CyberSips Gateshead College– An Inspiring Look at the Future of Skills, AI & Society

We were very grateful to have joined a powerful morning of insight and reflection as we explored how AI, apprenticeships, and education are reshaping the future of work.

A special nod to 80 years of Gateshead College - a legacy of impact! Our four brilliant speakers brought bold ideas and honest challenges:

Phil O'Neil spoke passionately on the real-world barriers in apprenticeships—and finding solutions working through the FJA

Jon Holden gave a dynamic talk on the evolution of AI, from ENIAC to Generative AI, calling it the 3rd Industrial Revolution. His breakdown of AI’s origins and potential was both educational and energising.

Dr. Kim Hardcastle from Northumbria University reminded us: “You’ve no business designing technology for society when you know nothing about society.”
She urged us to learn from the past—particularly through the lens of Orwell and Huxley. Her reflection on surveillance (Orwell) versus distraction and complacency (Huxley) felt especially relevant in today’s AI and social media landscape, where both dystopias are colliding. A clear call for responsibility in how we design and deploy technology.

Prashant Raizada, founder of Lumi, closed with a visionary look at human-AI collaboration. Lumi’s mission is to build the skills people need to thrive in Human–AI teams, empowering individuals to move beyond fear of AI and embrace co-creation. He described our current era as a “mid-term dystopia”—a critical learning period before we reach a more hopeful, AI-integrated future.

These conversations matter. If we want inclusive innovation, we must tackle the skills gap, design with ethics in mind, and build a future where humans and technology grow together.

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