Dr Aaron Maniam, Fellow of Practice and Director of Digital Transformation Education, has launched a new four-part documentary examining how emerging technologies are reshaping power, society and public policy.

The series, ‘Raising Expectations’, moves beyond a technical overview of AI’s capabilities to examine the deeper questions it raises for society. “We wanted to ask deeper, more nuanced questions than were already out there in the deluge of information everyone is receiving,” said Aaron.

Filmed across Singapore, India, China, Brussels and the UK – including at the Blavatnik School – the documentary features conversations with engineers, school teachers, farmers, rural health workers and academics from across Oxford University. Together, they explore what it means for AI to ‘think’, how societies can prepare for a world in which machines increasingly think with and for us (Episode 1), and whether AI is reinforcing or reducing existing inequalities (Episode 2).

The series also examines AI’s impact on human and planetary health, from physical and mental wellbeing to emotionally and geographically (Episode 3). It considers how AI is reshaping information ecosystems, raising urgent questions about truth, misinformation and who holds power in a rapidly evolving technological landscape (Episode 4).

All four episodes are available to watch on YouTube. 

‘Raising Expectations’ was produced by Very!.