Can We Harness AI for Good? – A Question of Science With Brian Cox

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the reality and possibilities of artificial intelligence, and how it's changing our lives.

AI and machine learning are now part of our everyday lives, but where are they headed and who is in charge? Our panel of scientists, writers and policymakers answers audience questions about the hopes and fears surrounding AI, how it can be controlled, and whether it creates new problems – or just amplifies the ones we already have.

*Panellists*

• Adrian Weller – Director of Research in Machine Learning, University of Cambridge and Head of Safe and Ethical AI, The Alan Turing Institute
• Jeanette Winterson – Writer and author of 12 Bytes: How Artificial Intelligence Will Change the Way We Live and Love
• Steph Wright – Head, Scottish AI Alliance
• Neil Lawrence – Professor of Machine Learning, University of Cambridge and author of The Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of AI

*In this episode*

0:00 What’s this episode about?
4:23 Where are we already using AI?
6:07 What is AI?
13:44 Where will AI have the greatest impact?
19:02 Is AI reliable enough to use in healthcare?
24:50 Will AI damage our creative abilities?
28:47 What skills do we need in an AI-powered world?
32:26 What risks does AI pose?
37:03 How should we work with AI?
42:43 Where do we go from here?

*A Question of Science*

A Question of Science is a groundbreaking series of panel discussions where experts from different fields respond to your questions, sharing the scientific perspective on society’s most pressing questions.

A Question of Science is BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute.

*The Francis Crick Institute*

The Francis Crick Institute is one of the biggest research institutes in Europe. We’re an independent lab and registered charity, and home to more than 1,500 scientists working to understand health, disease and how life works.

© BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025