2. AI and Youth: Growing Up Inside the Machine

2. AI and Youth: Growing Up Inside the Machine

Who is speaking for the generation that never knew a world without AI? What does it mean to form your identity, your creativity, and your sense of self inside systems designed to keep you engaged? And why are the people most affected by AI the ones least consulted about it. Season 3, Episode 2 features Nikhil Gujral [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilgujralofficial/], a 15-year-old Bay Area high school student who recently addressed researchers and policymakers at UNESCO in Paris on AI and the rights of children. Nikhil works with the AI Collective [https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Faicollective%2F&data=05%7C02%7CTom.Ritchie%40warwick.ac.uk%7C21bb824c2d374081a7e908dec8a49e4b%7C09bacfbd47ef446592653546f2eaf6bc%7C0%7C0%7C639168806518219161%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ySVwBb3vvbSCQV%2FaQQoIHIc9jA4KtW2leuTWtoM1m1Y%3D&reserved=0], everyone.AI [https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Feveryone-ai%2F&data=05%7C02%7CTom.Ritchie%40warwick.ac.uk%7C21bb824c2d374081a7e908dec8a49e4b%7C09bacfbd47ef446592653546f2eaf6bc%7C0%7C0%7C639168806518239621%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W4%2BaMifA6lrAOQhZoCjdAjB8O7w6C8CLK1ilP2le%2BGk%3D&reserved=0], CoGenerate [https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fcogenerate%2F&data=05%7C02%7CTom.Ritchie%40warwick.ac.uk%7C21bb824c2d374081a7e908dec8a49e4b%7C09bacfbd47ef446592653546f2eaf6bc%7C0%7C0%7C639168806518253935%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Brsc5cxGyMUUpKSHAOZ0Ob9gqf0TinCNFZtD70DDO%2B4%3D&reserved=0], and iRAISE [https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Firaise-international-research-driven-alliance-for-ai-serving-every-child%2F&data=05%7C02%7CTom.Ritchie%40warwick.ac.uk%7C21bb824c2d374081a7e908dec8a49e4b%7C09bacfbd47ef446592653546f2eaf6bc%7C0%7C0%7C639168806518194407%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6%2FPBLuQe7tC4fSWPdhI544IiG6Wuwt06w2%2FMj5172%2B0%3D&reserved=0] on meaningful youth inclusion in AI design. Nikhil argues that young people are not future users to be considered later, but they are current users, already shaped by these systems during their most formative years. He challenges the idea that efficiency is the main risk, pointing instead to over-reliance, the erosion of original thinking, and the quiet normalisation of AI as emotional support. I push back on what meaningful inclusion actually looks like and whether a seat on a panel is anywhere near enough. We also discuss the gap between learning to prompt ChatGPT and understanding what it is actually doing to you, why existing ethical frameworks keep missing young people, and what it would take to build AI governance that starts with the people growing up inside it. AI Ethics Now Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and beyond. A University of Warwick IATL Podcast This podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie and Dr Jennie Mills, the module leads of the ⁠ at the University of Warwick. The ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IATL module ⁠"The AI Revolution: Ethics, Technology, and Society"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/iatlugmodules/theairevolutionethicstechnologyandsociety/]⁠ module explores the history, current state, and potential futures of artificial intelligence, examining its profound impact on society, individuals, and the very definition of 'humanness.' This podcast was initially designed to provide a deeper dive into the key themes explored each week in class. We want to share the discussions we have had to help offer a broader, interdisciplinary perspective on the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence to a wider audience. Join each fortnight for new critical conversations on AI Ethics with local, national, and international experts. We will discuss: * Ethical Dimensions of AI: Fairness, bias, transparency, and accountability * Societal Implications: How AI is transforming industries, economies, and our understanding of humanity * The Future of AI: Potential benefits, risks, and shaping a future where AI serves humanity If you want to join the podcast as a guest, contact Tom.Ritchie@warwick.ac.uk.

1. AI and Originality: The End of Excuses

Is AI killing creative originality or finally exposing the people who never had any? What happens when the barriers to making something disappear entirely? And if anyone can generate content, what does it mean to actually have something to say? Season 3 of AI Ethics Now opens with Billy Boman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyboman/], AI director, founder of Billy Boman AI Productions [https://www.linkedin.com/company/billy-boman-ai-productions/], and educator on Europe's only dedicated creative AI programme. Billy has directed high-profile campaigns for Fiverr and music videos for artists including Taylor Swift, Lewis Capaldi, and Fred Durst. He doesn't theorise about AI and creativity. He does it, every day, at commercial scale. This is not a comfortable conversation. Billy challenges the idea that AI is democratising creativity, arguing instead that it removes barriers to entry, which is a very different thing. He makes the case that most people aren't storytellers, that the race to resist AI training data is already over, and that the real ethical question isn't what AI is trained on but what you do with it. Tom pushes back on consent, on the freelance workforce, on who gets left behind. They also discuss the FAIR framework for responsible prompting, why guardrails on IP are actually good for originality, and what it means to build a studio practice that is both creatively ambitious and legally compliant. AI Ethics Now Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and beyond. A University of Warwick IATL Podcast This podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie and Dr Jennie Mills, the module leads of the ⁠ at the University of Warwick. The ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IATL module ⁠"The AI Revolution: Ethics, Technology, and Society"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/iatlugmodules/theairevolutionethicstechnologyandsociety/]⁠ module explores the history, current state, and potential futures of artificial intelligence, examining its profound impact on society, individuals, and the very definition of 'humanness.' This podcast was initially designed to provide a deeper dive into the key themes explored each week in class. We want to share the discussions we have had to help offer a broader, interdisciplinary perspective on the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence to a wider audience. Join each fortnight for new critical conversations on AI Ethics with local, national, and international experts. We will discuss: * Ethical Dimensions of AI: Fairness, bias, transparency, and accountability * Societal Implications: How AI is transforming industries, economies, and our understanding of humanity * The Future of AI: Potential benefits, risks, and shaping a future where AI serves humanity If you want to join the podcast as a guest, contact Tom.Ritchie@warwick.ac.uk.

20. AI and Grief: When Death Becomes a Business Model

Content note: This episode contains discussion of bereavement, pregnancy loss, and references to suicide. Please take care when listening. What happens when grief becomes a product? When the people we've lost are turned into data? And who are AI resurrection services really designed to serve - the bereaved, or the bottom line? In this episode, Alfrun Rose [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfrun-rose-a0b75432/], writer, performer, and the creative force behind Dead Air [https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/dead-air/], a darkly comic solo show that has been turning heads since its acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is now playing at Greenwich Theatre, London, 13 to 16 May 2026, joins the podcast to explore what happens when death becomes a business model. Inspired by her own experience of losing her father, Alfrun describes how she fell into researching real-world AI tools that claim to keep the conversation going after death. Dead Air is the result, not just theatre, but a timely interrogation of who these tools are really serving, and at what cost to people processing grief. We discuss the predatory marketing of AI grief services, the dangers of sycophantic design, what "temperature control" reveals about the illusion of connection, the thin line between therapeutic tool and exploitative product, and why Alfrun made the deliberate choice to create a show about AI without using any AI at all. AI Ethics Now Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and beyond. A University of Warwick IATL Podcast This podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie and Dr Jennie Mills, the module leads of the ⁠ at the University of Warwick. The ⁠⁠⁠⁠IATL module ⁠"The AI Revolution: Ethics, Technology, and Society"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/iatlugmodules/theairevolutionethicstechnologyandsociety/]⁠ module explores the history, current state, and potential futures of artificial intelligence, examining its profound impact on society, individuals, and the very definition of 'humanness.' This podcast was initially designed to provide a deeper dive into the key themes explored each week in class. We want to share the discussions we have had to help offer a broader, interdisciplinary perspective on the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence to a wider audience. Join each fortnight for new critical conversations on AI Ethics with local, national, and international experts. We will discuss: * Ethical Dimensions of AI: Fairness, bias, transparency, and accountability * Societal Implications: How AI is transforming industries, economies, and our understanding of humanity * The Future of AI: Potential benefits, risks, and shaping a future where AI serves humanity If you want to join the podcast as a guest, contact Tom.Ritchie@warwick.ac.uk.

19. AI and Inclusive Clinical Education: Levelling the Playing Field or Reinforcing the Bias?

Can generative AI help create fairer healthcare training, or will it simply amplify the inequities already baked into clinical education? And what happens when the shortcuts we reach for in curriculum development undo years of hard-won progress on inclusive practice? In this episode, Ban Haider [https://profiles.sgul.ac.uk/ban-haider] and Saskia Walker, both senior lecturers at City St George's, University of London [https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/], discuss their work examining generative AI in clinical education through the lens of EDI and inclusive practice. Ban brings a critical perspective rooted in concerns about bias and representation, while Saskia brings an optimistic one, shaped in part by her own experience as a dyslexic academic who saw AI's levelling potential from the start. Together, they make a compelling case for why the inclusion conversation needs to be at the centre of how healthcare educators adopt AI, not bolted on afterwards. They discuss using AI to generate diverse patient vignettes, the risk of stereotypical outputs when prompts aren't carefully constructed, awarding gaps, neurodivergence and academic anxiety, the danger of AI models being trained on AI-generated content, and why university policies around AI use need to catch up with the reality of how people actually work and learn. AI Ethics Now Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and beyond. A University of Warwick IATL Podcast This podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie and Dr Jennie Mills, the module leads of the ⁠ at the University of Warwick. The ⁠⁠⁠IATL module ⁠"The AI Revolution: Ethics, Technology, and Society"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/iatlugmodules/theairevolutionethicstechnologyandsociety/]⁠ module explores the history, current state, and potential futures of artificial intelligence, examining its profound impact on society, individuals, and the very definition of 'humanness.' This podcast was initially designed to provide a deeper dive into the key themes explored each week in class. We want to share the discussions we have had to help offer a broader, interdisciplinary perspective on the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence to a wider audience. Join each fortnight for new critical conversations on AI Ethics with local, national, and international experts. We will discuss: * Ethical Dimensions of AI: Fairness, bias, transparency, and accountability * Societal Implications: How AI is transforming industries, economies, and our understanding of humanity * The Future of AI: Potential benefits, risks, and shaping a future where AI serves humanity If you want to join the podcast as a guest, contact Tom.Ritchie@warwick.ac.uk.

18. AI and Co-Intelligence: Beyond Prompts to Critical Partnership

Is the biggest danger of AI not the technology itself, but how unreflectively we use it? And what does it actually mean to be the "human in the loop" when that concept remains frustratingly vague? Valentina Vlasova [https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-vlasova-a1846457/] and Dr Kevin Coffey [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kevin-coffey-fhea-8169221a7/], senior lecturers at OMNES Education London [https://www.linkedin.com/school/omneseducation/], discuss the Co-Intelligence and AI Literacy module they designed after witnessing widespread unreflective AI use among their students. Drawing on Ethan Mollick's Co-Intelligence [https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=d6ba228fbe7652c8e2f5e7276b2b59f7bd45b4c8d83ca63aa6d3f179d799170fJmltdHM9MTc3NTg2NTYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=221fd6fa-7796-6d05-24c1-c00176c46cdc&psq=ethan+mollick+co+intelligence&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9Dby1JbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UtTGl2aW5nLVdvcmtpbmctRXRoYW4tTW9sbGljay9kcC8wNTkzNzE2NzFY] and the concept of co-thinking [https://a-i.swiss/guides/co-thinking-in-action] introduced by AI Swiss in 2025, they've built a course that goes far beyond prompt engineering to ask deeper questions about how humans and AI can genuinely collaborate. Valentina and Kevin share how they teach students to identify cultural, linguistic, and gender biases in AI outputs, including a classroom exercise that reveals how ChatGPT categorises ambition and management as male, and home and childcare as female. They discuss why bias in AI doesn't just reflect the world as it is, but amplifies it, creating a vicious cycle that's difficult to break. We explore the concept of embodied intelligence (what humans bring that AI fundamentally cannot) and why AI's inability to say "I don't know" matters more than students initially realise. Kevin and Valentina also reflect on what hasn't worked in the classroom, including how ChatGPT's failure to recognise mental health crisis language had real-world consequences before OpenAI intervened. With 70-80% of their students believing AI will replace their chosen career, this episode is essential listening for anyone thinking about how to prepare the next generation not just to use AI, but to lead it. AI Ethics Now Exploring the ethical dilemmas of AI in Higher Education and beyond. A University of Warwick IATL Podcast This podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie and Dr Jennie Mills, the module leads of the ⁠ at the University of Warwick. The ⁠⁠IATL module ⁠"The AI Revolution: Ethics, Technology, and Society"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/iatlugmodules/theairevolutionethicstechnologyandsociety/]⁠ module explores the history, current state, and potential futures of artificial intelligence, examining its profound impact on society, individuals, and the very definition of 'humanness.' This podcast was initially designed to provide a deeper dive into the key themes explored each week in class. We want to share the discussions we have had to help offer a broader, interdisciplinary perspective on the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence to a wider audience. Join each fortnight for new critical conversations on AI Ethics with local, national, and international experts. We will discuss: * Ethical Dimensions of AI: Fairness, bias, transparency, and accountability * Societal Implications: How AI is transforming industries, economies, and our understanding of humanity * The Future of AI: Potential benefits, risks, and shaping a future where AI serves humanity If you want to join the podcast as a guest, contact Tom.Ritchie@warwick.ac.uk.