Episodes

  • Episode 1: Will the EU forge ahead or fall behind?
    Jun 14 2024

    With the rapid ascension of AI, the world is in an ever quickening race for the supremacy of this nascent technology. The areas of influence are being divided between organisations, countries and governments as they jostle for leading positions. For the EU, some big questions need answering for all involved. Where will the EU become a leader in AI? What are its strengths? How will it compete with the domination by the USA and China?

    In this first episode of the CEPS Tech Podcast series on AI we will be looking to answer these questions and decide whether the EU will forge ahead in this AI race, or fall behind.

    Our host Tom Parker is joined by co-host Andrea Renda, Director of Research at CEPS, a well-known expert in AI governance and policy and Professor at the European University Institute. Joining them both to help unpick this topic are two leading experts in the AI field.

    Pierre-Alexandre Balland, Chief Data Scientist at CEPS as well as a Professor at Harvard and Utrecht Universities gives us the data behind the story, painting a picture of where the EU is in this AI race. Aleksandra Przegalińska is a Polish futurist, Associate Professor of Management and Artificial Intelligence as well as vice-rector at Kozminski University in Poland, extols the virtues of the EU’s experience in research and regulation and how the EU can build a global reputation in AI.


    For further reading on CEPS’ and Andrea Renda’s research on other interesting AI topics follow this link.


    For more information on the data mentioned by Pierre-Alexandre Balland see this publication.


    For more on Aleksandra Przegalińska’s book register here to join the CEPS book talk on 24th June.


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    47 mins
  • Episode 2: Towards a European AI initiative: options, odds and objectives
    Jul 12 2024

    In this second episode of the CEPS Tech Podcast series on AI we will be looking at various proposals to launch a large-scale initiative on AI in Europe in the years to come. Does Europe need an “AI Moonshot” to catch up with other global powers? What characteristics should the moonshot have? We compare in particular the recent proposal tabled by advisors to the European Commission, to create a “CERN for AI in science”; the proposal by the scientific community to launch a moonshot to create alternatives to non-European generative AI models; and proposals to fund a pan-European Digital Public Infrastructure.

    Our host Tom Parker is joined by co-host Andrea Renda, Director of Research at CEPS, a well-known expert in AI governance and policy and Professor at the European University Institute. Joining them both to help unpick this topic are two leading experts in the AI field. Holger Hoos, Alexander von Humboldt Professor of AI at RWTH Aachen University (Germany) and Director of Research at CLAIRE who shares his insights on a Moonshot for AI and what Europe needs to do to not fall further behind in the AI field. Adriana Groh, Co-founder of the Sovereign Tech Fund which is focused on supporting the development, improvement, and maintenance of open digital infrastructure with the gaol to sustainably strengthen the open-source ecosystem by focusing on security, resilience, technological diversity as well as the coding talents.

    For further reading on CEPS’ and Andrea Renda’s research on other interesting AI topics follow this link.

    For more information on Holger Hoos and the work CLAIRE does, have a look here.

    To find out more about Adriana Groh´s work and the initiatives of the Sovereign Tech Fund have a look here.


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    54 mins
  • Episode 3: Future of work: Looking back & moving forward
    Aug 9 2024

    In this first episode of the CEPS Tech Podcast series on “the Future of Work and AI” we are discussing the hopes and fears in the labour market, the impact of AI on jobs and employment, and the changing task content and skills required in jobs of the future. Additionally, we examine historical perspectives on technological change and the importance of policy in shaping the future of work. The conversation highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, monitoring of psychosocial risks, and shaping the reward function of society to create a better future of work.

    Our host Tom Parker is joined by co-host Laura Nurski, Associate Research Fellow and Head of Programme on Future of Work at CEPS. Joining them both to help unpick this topic are two leading experts on the Future of Work and AI. Carl Frey, Dieter Schwarz Associate Professor of AI & Work at the Oxford Internet Institute and a Fellow of Mansfield College, University of Oxford (UK). He is also Director of the Future of Work Programme and Oxford Martin Citi Fellow at the Oxford Martin School. Nicky Dries is a Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the Department of Work & Organisation Studies at KU Leuven (Belgium) and at the Department of Leadership & Organisational Behaviour at BI Norwegian Business School (Norway). In Leuven, she runs the Future of Work Lab within the Faculty of Economics, that studies social imaginaries for the future.

    This episode is part of the CEPS activities under the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) which brings together OECD members and GPAI countries to advance an ambitious agenda for implementing human-centric, safe, secure and trustworthy AI. You can find more information on GPAI and the Future of Work working group here.



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    43 mins
  • Episode 4: Future skills for a competitive EU
    Sep 6 2024

    In this second episode of the CEPS Tech Podcast series on “the Future of Work and AI” we are exploring the relationship between skills and competitiveness in Europe. We look at different strategies for competitiveness, such as operational excellence, product leadership, and customer intimacy, and how they require different types of skills. Furthermore, we closely look at the impact of AI on skill demand and how this is transformation the operations and strategies of companies. Finally, we discuss the importance of regional skills intelligence in building future-ready workforces.


    Our host Tom Parker is joined by co-host Laura Nurski, Associate Research Fellow and Head of Programme on Future of Work at CEPS. Joining them both to help unpack this topic are Cinzia Alcidi, Senior Research Fellow at CEPS and the Head of the Economic Policy and Jobs & Skills unit at CEPS and Mauro Pelucchi who is the Head of Global Data Science at Lightcast, a global leader in Labour Market Analytics in Europe.


    For further reading on CEPS’ and Laura Nurskis’s research on other interesting Future of Work and AI topics follow this link.


    For more information on Lightcast, their organisation and the work they do, please have a look here.



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    37 mins
  • Episode 5: Can AI rebuild middle-class jobs?
    Oct 11 2024

    In the third episode of the CEPS Tech Podcast series on “the Future of Work and AI”, we delve into the transformative impact of AI on the labour market and job structures. Our hosts, Tom Parker and Laura Nurski, are joined by David Autor, Professor of Economics at MIT, and Sabine Köszegi, Professor of Labor Science and Organization at TU Vienna. Together, they explore how AI’s learning capabilities distinguish it from traditional computing and its potential to reshape middle-skilled jobs.

    The episode highlights the evolving nature of expertise as AI takes on new tasks, the risks of de-skilling, and the essential role of human-AI collaboration. The discussion also addresses policy recommendations aimed at ensuring the widespread benefits of AI, with a focus on enhancing digital literacy and redesigning jobs to counter the challenges posed by automation. They explore how, with careful design, AI can expand access to skilled work and foster a more inclusive labour market.

    For further reading on CEPS’ and Laura Nurski’s research on other interesting Future of Work and AI topics follow this link.


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    41 mins