UK's First Academic AI Leader: AI will always need human creativity in order to exist
The CEO Retort with Tim El-SheikhShow Notes
A deep dive into the evolving landscape of AI and the current push against genuine innovation, from engineering to the arts.
Professor Shushma Patel is the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Artificial Intelligence at De Montfort University (DMU) in the UK. As a prominent figure in computing, engineering, and media education, Shushma is the first person in the UK to hold a senior university leadership position dedicated solely to AI.
With nearly 30 years of experience in higher education, working as a lecturer, researcher, and academic leader, Shushma is a passionate advocate for equality, diversity, and inclusion, particularly in promoting women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and leadership.
Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Preview (00:04:05) – How Shushma's overseeing a unique faculty mergers of Computing, Engineering and Media with Arts, Design & Humanities (00:14:56) – Tim and Shushma discuss the importance of being outliers and how it impacted their careers in AI (00:32:15) – Tim and Shusham debate whether there is a need for AI degrees and courses (00:38:54) – The biggest problem in the world of AI is a lack of people's understanding and real-world applications beyond the hype (00:44:48) – Is AI really replacing jobs, or is it "fake layoffs"? (00:50:48) – What does a successful deployment of AI models look like in the real world and business applications? (00:59:28) – AI's negative impact on families, younger generations and their learning skills, and why educators and parents need to act (01:10:47) – How corporations manipulate consumer perceptions and pricing using AI (01:17:22) – How the tech sector pushes toxic and negative narratives against students and young people, painting a hopeless picture for their futures (01:31:04) – Why supporting diversity, disability and mental health is critical for better innovation that actually serves people
Episode Notes & Citations: https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/12/15/shushma-patel-ai-will-always-need-human-creativity-in-order-to-exist/
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