The AI Lyceum

Samraj Matharu
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The AI Lyceum Podcast explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics, and society, bringing together voices from academia, industry, and policy. Hosted by Samraj Matharu - AI ethicist certified by OxEthica, University of Oxford, Visiting Lecturer at Durham University, and founder of The AI Lyceum - each episode unpacks the real-world impact of AI on business, governance, and human values. Listeners can expect: ▸ Sharp discussions on AI ethics, regulation, and governance ▸ Insights from leading experts at OpenAI, University of Oxford and more. ▸ Practical perspectives on responsible AI adoption in business ▸ Philosophical reflections on how AI reshapes our world 🌐 Website: theailyceum.com 🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/theailyceum This isn’t just another tech podcast - it’s a space for critical thinking, practical wisdom, and future-facing ideas. Whether you’re a policymaker, business leader, or AI practitioner, The AI Lyceum Podcast equips you with the clarity to navigate AI responsibly. *The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual speakers alone. They do not represent the views of The AI Lyceum, its host, or any affiliated organisations. Each guest participates in a personal capacity. The AI Lyceum and its host accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or actions taken in reliance on the content of this podcast.

  1. Jul 12

    If AI Becomes Conscious, Does It Deserve Rights? – Anna Mikeda | 34

    What happens when AI stops being a tool and begins to resemble a mind—and what might humanity owe it? In Episode 34 of The AI Lyceum™, Samraj Matharu speaks with Anna Mikeda, an AI psychology engineer and researcher helping to establish the emerging field of robopsychology. Beginning with Isaac Asimov’s vision of robot psychology, they examine how artificial minds might develop motivations, make decisions and relate to humans. The conversation explores whether consciousness could emerge from computation, why today’s language models remain fundamentally limited, and how neurosymbolic and neuromorphic systems could move AI beyond imitation. They also discuss AI therapy, emotional attachment, intimate data, cognitive debt, machine welfare and the possibility that future AI systems may deserve moral consideration. Finally, Anna explains why advanced AI may need mortality, limited resources and a genuine stake in its own continued existence. “The worst thing we could do is to have something conscious and suffering, and not treat it as such.” EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 ➤ Introduction to Anna Mikeda 2:29 ➤ Isaac Asimov and the Origins of Robopsychology 6:56 ➤ Motivations, Alignment and AI Decision-Making 10:15 ➤ Why Large Language Models Remain Black Boxes 14:40 ➤ Can Ethical Principles Be Engineered Into AI? 15:50 ➤ AI Therapy, Emotional Support and Intimate Data 24:07 ➤ Can Computation Produce Consciousness? 28:29 ➤ Neurosymbolic and Neuromorphic AI Explained 29:46 ➤ AGI, Superintelligence and Human–AI Partnership 33:52 ➤ Why the AI Race May Be Moving Too Quickly 39:44 ➤ Should Artificial Intelligence Be Mortal? 44:11 ➤ How Are Humans Different From AI? 48:12 ➤ Closing Reflections and the Question for Humanity Samraj Matharu — Certified AI Ethicist (Oxford) | Visiting Lecturer (Durham) The AI Lyceum™ is an independent community exploring responsible AI, philosophy and innovation. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The.AI.Lyceum Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/034vux8EWzb9M5Gn6QDMza Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-lyceum/id1837737167 Listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5a67f821-89f8-4b95-b873-2933ab977cd3/the-ai-lyceum Learn more: https://theailyceum.com Anna's substack: https://annamikeda.substack.com/

    If AI Becomes Conscious, Does It Deserve Rights? – Anna Mikeda | 34

  2. Jun 16

    Should AI Be in the Classroom? The Human Cost of Generative AI [UCL Professor Wayne Holmes] #33

    In this episode of The AI Lyceum®, Samraj Matharu speaks with Professor Wayne Holmes, Professor of Critical Studies of AI and Education at UCL Knowledge Lab and UNESCO Chair in the Ethics of AI and Education. Wayne offers a direct challenge to the hype around generative AI. He argues that many AI tools are being adopted in schools, universities, workplaces, and public life without enough independent evidence that they improve learning, protect students, or support human development. The conversation explores AI literacy, student agency, over-reliance, automation bias, regulation, environmental impact, big tech power, and why humans must retain the right to reject AI. Guest quote: ‘There is no independent evidence at scale that the AI tools developed for education are effective.’ EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 ➤ Intro / Guest Welcome 6:50 ➤ Why AI Is Complicated 8:05 ➤ Direct vs Indirect AI Impact 9:30 ➤ Bias, COMPAS, and High-Stakes AI 10:45 ➤ The Evidence Gap in AI Education 14:30 ➤ ChatGPT as a Cognitive Crutch 16:45 ➤ Agency, Learning, and Human Development 23:00 ➤ Regulation, Big Tech, and AI Literacy 28:55 ➤ AI, Smoking, and Hidden Long-Term Harm 34:40 ➤ AI Productivity Myths in Coding 44:00 ➤ Possible Futures for AI 53:30 ➤ Closing Question: What World Do We Want? YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@The.AI.Lyceum Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/034vux8EWzb9M5Gn6QDMza Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-lyceum/id1837737167 Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5a67f821-89f8-4b95-b873-2933ab977cd3/the-ai-lyceum Website https://theailyceum.com #AI #AIEducation #ResponsibleAI #AIEthics #GenerativeAI #ArtificialIntelligence #Education #HumanAgency #TheAILyceum

    Should AI Be in the Classroom? The Human Cost of Generative AI [UCL Professor Wayne Holmes] #33

  3. May 26

    Robots Are Leaving the Lab: Physical AI, Humanoids and the Future of Work [Sacha Ghiglione] #32

    ‘In the age where machines are becoming more intelligent, maybe that’s one of the most human questions left: what are we actually serving?’ In this episode of The AI Lyceum®, Samraj Matharu speaks with Sacha Ghiglione, Executive Director of Davos Tech Summit 2026, about physical AI, humanoid robots, Robot City, work, purpose and the future of intelligent machines in the real world. From Brazilian jiu-jitsu and decision-making under pressure to robotics beyond the lab, Sacha explores why physical AI must be experienced, not just discussed. The episode asks where humanoids will arrive first, how robots may reshape labour and safety, and what humanity is actually serving as machines become more intelligent. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 ➤ Intro / Guest Welcome 1:20 ➤ Doing Hard Things Under Pressure 3:10 ➤ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, AI and Decision-Making 5:00 ➤ Joining Davos Tech Summit 6:40 ➤ Robot City and Physical AI 9:15 ➤ Humanoids, Drones and Industrial Robotics 12:30 ➤ Ethics, Safety and Robots in the Home 15:40 ➤ Jobs, Purpose and the Future Economy 20:40 ➤ Intelligence, Value and Human Skills 24:10 ➤ Children, Education and Values in the AI Age 28:00 ➤ Human in the Loop and Moral Judgment 31:10 ➤ Autonomous Systems and Responsibility 34:20 ➤ What Are We Actually Serving? 36:45 ➤ Audience Question and Closing Thoughts YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@The.AI.Lyceum Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/034vux8EWzb9M5Gn6QDMza Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-lyceum/id1837737167 Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5a67f821-89f8-4b95-b873-2933ab977cd3/the-ai-lyceum Website https://theailyceum.com #AI #PhysicalAI #Robotics #HumanoidRobots #RobotCity #DavosTechSummit #ResponsibleAI #AIEthics #FutureOfWork #TheAILyceum

    Robots Are Leaving the Lab: Physical AI, Humanoids and the Future of Work [Sacha Ghiglione] #32

  4. May 18

    How AI Changes What We Believe [AI Ethics Researcher, Dr Jana Sedláková] #31

    ‘AI provides the view from nowhere. And I don’t mean it in a good way. I don’t mean the view from nowhere as an objective view. I mean it as AI doesn’t have experiences. It literally doesn’t have a point of view. But if you talk to another human being, it gives you a point of view on your situation. So you see that another human being, that is like you, could perceive things differently. So it provides a different perspective, and AI cannot do it.’ In this episode of The AI Lyceum®, Samraj Matharu speaks with Dr Jana Sedláková about artificial epistemology, humanisation, empathy, conversational AI in mental healthcare, and how AI may shape what humans come to believe. Jana’s PhD focused on the ethics of conversational AI in mental healthcare, one of the most sensitive areas of human-AI interaction. She is now developing her book, The Ethics of Humanization, which asks why we build AI to seem human, and what this does to concepts like trust, empathy, knowledge, understanding and responsibility. This conversation explores a deeper question: when we say AI is intelligent, empathetic, trustworthy or knowledgeable, are we describing AI accurately, or are we changing the meaning of those words? EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 ➤ Intro / Guest Welcome 3:05 ➤ Ethics, Understanding and AI 6:30 ➤ Conversational AI in Mental Healthcare 9:00 ➤ ELIZA, Simulation and Therapy Chatbots 12:10 ➤ Philosophy, Consciousness and Conceptual Clarity 17:35 ➤ Tokens, Meaning and Human Language 22:05 ➤ Epistemology and How AI Shapes Beliefs 27:20 ➤ Humanisation, Anthropomorphism and AI Design 32:55 ➤ Can AI Be Empathetic? 37:10 ➤ Morals, Ethics and the Educated Heart 42:45 ➤ AI Opportunities, Risks and Inequality 47:20 ➤ Final Reflections on the Good Use of AI YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@The.AI.Lyceum Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/034vux8EWzb9M5Gn6QDMza Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-lyceum/id1837737167 Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5a67f821-89f8-4b95-b873-2933ab977cd3/the-ai-lyceum Website https://theailyceum.com #AI #AIEthics #ArtificialIntelligence #Epistemology #Philosophy #MentalHealthAI #HumanAIInteraction #ResponsibleAI #TheAILyceum

    How AI Changes What We Believe [AI Ethics Researcher, Dr Jana Sedláková] #31

  5. May 3

    AI and the New Economics of Advertising [Media Analyst, Ian Whittaker] #30

    ‘You are perceived as you price’ - Ian Whittaker Advertising is entering a new economic era. AI is changing what gets automated, what gets valued, and how agencies prove their worth. In this episode of The AI Lyceum®, Samraj Matharu speaks with Ian Whittaker, a media and advertising analyst who has spent more than 25 years looking at the industry through a financial markets lens. Ian argues that advertising has become too focused on efficiency: lower CPMs, cheaper reach, faster execution and marginal optimisation. But clients, CFOs and boards do not think in media metrics. They think in revenue growth, free cash flow, margin, risk and capital allocation. This conversation asks a simple question: if AI makes execution cheaper, what does the advertising industry get paid for next? We discuss why the current agency pricing model may not hold, why brand becomes more valuable when optimisation is abundant, why agencies need to move closer to the client P&L EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 ➤ Intro / Guest Welcome 3:28 ➤ Ian Whittaker’s Background in Media, Markets and Advertising 4:45 ➤ Why Advertising Must Move From Efficiency to Efficacy 6:45 ➤ CPMs, Clicks, Cash Flow and the Client Gap 8:52 ➤ Starting With the Business Problem, Not the Technology 10:58 ➤ The Industry’s Rabbit Hole of Tech, Process and Measurement 15:12 ➤ AI as a Supply-Side Shock to Advertising 16:29 ➤ Why Advantage Moves Upstream to Strategy and Brand 20:03 ➤ Distribution Control, Ad Tech and the Future of Agencies 24:20 ➤ Publicis, Power of One and Agency Margin 26:19 ➤ Why the Advisor and Executor Roles Are Blurring 29:39 ➤ Why the Current Agency Revenue Model Will Not Hold 34:30 ➤ What Agencies Need to Change Before 2030 39:42 ➤ OpenAI Ads, LLM Advertising and Capital Allocation 42:06 ➤ Attribution, Risk and Why CFOs Do Not Need Perfect Certainty 46:35 ➤ Speaking the Language of the CFO 49:58 ➤ Closing Thoughts KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED ➤ Why has advertising become too focused on efficiency? ➤ What does AI do to agency pricing power? ➤ Why is execution becoming commoditised? ➤ Should agencies be paid for time, outputs or outcomes? ➤ Why does brand become more important in an AI-driven media world? ➤ How should advertisers think about every pound of media spend? ➤ Why do agencies need to speak the language of the CFO? SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to The AI Lyceum® for conversations on AI, philosophy, media, ethics and the future of business. CONNECT YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@The.AI.Lyceum Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/034vux8EWzb9M5Gn6QDMza Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-lyceum/id1837737167 Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5a67f821-89f8-4b95-b873-2933ab977cd3/the-ai-lyceum Website https://theailyceum.com LinkedIn Group https://www.linkedin.com/company/108295902/admin/dashboard/ #AI #Advertising #Media #MarketingScience #AdTech #BrandStrategy #TheAILyceum

    AI and the New Economics of Advertising [Media Analyst, Ian Whittaker] #30

  6. Apr 26

    Inside the AI Supply Chain: How Cerebras Powers Fast AI [James Wang] #29

    'STEM is reducible to math and math is verifiable. So anything verifiable is automatable.' In this episode of The AI Lyceum®, Samraj Matharu speaks with James Wang, Product Marketing Director at Cerebras, about the AI supply chain, inference, agents and what remains human when intelligence becomes infrastructure. James previously spent nearly a decade at NVIDIA before joining Cerebras, where he focuses on AI models and inference. This conversation goes from the technical to the philosophical: what inference actually means, why fast AI matters, how agentic coding is changing work, and why humanities, relationships and personal narrative may become more valuable in an age of automation. We also explore the difference between old rule-based automation and modern AI systems. As James puts it, with AI you no longer define every rule up front. You define the objective, and the system creates what it needs to get there. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 ➤ Intro / Guest Welcome 1:20 ➤ Ray Kurzweil, AI and the Final Boss of Technology 6:00 ➤ What Inference Means and Why It Matters 10:20 ➤ AI Adoption, Agentic Coding and the Usage Gap 13:00 ➤ Mental Labour, Automation and the Future of Work 20:00 ➤ Rule-Based Automation vs Fluid Intelligence 25:00 ➤ Alignment, Consciousness and Inner Experience 28:00 ➤ Proactive AI, Offline Inference and Continuous Agents 32:00 ➤ Why Humanities May Matter More Than STEM 41:00 ➤ AGI Timelines and the End of Long-Term Forecasting 45:00 ➤ Agent Companies, Token Economies and Human Value 54:00 ➤ What Remains Valuable When AI Automates Utility KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED ➤ What is inference, and why does it matter in the AI supply chain? ➤ How does Cerebras fit into the future of AI infrastructure? ➤ Why is agentic coding changing software development so quickly? ➤ What is the difference between rule-based automation and intelligent AI? ➤ Why might verifiable tasks become increasingly automatable? ➤ What human skills become more valuable as AI gets faster and cheaper? Subscribe to The AI Lyceum® for conversations on artificial intelligence, philosophy, ethics, infrastructure and the future of society. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@The.AI.Lyceum Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/034vux8EWzb9M5Gn6QDMza Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-lyceum/id1837737167 Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5a67f821-89f8-4b95-b873-2933ab977cd3/the-ai-lyceum Website https://theailyceum.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/108295902/admin/dashboard/ #AI #Cerebras #Inference #AISupplyChain #AIAgents #AGI #AIInfrastructure #FutureOfWork #ResponsibleAI #TheAILyceum

    Inside the AI Supply Chain: How Cerebras Powers Fast AI [James Wang] #29

  7. Apr 20

    How Advertising, AI and Algorithms Shape What We See [Alessandra Di Lorenzo, Advertising Leader] #28

    ‘The web is one big fat ad.' That was Alessandra DiLorenzo’s quote of the podcast, and it gets right to the point. In this episode of The AI Lyceum®, Samraj Matharu speaks with Alessandra DiLorenzo, former CEO of lastminute.com media and former leader at eBay and Vodafone, following her recent TEDx Royal Tunbridge Wells talk at the March 8, 2026 event themed ‘Momentum’. Her TEDx speaker profile framed the idea simply and sharply: ‘My daughter could skip ads before she could read the word advertising.’ A key theme running through this conversation is reversibility. Alessandra makes a sharp distinction between decisions that can be reversed and those that cannot. If a decision is reversible, AI can help optimise it. If it is irreversible, especially where trust, brand, or human relationships are at stake, leaders should think very carefully before handing it to a machine. They explore how AI, advertising, and algorithms shape what we see, how the zero-click web is changing the economics of publishing and discovery, and why brands now have to think beyond traffic and performance alone. The conversation also gets into trust, direct traffic, language, intelligence, ethics, agents, media literacy, and the growing need for human judgment in an age of machine-led optimisation. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 ➤ Intro / Alessandra DiLorenzo on AI as the new silent gatekeeper 2:18 ➤ Motherhood, media, and why algorithmic influence starts early 7:01 ➤ The zero-click web, Google AI answers, and the pressure on publishers 14:44 ➤ What language models get wrong about meaning and intelligence 20:01 ➤ AI ethics, human judgment, and why some decisions cannot be outsourced 25:03 ➤ Reversible vs irreversible decisions in brand and business 31:01 ➤ Direct traffic, trust, brand equity, and surviving outside the gatekeeper 37:21 ➤ How CEOs should think about AI transformation, goals, and timeframes 45:46 ➤ Agents, black boxes, and the future of brand discovery 50:24 ➤ Critical thinking, media literacy, and ‘feed the feed’ 59:57 ➤ Closing question on responsible AI and human judgment YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@The.AI.Lyceum Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/034vux8EWzb9M5Gn6QDMza Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-lyceum/id1837737167 Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5a67f821-89f8-4b95-b873-2933ab977cd3/the-ai-lyceum Website https://theailyceum.com

    How Advertising, AI and Algorithms Shape What We See [Alessandra Di Lorenzo, Advertising Leader] #28

  8. Apr 14

    Inclusive AI, Trust and Hidden Harm [Sidrah Hassan, AI Ethicist] #27

    'AI just feels like another frontier of exclusion' – Sidrah Hassan In this episode of The AI Lyceum®, Samraj Matharu speaks with Sidrah Hassan, AI Governance and AI Ethics Specialist, about inclusive AI, AI ethics, AI governance, algorithmic bias, trust in AI, transparency, human oversight, and responsible AI in practice. Sidrah is an AI Governance and Ethics Manager at Kainos, an AI Ethics and Strategy Advisor at Ethical AI Alliance, and has also worked across AI ethics, product, and public education through roles at AND Digital, BBC Scotland, and the AI Safety Collab by ENAIS. We explore how large language models can reinforce gender bias and racial bias, why inclusive AI must go beyond good intentions, and what trustworthy AI really looks like when systems are used in the real world. The conversation covers training data, representation gaps, AI harms, accountability, human-in-the-loop decision-making, and the challenge of building AI systems that serve people fairly. Sidrah also discusses agentic AI, AI in healthcare, economic displacement, and the role of storytelling in surfacing subtle harms that are often missed by technical frameworks alone. She explains the thinking behind the AI Harms Map and why lived experience matters when assessing the real impact of AI systems. This episode is for anyone interested in AI ethics, AI governance, responsible AI, inclusive AI, trustworthy AI, bias in AI systems, AI transparency, and the future of human-centred technology. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 ➤ Intro / Guest Welcome 1:09 ➤ What inclusive AI looks like in everyday systems 4:34 ➤ LLM bias, training data, and representation gaps 7:09 ➤ How to improve inclusivity in AI 11:00 ➤ What trust in AI really means 13:01 ➤ Building trust in AI systems 20:13 ➤ Is AI ethics a distinct field? 30:17 ➤ Agentic AI, safety, and security 32:45 ➤ Storytelling, lived experience, and AI harms 43:10 ➤ Economic displacement and the future of work 50:21 ➤ AI in healthcare and human judgment 1:00:03 ➤ The AI Harms Map 1:03:48 ➤ A closing question on data and AI use YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@The.AI.Lyceum Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/034vux8EWzb9M5Gn6QDMza Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-lyceum/id1837737167 Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5a67f821-89f8-4b95-b873-2933ab977cd3/the-ai-lyceum Website https://theailyceum.com #AI #AIEthics #AIGovernance #InclusiveAI #ResponsibleAI #TrustworthyAI #AlgorithmicBias #AgenticAI #TheAILyceum

    Inclusive AI, Trust and Hidden Harm [Sidrah Hassan, AI Ethicist] #27
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About

The AI Lyceum Podcast explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics, and society, bringing together voices from academia, industry, and policy. Hosted by Samraj Matharu - AI ethicist certified by OxEthica, University of Oxford, Visiting Lecturer at Durham University, and founder of The AI Lyceum - each episode unpacks the real-world impact of AI on business, governance, and human values. Listeners can expect: ▸ Sharp discussions on AI ethics, regulation, and governance ▸ Insights from leading experts at OpenAI, University of Oxford and more. ▸ Practical perspectives on responsible AI adoption in business ▸ Philosophical reflections on how AI reshapes our world 🌐 Website: theailyceum.com 🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/theailyceum This isn’t just another tech podcast - it’s a space for critical thinking, practical wisdom, and future-facing ideas. Whether you’re a policymaker, business leader, or AI practitioner, The AI Lyceum Podcast equips you with the clarity to navigate AI responsibly. *The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual speakers alone. They do not represent the views of The AI Lyceum, its host, or any affiliated organisations. Each guest participates in a personal capacity. The AI Lyceum and its host accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or actions taken in reliance on the content of this podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Samraj Matharu
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The AI Lyceum. All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The AI Lyceum