The CEO Retort with Tim El-Sheikh

A deep dive into the evolving landscape of AI and the current push against genuine innovation, from engineering to the arts. Professor Shushma Patel is the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Artificial Intelligence at De Montfort University (DMU) in the UK. As a prominent figure in computing, engineering, and media education, Shushma is the first person in the UK to hold a senior university leadership positi...

An inspiring and no-nonsense discussion about entrepreneurship with Ida Tin, the mother of FemTech, who is the co-founder and former CEO and chairwoman of Clue, one of the most trusted female health apps with over 10 million active users across 190 countries. Ida has won several prizes for her entrepreneurial work with Clue. Before starting Clue, Ida led motorcycle tours around the world for 5 yea...

The tables have turned! Tim El-Sheikh is being interviewed by Ben Byford on his show, The Machine Ethics Podcast, discussing why the AI bubble is far worse than we thought and how it has become a financial nightmare. Ben is a good friend of our show here at The CEO Retort and a previous guest who discussed digital ethics and ethical AI, without the hyperbolic doom-and-gloom fantasy. As part of our...

Professor Scott Lucas returns for the latest edition of our Misinformation Watch series, and we delved into the tangled web of political manoeuvring and misinformation that has gripped both the Democratic and Republican parties over the past two weeks. Professor Scott Lucas is a highly experienced and globally renowned expert in American politics, US and British foreign policy, and a wide range of...

Dr Arik Kershenbaum is a globally renowned zoologist and researcher at Girton College, University of Cambridge, specialising in animal communication and astrobiology. Arik is an international bestseller for his book, The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy, and has also released a more recent book, Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication. His research and books explore the science of...

A pioneer of British streetwear and impact investing, Roger Wade founded Boxfresh in 1989 and launched the world’s first pop-up mall, BoxPark Shoreditch, in 2010, which has since expanded to Croydon and Wembley. After achieving successful exits from both businesses, Roger founded and became chairman of Boxfund VC, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage, purpose-driven consumer brands w...

Professor Scott Lucas is a highly experienced and globally renowned expert in American politics, US and British foreign policy, and a wide range of international affairs, with a specific focus on the Middle East, Iran, Europe, and Asia. He also has expertise in new media, intelligence services, and propaganda. Scott has also been an active journalist since 1979 and is the founder and editor-in-chi...

May is an award-winning journalist who led a large-scale investigation into the Tony Blair Institute’s (TBI) insidious relationship with tech multi-billionaire Larry Ellison, founder of the tech and data conglomerate Oracle. May is the editor at investigative newsroom Lighthouse Reports, where she coordinates teams of journalists and carries out investigative reporting to produce stories that are...

A powerful discussion with the visionary entrepreneur and campaigner Cindy Gallop – founder and CEO of "Make Love not Porn" (MLNP) social platform. Our conversation delved into her unique entrepreneurial journey, the rise of toxic masculinity, and the critical role of human curation in content moderation. Cindy has turned her illustrious advertising career into a lifelong pursuit of chan...

Angus Hanton is a British entrepreneur, economist, and investor with a career spanning over 40 years. He is the author of the groundbreaking book and bestseller, Vassal State: How America Runs Britain, based on his research that lays bare the extent to which US corporations own and control Britain's economy. Angus is also the co-founder of the Intergenerational Foundation (IF), a UK-based think ta...

This special AMA episode marks our celebration of hitting just over 20,000 followers and subscribers across all platforms 🎉 I delve into your questions, mostly around the challenges and misconceptions surrounding AI, the importance of expert voices, and the launch of my new non-profit initiative promoting socially responsible AI. And there are more announcements around the podcast itself and our...

Serial deeptech entrepreneur, award-winning innovator, and author Henry Nash discusses AI's hype versus reality, explains why we must now focus on AI's ROI, and explores the future of quantum computing. Henry, who began his entrepreneurial journey in 1986, has worked on a range of tech startups, including Insignia Solutions and Transitive. He is currently involved in leading IBM’s startup...

Bestselling author, Sal Naseem, is a former Regional Director for London at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), where he spent many years working on policing oversight and within the police accountability framework in England and Wales. Sal has dealt with some of the most high-profile misconduct cases featuring the Metropolitan Police Service in its recent history. As the bestselling...

In this emergency episode of Misinformation Watch, in light of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I discuss how social media platforms, crypto bros, and the Trump family profited financially from the barrage of misinformation swirling around the event. Of course, artificial intelligence (AI) played the key roles as you may expect. As someone involved in AI as a deeptech entrepreneur and innovator...

Veteran technologist and author of Unicorns, Hype and Bubbles: A Guide to Spotting, Avoiding and Exploiting Investment Bubbles in Tech (2024) reveals the truth about tech bubbles and the devastating financial impact of the current AI bubble when it bursts! Dr. Jeffrey Funk is a professor and consultant with a 40-year career focused on how new technologies emerge and diffuse. While teaching in Japa...

I sat down with the Leslie Fox Prize-winning mathematician, my mentor and friend, Professor Jeremy Levesley, questioning whether mathematical prowess equates to true intelligence and exploring how AI might bridge or widen societal divides. Jeremy is an Emeritus Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Leicester for over 30 years, and served as the Head of the Department of Mathematics...

Ben is a podcaster of the Machine Ethics Podcast and one of the earliest and most avid advocates for digital ethics and ethical AI, long before it became fashionable in the current AI hype cycle. Ben runs the Ethical by Design consultancy, focusing on AI models. He makes games with his company, Nuclear Candy Games. He has also worked on web and app projects and has taught data science, design and...

Pat is a human rights lawyer and researcher who is currently the Head of Big Tech Accountability for Amnesty International and Deputy Director of Amnesty’s Technology and Human Rights Programme. He led their recent research that revealed how Elon Musk’s X created a ‘staggering amplification of hate’ during the 2024 riots in England. Pat has led several high-profile investigations, including Facebo...

Emma Monk returns as a co-host of our new series, Misinformation Watch – debunking the most nonsensical claims made by governments and the mainstream media. This month, we are looking at the immigration statistics shared by certain politicians and media outlets. You guessed it, they're all wrong and misleading! Emma Monk is a molecular biologist turned anti-misinformation campaigner who has sp...

In this episode, I’m having an open discussion with you about how being authentic to yourself can be a game-changer throughout your personal and professional life, even when the world seems to push back. While I use LinkedIn as my most recent example, where my tiny following of a few hundred blew up to over 10,000 in under 5 months, without any marketing or advertising campaigns, I applied the sam...

Important announcement, where Tim shares a personal story about a family health scare, emphasising the importance of prioritising family and health over work. Hence, there is no new episode today. As is the case with every CEOR discussion, Tim challenges the relentless pursuit of productivity, highlighting the irreplaceable value of relationships and well-being. Support our independence by becomin...

A deep discussion with an award-winning cyber and national security attorney and former particle physics and supernova cosmology researcher at CERN, Isvari Maranwe. Isvari is a young prodigy, tech entrepreneur, social media political science influencer, former particle physics and supernova cosmology researcher at CERN, Fermilab, and the Lawrence Berkeley Lab. She is a Georgetown-educated cyber an...

From childhood curiosity to becoming a renowned philosopher dedicated to the art of questions, Dr. Pia Lauritzen challenges societal barriers that stifle our natural curiosity. In the usual CEOR fashion of delving into thought-provoking discussions, I sat down with one of the most exciting philosophers, Dr. Pia Lauritzen, to discuss the complexities, risks and opportunities of questioning our beli...

In this short episode, I’m sharing my frustration over the lack of action in digital ethics and AI innovation over the years. But it is also a big announcement, involving Finland and building a new AI-focused nonprofit organisation. Episode Notes & Citations: ⁠⁠⁠ https://ceoretort.com/podcast/solo/2025/07/07/we-need-finlands-approach-to-deeptech-ethics-to-end-ais-societal-damage/ Support our i...

Emma Monk is a molecular biologist turned anti-misinformation campaigner who has spent over a decade debunking falsehoods in both mainstream media and social media platforms, particularly X (aka Twitter). Emma’s ability to present complex topics in simple ways is evidenced by her loyal following on X and regularly hitting half a million views, her articles on wide-ranging topics in Byline Times an...