A new podcast explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), higher education and sustainability. Featuring insights from leading experts and practitioners, the podcast aims to advance the global conversation on the ethics, opportunities and disruptions that AI brings to education, and its role in achieving the SDGs.
In the first episode UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala discusses the challenge of algorithmic bias and whether it can be addressed in AI systems. Lei Motilla, Co-founder of AI4GOV, joins the second episode, to talk about how AI is reshaping the future of work and what it means for the next generation of workers.
The third episode features Professor Yuko Itatsu of The University of Tokyo, who shares thoughts on how ethics and social science are influencing AI and its potential to support or hinder social justice. In the fourth episode UN Chief Information Technology Officer Bernardo Mariano Junior explores AI governance at the international level and the opportunities, challenges and key considerations that come with AI-driven digital transformation, particularly its impact in higher education.
The fifth episode (special edition in celebration of International Youth Day) features three students — Hope Otieno (MSc student, UNU-IAS), Ahmad Ali Karim (Global RCE Network Regional Youth Coordinator; student, International Islamic University Malaysia) and Michael Winter (Co-president, Oikos International) — who share their perspectives on how AI is reshaping their learning experiences.
The sixth episode features experts from the University of Westminster: Gunter Saunders (Director, Digital Capability Development and AI Leadership) and Doug Specht (Head, School of Media and Communication), who discuss how AI is helping universities manage their operations, and the implications for administrators, faculty and students. The University of Westminster is a member of the Action Group on the Futures of Higher Education and AI, established under the umbrella of the UN Higher Education Sustainability Initiative.
Background
The AI and Sustainability podcast was launched on 24 January 2025 to celebrate the International Day of Education. It is produced by UNU and the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education (IESALC), who are leading the Futures of Higher Education and Artificial Intelligence Action Group as part of the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative.
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The podcast is available on the following platforms: