Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
00:00 // AI as an Environment
00:34 // Coronation Choir Experiment: How Music Shapes Attention
02:27 // Reframing Artificial Intelligence: From Tool to Living Environment
03:41 // Old AI Fears: Faster, Smarter and Assimilating Us
04:17 // Humanoid Robots, AI Coworkers and AI Companion Pets
05:28 // Why AI Isn't Human: Mumbai, the Pope and a New Yorker Poem
09:16 // Three Kinds of Power: Generative, Instrumental and Environmental
10:38 // Michelangelo and the Power of Material Tools
11:25 // How Cities, Buffets and Digital Design Shape Behaviour
12:52 // AI as Agent vs AI as Instrument
13:26 // Learning AI Like a Violin: How to Avoid "AI Slop"
14:45 // Extended Cognition: Skateboards, Scalpels and the Crutch Story
17:38 // Memory, the Google Effect and Prompting Claude AI Properly
22:59 // Co-Creating with AI: Sketch-to-Image Research
26:26 // Negroponte vs Weiser: The 1992 AI Debate That Predicted Today
30:49 // Two AI Futures: Personal Butler vs Calm Technology
33:19 // Cities, Music and the Neuroscience of Anticipation
39:52 // Desirable Difficulty and the Risk of AI Knowledge Collapse
44:24 // Critical Thinking, Attention and Tristan Harris on Big Tech
48:14 // Designing Better AI: Alignment, Nudges and Key Takeaways
Watch the Q&A here: youtu.be/FX7ZwIzgz-I
In this last lecture, I will work to wake us from the AI as Overlord spell. We will explore other possible futures, looking first look at the potential of AI fitting in with us: things we can chat to; humanoid robots; or even devices that draw on understandings of pets to make them more palatable and pleasing. Secondly, I’ll suggest a way to weave AI into everyday life: as a “simple” instrument to enable our souls to sing.
This lecture was recorded by Professor Matt Jones on the 2nd of June 2026 at Barnard’s Inna Hall, London
Matt Jones is a computer scientist at Swansea University - and a Fellow of the British Computer Society - who works alongside colleagues from many other disciplines and directly with everyday folk across the world to explore the future of digital technologies. Over the last 30-plus years, this human-centred approach has led to novel approaches for, amongst other things, mobile phone-based information searching and browsing, pedestrian navigation, voice assistants and deformable displays.
Much of his work has been driven by intense and sustained engagements with “low resource” communities from informal settlements in India, South Africa, and Kenya. Through their generous and gracious participation, these extra-ordinary users with the fresh and diverse perspectives have stimulated insights into the future of digital technologies for everyone, globally. In all this work, Matt works as part of a long-standing collaborative team with Jen Pearson, Simon Robinson and Thomas Reitmaier (from Swansea) and colleagues in India (including Dani Raju) and South Africa (including Minah Radebe).
His work has been supported by the UK’s science funders (EPSRC and UKRI). Currently, this funding includes a Fellowship to explore the future of interactive AI and leadership roles in responsible AI and inclusive digital technologies. This funding has led to a series of impactful publications, talks and influences on people, policies, and practices.
Matt has collaborated with private, public and third sector organisations, including Microsoft, the NHS, Google, IIT-B, the BBC and IBM. He is a member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office’s Research Advisory Group and Welsh Government’s AI reviews.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/ai-futures
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
00:00 // AI as an Environment
00:34 // Coronation Choir Experiment: How Music Shapes Attention
02:27 // Reframing Artificial Intelligence: From Tool to Living Environment
03:41 // Old AI Fears: Faster, Smarter and Assimilating Us
04:17 // Humanoid Robots, AI Coworkers and AI Companion Pets
05:28 // Why AI Isn't Human: Mumbai, the Pope and a New Yorker Poem
09:16 // Three Kinds of Power: Generative, Instrumental and Environmental
10:38 // Michelangelo and the Power of Material Tools
11:25 // How Cities, Buffets and Digital Design Shape Behaviour
12:52 // AI as Agent vs AI as Instrument
13:26 // Learning AI Like a Violin: How to Avoid "AI Slop"
14:45 // Extended Cognition: Skateboards, Scalpels and the Crutch Story
17:38 // Memory, the Google Effect and Prompting Claude AI Properly
22:59 // Co-Creating with AI: Sketch-to-Image Research
26:26 // Negroponte vs Weiser: The 1992 AI Debate That Predicted Today
30:49 // Two AI Futures: Personal Butler vs Calm Technology
33:19 // Cities, Music and the Neuroscience of Anticipation
39:52 // Desirable Difficulty and the Risk of AI Knowledge Collapse
44:24 // Critical Thinking, Attention and Tristan Harris on Big Tech
48:14 // Designing Better AI: Alignment, Nudges and Key Takeaways
Watch the Q&A here: youtu.be/FX7ZwIzgz-I
In this last lecture, I will work to wake us from the AI as Overlord spell. We will explore other possible futures, looking first look at the potential of AI fitting in with us: things we can chat to; humanoid robots; or even devices that draw on understandings of pets to make them more palatable and pleasing. Secondly, I’ll suggest a way to weave AI into everyday life: as a “simple” instrument to enable our souls to sing.
This lecture was recorded by Professor Matt Jones on the 2nd of June 2026 at Barnard’s Inna Hall, London
Matt Jones is a computer scientist at Swansea University - and a Fellow of the British Computer Society - who works alongside colleagues from many other disciplines and directly with everyday folk across the world to explore the future of digital technologies. Over the last 30-plus years, this human-centred approach has led to novel approaches for, amongst other things, mobile phone-based information searching and browsing, pedestrian navigation, voice assistants and deformable displays.
Much of his work has been driven by intense and sustained engagements with “low resource” communities from informal settlements in India, South Africa, and Kenya. Through their generous and gracious participation, these extra-ordinary users with the fresh and diverse perspectives have stimulated insights into the future of digital technologies for everyone, globally. In all this work, Matt works as part of a long-standing collaborative team with Jen Pearson, Simon Robinson and Thomas Reitmaier (from Swansea) and colleagues in India (including Dani Raju) and South Africa (including Minah Radebe).
His work has been supported by the UK’s science funders (EPSRC and UKRI). Currently, this funding includes a Fellowship to explore the future of interactive AI and leadership roles in responsible AI and inclusive digital technologies. This funding has led to a series of impactful publications, talks and influences on people, policies, and practices.
Matt has collaborated with private, public and third sector organisations, including Microsoft, the NHS, Google, IIT-B, the BBC and IBM. He is a member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office’s Research Advisory Group and Welsh Government’s AI reviews.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/ai-futures
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
