In this BASELINE episode, I take a powerful journey with Sebastian Weir, a dynamic thinker whose path from northern England to top-tier financial consulting has fueled a compelling vision for AI’s future. Together, we tackle the high-stakes risks and incredible opportunities AI brings to consultancy, financial security, and everyday life. From battling deepfake scams to exploring groundbreaking family-safe banking systems, Sebastian shares a bold perspective on using AI not only to innovate but to safeguard our humanity. Join us as we push the boundaries of tech, values, and vision—discussing a future where AI truly empowers us all.
(00:00) Intro
(01:32) The threat AI poses to consultancy and human capital organizations
(02:59) Organisations controlling the messaging around AI
(06:10) The benefit of AI for inclusivity in the workforce
(07:12) Where should knowledge workers reskill
(09:10) The professional journey to work with AI
(11:04) The joy of human connection making memorable experiences
(15:54) Brutalism and will we live inside multipurpose architecture
(17:20) Building heritage and retaining our historic landscape
(17:39) The Sycamore Gap tree and the human connection with place
(19:04) Parental anxiety about social media
(19:40) Shall we replace our smartphones with pagers
(20:00) Archaeology to AI in banking
(21:10) The opportunity for organizations to benefit from AI and data
(23:00) The importance of values and diversity of thought
(24:40) The challenge of objective decision-making and critical thinking
(25:12) The emergence of deepfake and fraud
(27:21) Advice to avoid being a victim of a deepfake scam
(29:55) The underwhelming Mark Zuckerberg metaverse avatar
(33:33) What to look for when choosing a bank
(35:35) Convergence of infrastructure and customer experience
(37:45) Explanation of foundation models and multimodal AI
(38:46) NASA geosatellite data AI processing
(43:43) The value of openness
(44:55) Llama Meta foundation model and IBM Granite foundation model class
(46:23) Mistral AI-focused French innovation
(47:55) Cost reduction for AI in targeted foundation models
(48:45) Nvidia GPU usage and how it will be affected by foundation model design
(50:10) AI is an unknown, not a threat
(51:48) Generational shift and human-machine interface
(53:53) School headmasters using ChatGPT
(56:27) Utopia or dystopia: an optimistic utopia
