Listen in for a deep dive into the Financial Times' journey through AI transformation, featuring McKinley Hayden, Head of Data Value & Strategy.

In this candid and inspiring conversation, McKinley shares how the FT has embraced both traditional and generative AI, while staying true to its core values of trust, integrity, and quality journalism. From laying the groundwork for AI adoption to developing a company-wide policy, upskilling teams, and navigating ethical challenges—this conversation explores:

• The FT's early AI adoption and innovation culture
• Why responsible AI governance matters (and how it was implemented)
• How feedback, staff engagement, and AI fluency shaped the transformation
• Practical examples like AskFT - an AI-powered tool trained on 12 years of FT journalism
• Honest reflections on agentic AI, AI hype cycles, and sustainable adoption
• Tips for other organisations getting started with AI

Whether you're a data leader, tech strategist, or simply curious about how leading media brands adapt to disruptive change, this session offers practical insights and thoughtful reflections.

Read more in the detailed case study on our website

For queries or collaborations, get in touch via hello@scottishai.com

This week we chat to Agnė Balandžiūnaitė about her project 'Fictosaurus', the future of academic integrity, and Jurassic Park. Agnė will be showcasing her project at AI Can't Write Symphonies and Neither Can You.

Host: Gordon Johnstone (LinkedIn)

AI Can't Write Symphonies and Neither Can You - tickets (27-28 June 2025, Glasgow)

Scottish AI Alliance website

SAIA on LinkedIn

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Music: Post Coal Prom Queen

In this week's episode we chat to Josh Thorpe about whether LLMs can ever truly be funny, the future of AI and education, and how AI may be better thought of as an environment rather than a tool.

Josh Thorpe is a writer, learning developer, designer, artist, musician, speaker and radio host living in Glasgow. He works at University of Stirling and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Thorpe is the author of AI for Students, a comic-style book that shows how to use gen AI to think more, not less, in education.

Host: Gordon Johnstone (LinkedIn)

AI Can't Write Symphonies and Neither Can You - tickets (27-28 June 2025, Glasgow)

Scottish AI Alliance website

SAIA on LinkedIn

SAIA on Bluesky

SAIA on Instagram

Music: Post Coal Prom Queen

Could dreams be the key to AI consciousness and Artificial General Intelligence? What purpose to dreams serve? And is it really worth reading a full Malcolm Gladwell book? In this week's episode we chat to Oliver Sprigg to find out all of this and more. The is the first in a special season of the Scottish AI Podcast where we're talking to the artists and academics who are presenting projects at AI Can't Write Symphonies and Neither Can You.

Oliver Sprigg (MSc, GMBPsS) is a psychological researcher based in Edinburgh specializing in dreams.

Host: Gordon Johnstone (LinkedIn)

AI Can't Write Symphonies and Neither Can You - tickets (27-28 June 2025, Glasgow)

Scottish AI Alliance website

SAIA on LinkedIn

SAIA on Bluesky

SAIA on Instagram

Music: Post Coal Prom Queen

How will artificial intelligence affect the future of organised religion? And what is a hyper-real? We sat down with Professor Beth Singler to find out.

Host: Gordon Johnstone (LinkedIn)

Scottish AI Alliance website

SAIA on LinkedIn

SAIA on X

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Music: Post Coal Prom Queen

Can humans and AIs work together to improve policing? And how do we foster trust in AI with an understandably skeptical public? In this episode we explore the intersection of AI and the justice system with author and strategist Jo Callaghan. We also get some fascinating insight from Alex Fassio - Senior Data Ethicist at the Ministry of Justice.

Host: Gordon Johnstone (LinkedIn)

Scottish AI Alliance website

SAIA on LinkedIn

SAIA on X

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Music: Post Coal Prom Queen

Join Gordon Johnstone and Elena Sinel, founder of Teens in AI, in this week’s episode as they discuss the role today’s youth play in shaping the future of AI. Elena shares her inspiring vision to nurture responsible and ethical behaviour in youth people. They explore social-economic concerns in AI education, how to protect children from deepfakes, ways to involve children in the conversation, and more.

Host: Gordon Johnstone (LinkedIn)

Scottish AI Alliance website

SAIA on LinkedIn

SAIA on X

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Music: Post Coal Prom Queen

The Scottish AI Alliance podcast is back! We're kicking off our new season with Prof Gina Neff – Executive Director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge – about AI and the upcoming elections, the future of politics, and our democratic systems. From the erosion of our shared reality to the reinvigoration of political participation, Dr Neff’s insights are absolutely fascinating and we hope you enjoy the conversation.

Here is a link to the blog mentioned at the beginning of the podcast: https://www.scottishai.com/news/ai-and-the-future-of-democracy

Host: Gordon Johnstone (LinkedIn)

Scottish AI Alliance website

SAIA on LinkedIn

SAIA on X

SAIA on Instagram

Music: Post Coal Prom Queen