Podcast: The IDEMS Podcast

In this episode of the IDEMS podcast, Lily Clements and David Stern explore the intersection of technology and humanity through the lens of Amazon’s AI-powered shops. They discuss the concept of “phygital” initiatives, such as the mobile phone-based money transfer service M-PESA, where physical and digital realms merge to create jobs and enhance human interactions. They consider the future role of AI, the importance of community, and the ethical considerations of outsourcing labour.

David Stern and Kate Fleming discuss how social enterprises can offer “investment as a service”. They consider how shifting priorities away from growth can lead to positive outcomes, fostering sustainable practices that prioritise social impact whilst delivering for investors.

In this episode, Santiago Borio and David Stern delve into the development and growth of the Maths Camps initiative. They discuss the unique non-curricular and game-based methods used at the camps to engage students, moving away from conventional competitive educational models. The conversation also addresses the challenges and triumphs in scaling the camps, as well as their significant impact on students and educators internationally. David wraps up by reflecting on how the project has shaped his understanding of brain circulation.

Lucie and David discuss IDEMS’ aims to create digital opportunities for young people in rural areas. By building technology differently, and supporting local development, David shares how he has seen young people not only empower themselves, but also strengthen their local community.

In this 50th episode of the IDEMS podcast, co-founders David Stern and Danny Parsons celebrate the milestone by reflecting on the crucial role of observation in their professional journeys and its impact on IDEMS’ development. They discuss the transition from observers to leaders, emphasizing the importance of taking a step back to gain a deeper understanding and insight, which has enabled thoughtful action and leadership within the organization. They also recognise the importance of allowing their team members the opportunity to observe and gain experience, while acknowledging the challenges of doing so in a dynamic business environment.

This episode delves into the nuances of language discrimination, specifically focusing on the impact of language models like ChatGPT on linguistic perceptions and the inadvertent biases they might reinforce. Hosts Lily Clements and David Stern discuss a controversy that arose in Nigeria over the use of the word “delve,” which some attributed to AI-generated content, highlighting broader issues of language discrimination and the unintended consequences of AI tools in communication.

In this episode, Santiago Borio and David Stern delve into the use of language and its implications in today’s sensitive cultural landscape. Motivated by a prior discussion that mentioned ‘white’ and ‘black’ economies, and recognising the potential associations of this terminology, they explore how such terms have evolved and consider potential alternatives. They highlight the importance of tolerance and resilience as well as the necessity of careful use of language to avoid misinterpretation. The episode reaffirms IDEMS’ commitment to critical assessment and openness to constructive criticism, recognises that we will not always ‘get it right’, and concludes with a call for greater tolerance and self-awareness in our daily communications.

David and Kate, two of the three IDEMS directors, explore how to productively think about IDEMS’ multiple work streams as an overarching strategy. In doing so, they reflect on IDEMS’ role, and by extension technology’s role, in promoting “human flourishing”, as an enabler of human activities and interests.

David Stern talks to Moustapha Moussa about his work with communities in West Africa on processing centres to transform local food into nutritious products. They discuss how a chance encounter led to Moustapha working with the McKnight Foundation to build upon his research, and how focus shifted from urban areas to working in deep collaboration with women’s groups in rural communities.

In this episode, David Stern talks to Bruce Hamaker, Distinguished Professor of Food Science at Purdue University. They discuss his projects in West and East Africa, making nutritious foods for local markets using local ingredients, and IDEMS’ role, through the McKnight Foundation, of providing research method support. They consider the transition of focus from urban to rural areas, the move to working with women’s associations and the viral scaling that this enabled.