Episode 2
AI Isn't New, You Are: 30 Years Inside the Machine with Dr Salim Sheikh
AI didn't arrive three years ago. It's been decades in the making, and Dr Salim Sheikh has been there for most of it.
Salim has worked in AI and software engineering for over 30 years, starting in the 1990s when the field was still largely academic. In this episode he joins Jenny Garrett OBE and Leah Garrett to unpack the real history behind today's AI boom, why the pandemic accelerated adoption faster than anyone expected, and why AI literacy is the skill we all need now.
We also get into the balancing act at the heart of it all: keeping technology as the facilitator and human creativity, wellbeing and decision-making as the driving force. As Salim puts it, AI should amplify human potential, not replace it.
📚 Our book AI for Equity (Emerald Publishing) is out 27 October 2026. Pre-order now:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AI-Equity-Creating-Equitable-Society/dp/1837428573
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/ai-for-equity/jenny-garrett/leah-sunshine-garrett/9781837428571
Want to be a guest or partner with us? Email aiforequity@outlook.co.uk
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