Embedding AI in Public Services
The government wants to accelerate the digital transformation of public services and has recruited several academics in the field to advise. Facebook owners Meta have made a $1m investment in the program. The aim is to use AI “to make public services faster, safer and more efficient”, and to “re-wire” systems across healthcare, policing, transport and more. In a separate project AI developer Anthropic are developing a system to assist jobseekers with tailored career advice and practical assistance. Collaboration is…
The First Female Archbishop Of Canterbury
The Church of England has appointed its first female Archbishop Of Canterbury despite some internal opposition based on passages in the bible, for example “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man”.
What do you think of the show so far?
What’s the public’s verdict on the performance of the Labour government after being in power for 18 months? What are the issues that most concern the British public?
How do Intelligent People become Instruments of Evil?
We often associate intelligence with compassion and reason, but the human need to belong to an “in” group can lead to “moral defects” where the influence of power and groupthink leads intelligent people to become evil.
Interrupting Silence: God’s Command to Speak Out
Is it true that “if you want to get on in this life, there are things you have to ignore”? The film “Small Things Like These” is a powerful examination of the price of staying silent, or the price to pay for speaking truth to power.
Collaborative politics? Could it happen?
On 22/01/2026, Andy Burnham wrote in The Guardian: “We hope what has been happening in Manchester might offer inspiration. Over the past decade, we have become more and more functional as the country has become dysfunctional. We have used devolution to build a new, more collaborative political culture that is the polar opposite of the Westminster and Whitehall world.” “Manchesterism” is a modern and functional response to the high-inequality, low-growth trap that came from the 1980s drive to privatise economic…
Who needs International Law?
Having such power and having such disregard for International Law makes Trump a very dangerous man. ‘I don’t need international law’: Trump says his power is constrained only by ‘my own morality’ – The Guardian, 08/01/2026 Jan 2026: Donald Trump directly challenged the framework of the established global order by stating in a New York Times interview that his power is constrained only by his “own morality, my own mind” rather than international law. This declaration marked a significant, public…
Vast New European Wind Farm Project for completion by 2050
The UK is set to back a vast new fleet of offshore wind projects in the North Sea alongside nine other European countries including Norway, Germany and the Netherlands. BBC News – Science and Environment 26/01/2026 Question to AI (Gemini) Give me a few facts about offshore and onshore wind generation. Can it genuinely reduce energy costs? Will wind power and other renewables ever replace fossil fuels entirely? Is there a price to pay for an accelerated transition to net…
The rise of Christian Nationalism
Cover Image – The Guardian Sep 2025 Question to Gemini AI Can you explain the rise of Christian Nationalism and “Ortho bro” influencers on social media? Some thoughts: “Everybody’s looking for something” everybody needs good points of reference, a guide, a guru, a leader they can relate to and a community they can belong to. Despite the rise of secularism and atheism, there is no focal point for this lack of belief. Humanism doesn’t have a charismatic leader with a…
A Zeal for War is Spreading – We must stop the “strong men”
The Pope has denounced countries for “completely undermining” peace, saying “war is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading”. In the current climate, “peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence”. Pope Leo XIV (in a barely veiled reference to President Trump’s version of “Peace”) We must stop the “strong men” on this march to war…
