Podcast: The IDEMS Podcast

David talks to Rikin Gandhi from Digital Green to discuss the organisation’s innovative approach to integrating AI with farmer support systems. They discuss Digital Green’s approach to working with AI, including the importance of human-in-the-loop systems, the benefits of using multimodal inputs like voice, text, and images, and the advantage of open-source data for tuning…

David and Kate delve into the ongoing AI boom, questioning whether it’s mere hype or has real substance. They explore the ethical and responsible use of AI, emphasizing the importance of making technology accessible and beneficial to low-resource communities. They argue that small language models could provide specific, efficient solutions. The conversation also touches on…

David and Mike discuss Kenya’s new competency-based curriculum and a UK-backed campaign to create innovative digital textbooks. They delve into the challenges and potential solutions, highlighting the role of PreText and STACK technologies in revolutionizing education across Africa. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/open-digital-textbooks

In this episode, Michele and David discuss the development and impact of an AI tool for authoring STACK questions. They explore the potential of AI to enhance educational resources, make technology development more accessible, and address inequalities in low-resource environments. The conversation highlights both the opportunities and challenges presented by rapid advancements in AI.

Recently back from the World Statistics Congress, David and James reflect on the significance of this event, which brings together statisticians and the broader statistics community to share knowledge, foster collaborations, and advance the field. They discuss the evolving relationship between statistics and data science, highlighting the importance of both fields in the era of…

In this special 200th episode, Santiago and Johnny discuss how the podcast gets made. They consider the inspiration that led to its creation, the team members involved, and the evolution in production quality over the past 100 weeks. They also highlight the technical aspects, including the software and tools used, the editing process, and the…

James Musyoka interviews David Stern, about his attendance at the Pan-African Convening on the Future of Biodigital Technologies in Food and Agriculture. Held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and organized by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), the event focused on the impact of digital technologies on African agriculture and data sovereignty. David shares…

David is joined by Michele Pancera, an Impact Activation Fellow at IDEMS. Michele shares his journey from a high school maths enthusiast to member of IDEMS, via being a teacher and beekeeper. The conversation covers Michele’s passion for making mathematics engaging through games, his experience of societal perceptions of maths education, and his various professional…

Santiago and David explore the transformative potential of gamifying education. They discuss how rethinking exams to be more like driving tests could shift the educational landscape away from high-stakes differentiation to a mastery-based model.

David and Lucie discuss ongoing efforts to responsibly use AI to assist smallholder farmers in the Sahel region. They discuss the challenges faced by farmers in identifying pests and diseases and the shortcomings of commercial AI tools. They highlight the work of Digital Green, a non-profit organisation developing an AI tool for farmers that emphasises…