Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the reality and possibilities of artificial intelligence, and how it's changing our lives.

A.I. and machine learning are now part of our everyday lives, but where are they headed and who is in charge? Our panel of scientists, writers and policymakers answers audience questions about the hopes and fears surrounding A.I. and how it can be controlled, and whether it creates new problems – or just amplifies the ones we already have.

Panellists
Adrian Weller – Director of Research in Machine Learning, University of Cambridge and Head of Safe and Ethical A.I. at The Alan Turing Institute
Jeanette Winterson – Writer and author of 12 Bytes: How Artificial Intelligence Will Change the Way We Live and Love
Steph Wright – Head, Scottish A.I. Alliance
Neil Lawrence – Professor of Machine Learning, University of Cambridge and author of The Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of A.I.

Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/ai

If you have a follow up question about any of the episodes in the series, email us:  aquestionofscience@bbc.co.uk

A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.

Music by John Biddle

© BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025

 

 

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the reality and possibilities of artificial intelligence, and how it's changing our lives.
A.I. and machine learning are now part of our everyday lives, but where are they headed and who is in charge? Our panel of scientists, writers and policymakers answers audience questions about the hopes and fears surrounding A.I. and how it can be controlled, and whether it creates new problems &ndash; or just amplifies the ones we already have.
Panellists
<ul>
<li>Adrian Weller &ndash; Director of Research in Machine Learning, University of Cambridge and Head of Safe and Ethical A.I. at The Alan Turing Institute</li>
<li>Jeanette Winterson &ndash; Writer and author of 12 Bytes: How Artificial Intelligence Will Change the Way We Live and Love</li>
<li>Steph Wright &ndash; Head, Scottish A.I. Alliance</li>
<li>Neil Lawrence &ndash; Professor of Machine Learning, University of Cambridge and author of The Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of A.I.</li>
</ul>
Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/ai">www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/ai</a>
If you have a follow up question about any of the episodes in the series, email us:&nbsp; aquestionofscience@bbc.co.uk
A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.
Music by John Biddle
&copy; BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.  

Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world’s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today. 

Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a live audience and it’s their questions that drive the debate. 

Hear from the experts who actually know what they’re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C’s Lauren Mahon.  

With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don’t, and where science might take us next. 

A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab. 

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world&rsquo;s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today.&nbsp;
Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a live audience and it&rsquo;s their questions that drive the debate.&nbsp;
Hear from the experts who actually know what they&rsquo;re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C&rsquo;s Lauren Mahon.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don&rsquo;t, and where science might take us next.&nbsp;
A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab.&nbsp;

A Question of Science

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.  

Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world’s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today. 

Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a lively audience and it’s their questions that drive the debate. 

Hear from the experts who actually know what they’re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C’s Lauren Mahon.  

With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don’t, and where science might take us next. 

A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab. 

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world&rsquo;s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today.&nbsp;
Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a lively audience and it&rsquo;s their questions that drive the debate.&nbsp;
Hear from the experts who actually know what they&rsquo;re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C&rsquo;s Lauren Mahon.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don&rsquo;t, and where science might take us next.&nbsp;
A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab.&nbsp;

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