Podcast: The IDEMS Podcast

Following David’s participation in the Global Smart Farming Conference hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), he and Santiago reflect on some of the key themes and debates that emerged. Their discussion explores competing visions of smart farming, the role of AI and digital technologies in agriculture, and the importance…

Following David’s participation in a World Food Programme forum on artificial intelligence, digitisation, data governance, and food security, he and Santiago reflect on some of the key themes and debates that emerged. Their discussion explores the opportunities and risks AI presents for food systems, and the role of governance, local knowledge, and technological alternatives in…

Continuing their discussion of The Agency Fund’s proposed technology stack for the social sector, David and Santiago explore the three frontend approaches outlined in the article: frontline worker tools, chatbots, and custom applications. Drawing on their own experience developing digital tools for social impact, they reflect on the strengths, limitations, and future potential of each…

“David and Santiago discuss The Agency Fund’s recent article on a technology stack for the social sector, exploring the backend systems that make modern AI-enabled tools possible. From LLM gateways and agent builders to data pipelines, monitoring, and experimentation, they examine the growing ecosystem of open tools that can help small organisations access capabilities once…

In the final episode of the series, David and Kate explore the power of narratives in shaping the future of AI. Inspired by Karen Hao’s *Empire of AI*, they discuss how messaging, lobbying, and financial influence have created a sense of inevitability around one particular vision of AI, while alternative approaches struggle to gain visibility.…

Continuing their exploration of alternatives to today’s dominant AI paradigm, David and Kate reflect on what the future of work could look like beyond AI empires. They discuss the role of education, apprenticeships, and human expertise in a world increasingly shaped by AI, and consider how technology might free people to focus on more creative,…

Building on their exploration of alternatives to today’s dominant AI paradigm, David and Kate discuss what a community-centred approach to AI might look like. They explore the importance of collaboration, deep interoperability, distributed ownership, and adaptability, arguing that effective AI systems should strengthen communities rather than replace them. The conversation considers how communities can retain…

Continuing their examination of the assumptions underlying today’s dominant AI narrative, David and Kate reflect on why AI has become such an important topic within IDEMS. They discuss how years of work on community ownership, trust, interoperability, and complex social systems have shaped their thinking, and why recent advances in AI may finally make it…

Continuing their examination of the assumptions underlying today’s dominant AI narrative, David and Kate explore the role of human expertise in building effective AI systems. They discuss the often-overlooked human work that underpins current AI, from reinforcement learning and quality assurance to research, teaching, and domain expertise. The conversation highlights how diverse forms of human…

Continuing their examination of the assumptions underlying today’s dominant AI narrative, David and Kate explore what makes data useful, trustworthy, and meaningful. They discuss the limitations of extraction-based approaches to AI, the importance of local context and data ownership, and the challenges of building systems that can learn across diverse communities without centralising control. The…