Welcome to the podcast channel for the Scottish AI Alliance, the delivery body for Scotland’s national AI Strategy. Scotland’s AI Strategy launched on 22 March 2021 with the vision for Scotland to become a world leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical and inclusive AI. This podcast will feature updates on the delivery of Scotland’s AI Strategy as well as interviews and chats about all things AI in Scotland and beyond. Find us online at www.scottishai.com.
Episodes
Monday Dec 08, 2025
Monday Dec 08, 2025
In this Scottish AI Playbook webinar we explored what AI adoption really looks like for charities and social enterprises working across Scotland. John Fitzgerald, Digital Evolution Manager at SCVO, shared insights into where the sector currently stands with AI, moving beyond the headlines to examine the practical applications, challenges, and opportunities facing organisations of all sizes.
In this session, we discussed:
- Real-world AI use cases emerging across Scottish charities and social enterprises
- How to weigh up costs and benefits for both your organisation and the communities you serve
- Key ethical considerations and safeguarding concerns that matter in the third sector
- The challenge of implementing AI with limited budgets and short-term funding pressures
- How SCVO is supporting members with practical tools, guidance, and peer learning
- First steps for getting started responsibly, regardless of your organisation's size or technical expertise
Whether you're just beginning to explore AI or looking to develop your approach, this webinar will provide honest, practical guidance rooted in the realities of third sector work in Scotland.
For more information on adopting AI responsibly, check out the Scottish AI Playbook at https://scottishaiplaybook.com
Monday Nov 24, 2025
Monday Nov 24, 2025
As Scotland develops its AI ecosystem, one of the critical questions is: how do we ensure AI innovation benefits workers, not just shareholders?
Listen to our latest webinar (original broadcast date Wednesday, November 12th) featuring Adam Cantwell-Corn from the TUC discussing:
• How worker involvement improves AI implementation effectiveness
• Why public bodies need alternatives to Big Tech vendor lock-in
• Five building blocks for pro-worker AI innovation
• International examples showing what's possible
To find out more about responsible AI adoption for businesses, check out the Scottish AI Playbook - an ever-expanding suite of resources, webinars, podcasts and events: https://scottishaiplaybook.com
Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
In this webinar from the Scottish AI Playbook series, John Callagy, Head of Growth and Strategy at the Cyber and Fraud Center and co-founder of the Cyber and Fraud Hub, explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in Scotland.
John discusses how AI is being weaponized by criminals for sophisticated phishing attacks, malware creation, and social engineering, while emphasizing that small organizations and charities face just as much risk as large enterprises. He shares practical insights from real Scottish cyberattacks, explaining how incidents can devastate organizations through legal fees, revenue loss, and reputational damage.
If you'd like to learn more about the Scottish AI Playbook or watch previous episodes, go to scottishaiplaybook.com
Wednesday Sep 17, 2025
Wednesday Sep 17, 2025
Join us for the fourth installment of the Scottish AI Alliance Playbook webinars!
How can organisations adopt AI in a way that benefits both the business and the people who work within it? Join Luciana Blaha (Heriot-Watt University) as we explore organisational culture, human factors, and how to design AI systems with people in mind.
Expect practical insights, fresh research, and clear strategies you can apply in your own organisation. https://scottishaiplaybook.com
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Join us for the first webinar in the new Scottish AI Playbook series, as we explore how ethical AI practices can move beyond compliance to become a driver of real business value.
In this session, we’ll talk with Angus Allan, Senior Product Manager at CreateFuture and a member of the Governance Group for the Scottish AI Alliance. Angus will offer a new way of thinking about responsible AI - showing how doing the right thing can also make good business sense.
We’ll also dive into the current state of AI in Scotland:
- Are businesses still caught in the ‘fear of missing out’ or is a more strategic mindset starting to take hold?
- What barriers are organisations facing as they try to adopt AI responsibly and what’s holding them back?
- With trust in AI closely tied to regulation, how can organisations take the lead in building trust among employees, customers, and society - even before formal laws are in place?
Expect practical insights, fresh research, and clear strategies you can apply in your own organisation. https://scottishaiplaybook.com
Tuesday Jul 22, 2025
Tuesday Jul 22, 2025
Recorded as part of the Scottish AI Playbook webinar series.
Originally aired: July 1, 2025
Join us for a dynamic and practical lunchtime panel exploring AI regulation, IP law, and what they mean for businesses in Scotland. Hosted by Dawn McAra-Hunter, this webinar features expert insights from: - Linzi Penman, Head of the UK Technology Sector at DLA Piper - Jess Davis, Chartered UK & European Patent Attorney at Lawrie IP
Together, they unpack:
- The impact of the EU AI Act on UK companies
- The evolving UK regulatory landscape for AI
- Patentability and IP protection for AI innovations
- How to mitigate legal and compliance risks when adopting AI
- Managing data protection and GDPR in AI development
- Ethics, ownership, and best practices for responsible AI use
Whether you're in legal, tech, operations, or leadership, this session offers actionable insights to help your organisation confidently implement AI in a rapidly shifting landscape. Resources & Links:
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Tuesday Jul 15, 2025
Tuesday Jul 15, 2025
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
Thursday Jun 12, 2025
Thursday Jun 12, 2025
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)
Music: Post Coal Prom Queen
Monday Jun 09, 2025
Monday Jun 09, 2025
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)
Music: Post Coal Prom Queen
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Monday Jun 02, 2025
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)
Music: Post Coal Prom Queen