Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
AI can now generate human-like language and artwork - but what other doors might it open in future? And how can we harness AI to make great leaps in technology possible?
This talk was filmed at the Ri on 6 December 2023, in partnership with The Alan Turing Institute.
AI can now generate human-like language and artwork - but what other doors might it open in future? And how can we harness AI to make great leaps in technology possible?
This talk was filmed at the Ri on 6 December 2023, in partnership with The Alan Turing Institute.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Watch the Q&A with Mike here, exclusively for members: youtu.be/KSuUfU6x8rg
Join 2023 CHRISTMAS LECTURER Michael Wooldridge for a fascinating discussion on the possibilities and challenges of generative AI models, and their potential impact on future societies. Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
Join this channel to get access to perks:
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Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
AI has increasingly grabbed the headlines in recent years – generating excitement and concern in equal measure – but what should we believe? In these lectures Mike will reveal how AI works and how it will affect our lives – and will tackle head-on our hopes and fears for this most fascinating of fields.
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Mike Wooldridge is an academic and author specialising in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
As an academic, he is a professor of AI at the University of Oxford, where he served as Head of Department of Computer Science from 2014 to 2021; he is also Director for AI at The Alan Turing Institute in London. He has received multiple awards for both research and education, including in 2020, the Lovelace Medal from the British Computer Society – the leading award for a UK computer scientist – and in 2021 the Outstanding Educator Award from the Association for the Advancement of AI (AAAI).
From 2014-16, Mike was President of the European Association for AI, and from 2015-17 he was President of the International Joint Conference on AI (IJCAI). He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Artificial Intelligence, the leading journal for AI, established more than 50 years ago and has been invited to give evidence on matters relating to AI to multiple government committees.
As an author, he has written nine books, which have been translated nine times. His books include two popular science introductions to AI: the Ladybird Expert Guide to AI (Penguin, 2018) in the iconic British book series, and The Road to Conscious Machines (Pelican, 2020).
Mike gives frequent public lectures on AI, including at the Hay Festival and Cheltenham Science Festival and is regularly interviewed by the media.
The Ri is on Twitter: twitter.com/ri_science
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Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
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AI can now generate human-like language and artwork - but what other doors might it open in future? And how can we harness AI to make great leaps in technology possible?
This talk was filmed at the Ri on 6 December 2023, in partnership with The Alan Turing Institute.
AI can now generate human-like language and artwork - but what other doors might it open in future? And how can we harness AI to make great leaps in technology possible?
This talk was filmed at the Ri on 6 December 2023, in partnership with The Alan Turing Institute.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Watch the Q&A with Mike here, exclusively for members: youtu.be/KSuUfU6x8rg
Join 2023 CHRISTMAS LECTURER Michael Wooldridge for a fascinating discussion on the possibilities and challenges of generative AI models, and their potential impact on future societies. Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
AI has increasingly grabbed the headlines in recent years – generating excitement and concern in equal measure – but what should we believe? In these lectures Mike will reveal how AI works and how it will affect our lives – and will tackle head-on our hopes and fears for this most fascinating of fields.
----
Mike Wooldridge is an academic and author specialising in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
As an academic, he is a professor of AI at the University of Oxford, where he served as Head of Department of Computer Science from 2014 to 2021; he is also Director for AI at The Alan Turing Institute in London. He has received multiple awards for both research and education, including in 2020, the Lovelace Medal from the British Computer Society – the leading award for a UK computer scientist – and in 2021 the Outstanding Educator Award from the Association for the Advancement of AI (AAAI).
From 2014-16, Mike was President of the European Association for AI, and from 2015-17 he was President of the International Joint Conference on AI (IJCAI). He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Artificial Intelligence, the leading journal for AI, established more than 50 years ago and has been invited to give evidence on matters relating to AI to multiple government committees.
As an author, he has written nine books, which have been translated nine times. His books include two popular science introductions to AI: the Ladybird Expert Guide to AI (Penguin, 2018) in the iconic British book series, and The Road to Conscious Machines (Pelican, 2020).
Mike gives frequent public lectures on AI, including at the Hay Festival and Cheltenham Science Festival and is regularly interviewed by the media.
The Ri is on Twitter: twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
