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Talking AI: Richard King and Lorenzo Gordon on the good, the bad and the ugly of AI

How do we cut through the hype and the gloom to really understand the potential impacts of AI?

In this episode of Talking AI, Mel Kanarek is joined by Richard King, who is a product manager at a software consultancy, currently working in the healthcare sector, and Lorenzo Gordon who is a former software company founder and digital transformation leader in the NHS. Together they cut through the hype to explore what AI can genuinely do today, where it’s already delivering value, and why the biggest challenges might have less to do with technology and more to do with people, data and decision-making.

Rather than taking an overly optimistic or pessimistic view, the conversation asks what a more mature discussion about AI should look like. From healthcare and software development to education, workplace culture and the future of jobs, Richard and Lorenzo examine where AI can help, where it falls short, and what organisations need to consider before jumping on the latest trend.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Why “AI” has become an unhelpfully broad term and why we need to be more precise.
  • Real-world examples of AI improving healthcare through better analysis of complex data.
  • Why good data matters more than clever technology.
  • The hidden costs of AI, including energy use, infrastructure and long-term commercial dependency.
  • Where large language models genuinely save time and where they don’t.
  • The risks of relying on AI for business-critical decisions.
  • Whether AI is really replacing entry-level jobs, or if the picture is more complicated.
  • How businesses can adopt AI without losing sight of their actual objectives.
  • Why critical thinking, creativity and human judgement remain essential skills.
  • What young people need to thrive in an AI-enabled workplace.

Whether you’re leading a business, working in tech, or simply trying to make sense of the rapid pace of AI development, this episode offers a balanced, practical perspective grounded in real-world experience.

Guests

Richard King is a product manager, business analyst and consultant working in healthcare. Having worked across defence, finance, education, security and the public sector, he brings a pragmatic perspective on how AI fits into modern software development and product management.

Lorenzo Gordon spent more than two decades building and leading a software development company before moving into digital transformation in the NHS. He now supports healthcare organisations, startups and SMEs across South Yorkshire, helping them adopt technology in ways that genuinely improve services and outcomes.

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Notes

This interview was recorded on 24th July 2026 at The University of Sheffield.

Join the conversation

We’re really keen to get your feedback on the podcast. You can email info@sheffield.digital

Thank you for the music

Thanks to Alex Mclean – aka Yaxu – for the show’s intro music, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.