Rethinking the Role of AI in the 21st Century

Rethinking the Role of AI in the 21st Century

By: Dr Christopher Appiah-Thompson

Language: en

Categories: Education, Courses, News

We look at the role of AI in the 21st century in all areas of human life.

Episodes

Unregulated AI and Inequality: Who Wins, Who Loses?
Jan 10, 2026

The episode aims to demystify how unregulated AI deepens social inequality. First, it will explain how automating routine tasks erodes worker bargaining power and concentrates wealth. Second, it highlights the risks to dementia care services if AI-driven policies prioritize efficiency over human-centric support. Third, the goal is to present actionable policy solutions, such as labor standards and retraining programs, to ensure technological gains benefit the wider Newcastle community.

Duration: 00:07:37
AI and the Future of Democracy
Jan 10, 2026

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

Understand how AI is reshaping elections, political communication, and governance.

• Recognize the risks of algorithmic manipulation, misinformation, and surveillance for democratic life.

• Explore practical ways to safeguard democratic values in an AI‑driven world.”

Duration: 00:07:40
The AI Agent Revolution: Your New Digital Workforce is Here
Jan 03, 2026

This episode aims to educate listeners about what AI agents are and how they differ from traditional automation

Demonstrate practical business applications of AI agents across multiple departments

Inspire business leaders and professionals to consider AI agent adoption

Provide actionable insights for getting started with AI agent technology

Duration: 00:09:03
The AI Gold Rush: Who’s Really Winning?
Jan 02, 2026

This episode aims to explore how a small group of “AI companies to know” (model builders, chip makers, and cloud giants) are shaping power, money, and influence in the new AI economy, and what this concentration means for ordinary workers and citizens.

Duration: 00:06:15
The Mind Battleground: Understanding Cognitive Warfare in the Digital Age
Dec 31, 2025

This episode aims to educate listeners about the emerging threat of cognitive warfare and its impact on democratic societies.

Explain NATO’s strategic response to cognitive attacks targeting military personnel and civilian populations.

Highlight the intersection of technology, human cognition, and national security in modern warfare.

Raise awareness about the importance of resilience and critical thinking in defending against cognitive manipulation.

Duration: 00:09:45
Global AI Governance in 10 Minutes: How the World Is Writing the Rules of AI
Dec 31, 2025

This episode aims to explain what “global AI governance” means in simple, engaging language.

• Highlight how a few key jurisdictions (Australia, EU, US, India, Japan, Canada) are taking different paths to regulating AI.

• Introduce recurring themes: risk-based regulation, innovation vs protection, trust, and the rise of agentic AI.

• Leave listeners with 2–3 reflective questions about what kind of AI future they want.

Duration: 00:07:20
General-Purpose AI Under the EU AI Act: What Providers Need to Know
Dec 30, 2025

Welcome to the podcast. Today’s episode unpacks how the EU Artificial Intelligence Act regulates General-Purpose AI models—those powerful, flexible systems that sit underneath many of today’s AI applications.

By the end, you will understand what qualifies as a GPAI model, who the law treats as a provider, what “systemic risk” really means, and the practical steps organizations should be taking right now.

Duration: 00:07:04
For Four Decades: From Unbundled Supply Chains to Europe’s Populist Right
Dec 21, 2025

Welcome to “For Four Decades”, the show that looks at how long‑running trends quietly reshape business, politics, and everyday life.

In today’s episode, the focus is on two stories that seem unrelated at first glance: the unbundling of corporate operations through digital platforms, and the surge of Europe’s populist right.

Both stories are, in fact, about the same underlying shift: complex systems breaking apart into specialized pieces, then being stitched back together by technology and by powerful narratives.

Duration: 00:06:13
Harnessing Generative AI and Unbundling: Lessons from Amazon and Walmart
Dec 20, 2025

Welcome back to the show. Today’s episode explores how generative AI is reshaping value chains, from how products are listed online to how global supply chains are orchestrated. We will walk through insights drawn from recent case studies on Amazon’s catalog operations and Walmart’s logistics and marketplace strategy.

By the end of this episode, you will understand how large language models can generate and test millions of hypotheses, why traditional human‑centric processes are being unbundled, and what guardrails leaders must put in place to use these tools responsibly.

Duration: 00:06:38
The Bold Ban: Australia’s Approach to Social Media for Teens
Dec 09, 2025

Welcome to today’s debate podcast. We are diving into a hot topic: Australia’s recent ban on social media for children under the age of 16. The policy is hailed as groundbreaking by some, yet criticised by others. Our discussion will explore both sides of the argument and contention.

Duration: 00:08:10
Australia’s Social Media Ban?
Dec 09, 2025

Welcome back to the show, everyone! Today, we are diving into a fascinating and hotly debated topic: Australia’s groundbreaking legislation on social media age restrictions for children under 16. This new policy is set to take effect starting tomorrow-it’s being hailed and critiqued all at once!

Duration: 00:08:08
AI in Social Media Marketing: Enhancements and Ethical Concerns
Nov 20, 2025

Welcome to today’s debate on the impact of Artificial Intelligence in social media marketing.

Duration: 00:07:32