Artificially Ever After

In this episode, Kieren and Riku tackle the polarising question of whether AI deserves legal rights and if consciousness is actually the right metric to use. Joined by Dr. Miranda Mowbray, an AI ethics expert from the University of Bristol, they explore the dangers of anthropomorphisation and reveal how even malware could pass certain tests for consciousness. They examine fascinating legal precedents where non-living entities, from corporations and rivers to religious idols, already hold rights, and discuss how these frameworks might close the accountability gap for autonomous systems. Tune in to discover why granting rights to AI might really be about protecting humans, and how the public can help shape future regulationBirds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.Local Forecast – Elevator by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY.

In this Short Stuff episode, Kieren and Riku ask which chatbot is actually best for you? With so many models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and now millions more), they argue there’s no single winner and it very much depends on what you’re doing. Joined by Anthony Duncalf, CEO of Switchboard AI, they explore how “routing” your prompt to the right model could be the future, with one smart layer quietly orchestrating many AIs behind the scenes.Birds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.

In this pivotal episode, Kieren and Riku are joined by Dr Huw Day, researcher and co-organiser of Data Ethics Club at the University of Bristol — an open-to-all journal club on data and AI ethics. Together, they argue that ensuring AI systems align with ethical principles is now a crucial societal priority. You’ll get a clear tour of core pillars such as fairness, transparency and accountability, plus the gritty realities of bias, deepfakes and the human cost of “alignment work” performed by data labellers. We compare government approaches to AI policy, then share practical ways consumers and society can steer development in a responsible direction.Birds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.Local Forecast – Elevator by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY.

In this Short Stuff episode, Kieren and Riku ask whether today's AI boom is overheating. They weigh up record-breaking valuations and concentrated market gains against Big Tech's real profits and fast-improving models, and explain why many firms haven't yet seen returns. Finally, they consider what a sharp correction could mean for the wider economy, and how likely it is to happen.Birds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.

In this episode, Kieren and Riku unpack AlphaFold, widely hailed as one of AI’s biggest breakthroughs. We demystify the staggeringly hard problem of predicting how proteins fold into the 3D shapes that determine function, a task that once took years of experiments. We explain how DeepMind’s AlphaFold2 changed the game, and what that really means (and doesn’t). With Dr Jennifer Fleming — Coordinator of the Protein Data Bank in Europe (PDBe) and AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (AFDB) lead — we explore how 200+ million predicted structures are accelerating drug design, vaccine research and climate solutions. This episode is the third in our AIBIO-UK mini-series.Birds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.Local Forecast – Elevator by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY.

In this Short Stuff episode, Kieren and Riku ask a simple question: how can we trust chatbots with our most personal data?  They unpack what "open source" really means for LLMs (open weights vs training code vs datasets), argue for nutrition-label-style transparency, and share practical tips like when to run a model locally for privacy and what trade-offs to expect.Birds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.

In this special episode, hosts Kieren and Riku welcome Professor Ewan Birney, a pioneer of the Human Genome Project, to explore how AI helps us understand our DNA. They unpack the ‘code of life’, from the initial monumental effort to sequence the human genome to the dramatic reduction in sequencing costs and the subsequent explosion of genomic data. Discover how AI and machine-learning tools are now essential for annotating genes, deciphering complex regulation, and reshaping biology and medicine. The conversation also examines the ethical stakes of AI in genomics, including privacy, data bias, and the implications for applications such as embryo selection. This episode is the second in our AIBIO-UK mini-series.Birds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.Local Forecast – Elevator by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY.

In this Short Stuff episode, Kieren and Riku dive into the hidden cost of AI: its thirst! They unpack why data centres are guzzling billions of litres of water and discuss the alarming trend of new data centres being built in already water-stressed regions worldwide. Finally, they discuss potential solutions and provide a three-step decision plan for listeners to reduce their personal AI water footprint through conscious usage.Birds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.

Join Kieren and Riku as they ask: Is ChatGPT Making Us Stupid? This episode explores the long-term impacts of AI chatbots on human intelligence and knowledge. They cover the historical concept of cognitive offloading and introduce metacognitive laziness, discussing recent studies on AI's impact in education and professional settings. Tune in for practical tips on how to use AI as a thinking partner, not a thinking replacement!Birds for Scale, Smarties is licensed under CC BY-SA.Local Forecast – Elevator by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY.