it mean to be AI literate?

    06/10/2025

    Ep. 6. Repair: What does it mean to be AI literate?

    In this episode, we focus on a fundamental, yet often overlooked element of the AI conversation: people. What does it really mean to be AI literate—especially in the context of the Global South? How does this differ from traditional digital literacy? And how can creative professionals and digital workers build the skills they need when access to training and resources remains deeply uneven? We explore how institutions—governments, universities, and organizations—can help close the AI skills gap. What would it take to design learning pathways that are truly inclusive, shaped by the linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic diversity of the region? And as AI continues to evolve, how can we ensure that efforts to build AI literacy remain relevant, resilient, and responsive to the future? In this episode, w espoke with: ​Manisha Pathak-Shelat, Professor of Communication and Digital Platforms & Strategies at the Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, India.​Hannah Andrews, Director of Digital Innovation in the Arts at the British Council, based in London. Season 1 is sponsored by Utrecht Univ. Culture, Heritage & Arts Impact Network and Horizon European Grant project FINDHR (No 101070212)

    38 min
  8. Ep. 5 Reimagine: What would AI look like if it were built not just for the world as it is, but for the world as it could be?

    06/10/2025

    Ep. 5 Reimagine: What would AI look like if it were built not just for the world as it is, but for the world as it could be?

    In this episode, we explore a powerful question: what would AI look like if it were built not just for the world as it is, but for the world as it could be? How can we design AI systems that truly reflect underrepresented voices and perspectives? What would it take to move beyond surface-level fixes and tackle the deeper biases that shape today’s technologies? We ask how AI might become a tool for empowerment—especially for communities with limited digital access—rather than a force that widens existing inequalities. And we examine the roles that governments, tech companies, and civil society must play in building a more inclusive AI future. In this episode, we spoke with: Wakanyi Hoffman, Lead Researcher for Sustainable African AI Systems at the Inclusive AI Lab. Andreas Wegner and Thomas Kuber, co-founders of Futur2, a critical design studio based in Berlin. Andreas spoke from Japan and Thomas from Germany. Sunny Wijerwardana, Head of Product at Grab Maps, based in Australia.

    45 min
  9. Ep. 4 Regenerate: How do we capture new, more inclusive data?

    06/10/2025

    Ep. 4 Regenerate: How do we capture new, more inclusive data?

    In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at the raw material of artificial intelligence: data. If we want to build an inclusive AI, then how do we capture new, more inclusive data? How can we reimagine how we depict certain communities once we have included their perspective? How do we measure the authenticity and representativeness of data? What is authentic data in the first place? In this episode, we spoke with: ​Asad Ayub, Executive Director at the MadHatter Foundation (Netherlands).​Marianna Capasso, Inclusive AI lead in cross-cultural AI ethics at the Inclusive AI Lab at the Utrecht University.  Season 1 is sponsored by Utrecht Univ. Culture, Heritage & Arts Impact Network and Horizon European Grant project FINDHR (No 101070212)

    30 min
  10. Ep. 3 Resituate: Where do we create?

    06/10/2025

    Ep. 3 Resituate: Where do we create?

    In this third episode, we aim to explore a fundamental topic for understanding the concept of inclusivity—especially when discussing a broad term used to describe the origins of many: the abstract concept known as the Global South. We want to talk about the places of creation: Where is creation happening today? Are physical spaces of creation still relevant in an era of interconnection? For instance, when considering an increasingly pressing issue like migration, can we say that people belong to just one place? Isn’t the very act of movement far more powerful for the creative process? In this episode, we spoke with: ​Daniella Jaramillo, originally from Ecuador, defines herself as a professional migrant. She is now a Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the University of Zurich.​Lucie Chateau, Assistant Professor in Screen Media at Utrecht University and lead of Diversifying Creative AI at the Inclusive AI Lab. Season 1 is sponsored by Utrecht Univ. Culture, Heritage & Arts Impact Network and Horizon European Grant project FINDHR (No 101070212)

    33 min
  11. Ep. 2 Remix: What is creative?

    06/10/2025

    Ep. 2 Remix: What is creative?

    In this second episode, we explore a fundamental question for our project: What does it mean to be creative? As technology—especially artificial intelligence—continues to reshape creative processes, how has our understanding of creativity evolved? Can it thrive equally in traditional, hands-on craftsmanship and entirely digital, technology-driven projects? This question is central to our podcast. When we talk about inclusivity, we’re examining how these technologies are redefining creativity on a global scale—for better or worse. Are they fostering a more decentralized creative landscape, or is creative expression becoming concentrated in fewer hands? And as these shifts take place, are they unfolding in the same way across different regions? In this episode, we spoke with: ​Meera Goradia, from India, co-chair of Creative Dignity, a collaborative network uniting stakeholders in the Indian handmade sector.​Charles Hayes, based in Singapore. Charles has worked in creative industries for over 30 years, including as Managing Director of IDEO Asia. His work spans Southeast Asia, China, Latin America, and the Middle East.​Season 1 is sponsored by Utrecht Univ. Culture, Heritage & Arts Impact Network and Horizon European Grant project FINDHR (No 101070212)

    40 min
  12. Ep. 1 Recognition: Who is a creator?

    06/10/2025

    Ep. 1 Recognition: Who is a creator?

    In recent years, artificial intelligence has become a buzzworthy topic, sparking countless questions about its impact on our lives—if it hasn’t already changed them entirely. These conversations have popped up in the media, over dinner with friends, and in debates about regulation. But here’s the thing: AI won’t affect everyone equally. Access to these technologies is uneven, their designs often emerge from specific perspectives, and their consequences in different contexts can be completely unforeseen. One question that frequently arises in these discussions is: Will AI replace us? While this is a vast and complex issue, it can be examined through a more focused lens: Can AI replace human creativity? What about cultural expressions, the value of art, and even the question of who we consider to be a creator? In this first episode, we spoke with:  ​Laura Herman, from the US, based in the UK. Head of AI Research at Adobe and co-founder of the Inclusive AI Group at Utrecht University. She joined us from London to share her insights.​Payal Arora, from India, Professor and Chair of Inclusive AI Cultures at Utrecht University, and also a co-founder of the Inclusive AI Group. Season 1 is sponsored by Utrecht Univ. Culture, Heritage & Arts Impact Network and Horizon European Grant project FINDHR (No 101070212)

    35 min

Trailer

About

The Inclusive AI Podcast is a production of the Inclusive AI Lab at Utrecht University. We incubate global leaders and build inclusive, sustainable AI ecosystems that bridge the Global North and South, ensuring that data, tools, services, and platforms work for all.

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  • Creator
    Inclusive AI Lab
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Inclusive AI Lab
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    Inclusive AI Podcast