UK's First Academic AI Leader: AI will always need human creativity in order to exist

15/12/2025 1h 48min

Listen "UK's First Academic AI Leader: AI will always need human creativity in order to exist"

Episode Synopsis

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 peopleEpisode Notes & Citations:⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/12/15/shushma-patel-ai-will-always-need-human-creativity-in-order-to-exist/Support our independence by becoming a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our new YouTube channel, The CEO Retort Extra: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@ceoretortextra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sponsors & Offers:Brain.fm – Peak your productivity on demand with Neuromusic. Get an extended 30-day free trial without limits. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brain.fm/CEOR⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ground News – See how media bias affects news coverage. Get 40% off top tier: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://check.ground.news/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Saily eSIM – Stay connected worldwide. Use code CEORetort5 for 5% off 10GB & 20GB plans: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/saily⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The CEO Retort:YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ceo-retort/id1767132889⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5ytJdrSK0yGL2OZfTitnp8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Tim El-Sheikh:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/timelsheikh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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