Episode #73 | Sue Turner | On the power of technology, and the anchor of the past

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Sue Turner, founder of AI Governance and Professor in Practice at the University of Bristol Business School. Their conversation spans both the pragmatic and philosophical dimensions of AI adoption, with key discussions points being:

• Why most organisations are stuck in their AI maturity – experimenting without moving to real transformation
• The tension between legacy data as both “gold dust” and “an anchor” holding companies back
• How humility and a beginner’s mindset are essential for leaders to make sense of AI’s possibilities
• The dangers of shadow AI in enterprise software and why transparency from vendors should be mandatory
• The risk of letting AI development be driven by a handful of tech giants, and Sue’s call for more democratic, purposeful leadership around AI

It’s a wide-ranging discussion that touches on power, governance, and the sheer speed of technological change.

Do you want to know more about Sue Turner?

Sue Turner is dedicated to using her expertise in AI governance and ethics to inspire people and organisations to use AI with wisdom and integrity.

With both a Law degree and an MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, she established AI Governance Limited in 2020 to advise businesses and policy makers on pragmatic AI, data ethics and governance issues, and making a positive societal impact. Her Board development clients range from Fortune 100 and FTSE 350 businesses to small charities, and her reach is global through accredited training programmes and being a founder member of the United Nations AI Skills Coalition. She has been rated in the World's Top 100 Women in AI Ethics and was one of the first 14 people globally to be accredited in the Foundations of Independent Audit of AI systems.

She is Professor in Practice for AI and Technologies at the University of Bristol Business School, Board Chair and Non-Executive Director for purpose-driven businesses in regulated industries and has been a Mentor on the Turing Institute’s Skills Policy Awards. Her career spans entrepreneurial private businesses and not-for-profit organisations where she has led significant organisational growth, raised £27 million for charity and collaborated to shift power to help people improve their prospects. She was awarded the OBE in 2021 for Services to Social Justice.