The Life Scientific
BBC Radio 4
Categories: Science & Medicine
Listen to the last episode:
When you think of Artificial Intelligence, does it inspire confidence, or concern?
Although it's now generally accepted that this technology will play a major role in our future, a lot of conversations around AI and machine learning come back to the argument over us losing control and robots taking over.
Happily, Neil Lawrence has a more optimistic view of the power of AI, and how we might navigate the potential pitfalls. Neil is the DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge, and over the course of his career has been involved in deploying AI and machine learning in both academic and commercial scenarios, with a stint at Amazon as well as working across fields as varied as movie animation, Formula 1 strategy, and medical research.
Speaking with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Neil says ultimately his efforts are all about making a difference to our everyday lives - and that we need to learn how to embrace AI, albeit with a healthy dollop of scepticism; not least when it comes to how our data is used, and the power of 'the digital oligarchy'...
Presented by JIm Al-Khalili Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor
Previous episodes
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330 - Tori Herridge on ancient dwarf elephants and frozen mammothsTue, 25 Mar 2025
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328 - Tim Peake on his journey to becoming an astronaut and science in spaceTue, 31 Dec 2024
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327 - Anna Korre on capturing carbon dioxide and defying expectationsTue, 24 Sep 2024
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326 - Rosalie David on the science of Egyptian mummiesTue, 17 Sep 2024
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323 - Darren Croft on killer whale matriarchs and the menopauseTue, 27 Aug 2024
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322 - Bill Gates on vaccines, conspiracy theories and the pleasures of pickleballTue, 20 Aug 2024
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321 - Kip Thorne on black holes, Nobel Prizes and taking physics to HollywoodTue, 06 Aug 2024
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320 - Vicky Tolfrey on parasport research and childhood dreams of the OlympicsTue, 30 Jul 2024
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319 - Dawn Bonfield on inclusive engineering, sustainable solutions and why she once tried to leave the sector for goodTue, 23 Jul 2024
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318 - Raymond Schinazi on revolutionising treatments for killer virusesTue, 16 Jul 2024
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317 - Janet Treasure on eating disorders and the quest for answersTue, 09 Jul 2024
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316 - Anne Child on Marfan syndrome and love at first sightTue, 02 Jul 2024
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315 - Conny Aerts on star vibrations and following your dreamsTue, 25 Jun 2024
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314 - Mike Edmunds on decoding galaxies and ancient astronomical artefactsTue, 23 Apr 2024
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313 - Hannah Critchlow on the connected brainTue, 16 Apr 2024
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312 - Molly StevensTue, 15 Nov 2011
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311 - Colin BlakemoreTue, 08 Nov 2011
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310 - Sir Michael MarmotTue, 01 Nov 2011
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309 - Steven PinkerTue, 18 Oct 2011
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308 - Paul NurseTue, 11 Oct 2011
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307 - Fiona Rayment on the applications of nuclear for net zero and beyondTue, 09 Apr 2024
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306 - Nick Longrich on discovering new dinosaurs from overlooked bonesTue, 02 Apr 2024
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305 - Sheila Willis on using science to help solve crimeWed, 27 Mar 2024
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304 - Sir Charles Godfray on parasitic wasps and the race to feed nine billion peopleTue, 19 Mar 2024
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303 - Jonathan Van-Tam on Covid communication and the power of football analogiesTue, 12 Mar 2024
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302 - Michael Wooldridge on AI and sentient robotsTue, 19 Dec 2023
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301 - Mercedes Maroto-Valer on making carbon dioxide usefulTue, 12 Dec 2023
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300 - Sir Harry Bhadeshia on the choreography of metalsTue, 05 Dec 2023
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299 - Cathie Sudlow on data in healthcareTue, 28 Nov 2023
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298 - Sir Michael Berry on phenomena in physics' borderlandsTue, 21 Nov 2023
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297 - Professor Sarah Harper on how population change is remodelling societies.Tue, 14 Nov 2023
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296 - Sarah Blaffer Hrdy on human evolution and parenthoodTue, 07 Nov 2023
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295 - Edward Witten on 'the theory of everything'Tue, 31 Oct 2023
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291 - Sir Colin Humphreys on electron microscopes, and the thinnest material in the worldTue, 29 Aug 2023
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290 - Chris Barratt on head-banging sperm and a future male contraceptive pillTue, 22 Aug 2023
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289 - Gideon Henderson on climate ‘clocks’ and dating ice agesTue, 15 Aug 2023
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288 - Deborah Greaves on wave power and offshore renewable energyTue, 08 Aug 2023
