A Durham University computer science professor has joined forces with a leading fellow computer scientist to launch a podcast designed to make artificial intelligence easier for the public to understand.
Professor Sue Black, OBE, a Professor of Computer Science and Technology Evangelist in Durham University’s Department of Computer Science, is presenting AI&Us: with Wendy Hall and Sue Black with Dame Wendy Hall.
The new series aims to move beyond the hype surrounding AI and focus on the choices, people and ideas that will shape how the technology affects society. Its launch was announced by Durham University on 6 October 2026.
What the Durham-linked podcast explores
The podcast discusses the opportunities, risks and real-world effects of AI in straightforward terms. Its topics include fears about job losses and autonomous machines, as well as the possibility that AI could support healthcare, education and efforts to tackle climate change.
In the first episode, Professor Black and Dame Wendy argue that public concern about science-fiction-style robots can draw attention away from more important questions about how artificial intelligence is developed and governed.
Instead, the pair examine who makes decisions about AI and which ideas guide its development. The university says the discussion considers how technology can be designed around a wider range of experiences, perspectives and needs, rather than reflecting only the priorities of a relatively narrow group of people.
That focus is particularly relevant to questions about who benefits from new technology and which problems AI is built to address. The podcast presents broader participation in technology as an opportunity to create products and solutions that better reflect society.
Created by BCS ahead of Ada Lovelace Day
The podcast has been created by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. The organisation represents nearly 70,000 technology professionals around the world.
That community includes Professor Black, who founded BCSWomen in 1988, and Dame Wendy, who is a Distinguished Fellow of the organisation.
The launch comes shortly before Ada Lovelace Day on 13 October. The annual event celebrates Ada Lovelace, who is widely regarded as the world’s first computer programmer.
Professor Sue Black’s Durham work
Professor Black is described by the university as an award-winning computer scientist, social entrepreneur and influential voice on technology and inclusion. She pioneered Durham University’s TechUP initiative, which specialises in training people from underserved groups for entry-level roles in technology.
Durham University’s Department of Computer Science is ranked eighth in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2027. The university is directing listeners to the first episode of the podcast and to its Computer Science webpages for more information about undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.