You can hardly read the news, listen to the radio or scan your preferred social media without hearing about AI.  Or experiencing it in practice, whether you are aware of it or not.  

On the one hand, it is seen as offering huge potential to transform business and other organisations, reducing costs and creating entirely new capabilities.  

On the downside we hear of threats to democracy with a surge in fake videos and information; the potential for mass job losses as AI systems replace employees to reduce costs; at the extreme, dire tales of AI systems taking over humanity altogether.  

One important concern is the concentration of AI development in too few powerful hands and the struggle of governments and international bodies to regulate them.  

To discuss these issues, Green Book Pod is back with another episode in our series of discussions on key issues for the Liberal Democrats, now available on Lib Dem Podcast and on YouTube.

In this podcast we try to provide a balanced view and to give a sense of what you need to know, and perhaps what you do and do not need to be concerned about.  That includes what to be looking for both from governments and business, and how to balance the need for regulation with desirable innovation.

Podcast Guests

Our three guests are very well qualified to provide the full range of perspectives, from the technical and innovation aspects of AI through to its impact and the challenges of regulation.

Leonie Mueck is currently VP of Products at nPlan, a London-based scale-up, which uses AI to forecast construction project outcomes making construction risk management easier, faster, and more reliable.  She is also a speaker and mentor on deep tech product management, a member of the technical advisory group of the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre and an assessor for Innovate UK projects.  Leonie sits on the party’s policy working group on science, innovation and technology.

Leo Ringer founded and runs Form Ventures, a VC fund investing in early stage technology companies with a focus on regulated markets like fintech and healthcare.  He spent the first decade of his career in business and economic policy, including as an adviser to the UK Business Secretary.  He’s a firm believer that policymakers, entrepreneurs and investors need to spend more time talking to and understanding one another.

And chairing the session we have Lord (Tim) Clement-Jones CBE – Tim is the Liberal Democrats House of Lords spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology, and former chair of the Lords Select Committee on AI.  He is also the Vice-Chair of the APPG for IP and APPG for Digital Regulation and Responsibility.  Outside of Westminster, he is a founding member of the OECD’s Parliamentary group on AI and is a Consultant on AI Policy and Regulation to the Global Law Firm DLA Piper, where he was London managing partner.

This is the fourth in the Green Book Pod series – you can download it on all the main podcast channels (search for Lib Dem Podcast), or watch it online on YouTube here.

For more on the Green Book initiative, visit our new website here where you catch up with our first three episodes, addressing economic policy, net zero and Europe.

* Robin Stafford is a party member who has worked across private and public sectors, as well as with the third sector and charities. In recent years he has provided support to the party on economic and business policy.