Sheffield Digital Podcast

About Sheffield Digital Podcast

Welcome to the Sheffield Digital Podcast. This is the place to hear about the exciting digital industries in the Sheffield City Region. We cover engaging topics about the local tech sector with special guests from a thriving community of companies, accelerators, policy-makers, educators, freelancers, events organisers, and more! If you’re interested in unique tech career stories straight from Sheffield, then check out our interviews with people who share the why’s and the how’s of what they do. Follow show releases and other news @sheffield.digital on Bluesky and visit https://sheffield.digital/ for more information about our organisation.

Publisher

Sheffield Digital

Category

business · government · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Aug 2017

Latest episode

30 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

97 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Jul 2026

   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, product manager and healthcare consultant, and Lorenzo Gordon, 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. Subscribe to the podcast If you’d like to have new episodes of the show appear right in your podcast player, you can subscribe via our page on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/sheffield-digital-podcast/id1272667962?mt=2) and follow the show on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0FO0um2BlEcizMAa9HRpgj?si=89ba60a7e1bf41cd), or search for us in your podcast app of choice! 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 (mailto:info@sheffield.digital) Thank you for the music Thanks to Alex Mclean – aka Yaxu (https://yaxu.org/) – for the show’s intro music, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

2. 

   8 Jul 2026

   Talking AI: James Charlesworth on what happens when AI writes the code

   Artificial intelligence is changing software engineering faster than almost any previous technology shift - but what does that mean for developers, employers and the next generation entering the industry? In this episode of the Sheffield Digital Podcast, Mel Kanarek is joined by James Charlesworth, Director of Engineering at Pendo's Sheffield office and organiser of Sheffield AI Meetup. They discuss how AI is transforming the way software is built, why problem-solving and human skills are becoming more valuable than ever, and what this means for recruitment and career development. They also explore the growing challenge of maintaining a talent pipeline for junior engineers, why authentic human communication still stands out in an AI-assisted world, and how Sheffield's AI community is creating space for people to learn, share ideas and navigate these changes together. In this episode: Why AI is the biggest technological shift James has seen in 20 years of software engineering How Pendo is using AI beyond chatbots and large language models Why coding is just one part of a software engineer's job The changing skills employers are looking for in new recruits What AI means for junior developers and the future talent pipeline How AI is reshaping recruitment for employers and candidates alike Why Sheffield AI Meetup puts people first in conversations about AI The opportunities and risks of AI's next phase of development Links Pendo: https://www.pendo.io/ (https://www.pendo.io/) Sheffield AI Meetup: https://sheffield.ai (https://sheffield.ai/) Steel City AI Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/steel-city-ai/ (https://www.meetup.com/steel-city-ai/) Sheffield Digital website: https://sheffield.digital/ Subscribe to the podcast If you’d like to have new episodes of the show appear right in your podcast player, you can subscribe via our page on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/sheffield-digital-podcast/id1272667962?mt=2) and follow the show on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0FO0um2BlEcizMAa9HRpgj?si=89ba60a7e1bf41cd), or search for us in your podcast app of choice! Notes This interview was recorded on 23rd June 2026 at Pendo's Sheffield office, located in the Eagle Works building. Join the conversation We’re really keen to get your feedback on the podcast. You can email info@sheffield.digital (mailto:info@sheffield.digital) Thank you for the music Thanks to Alex Mclean – aka Yaxu (https://yaxu.org/) – for the show’s intro music, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

3. 

   19 May 2026

   Talking AI: How the University of Sheffield is raising public awareness of AI using Webtoons and bus stops

   In this second episode of our Talking AI series, host Mel Kanarek speaks with Dr. Susan Oman from The University of Sheffield, Centre for Machine Intelligence, about the public-facing Let’s Talk AI awareness campaign seen on Sheffield bus shelters in March and April 2026. Susan explains that many people are already talking about AI but lack clarity about what it is, when it is used, and how it affects them, drawing on findings from the national Public Voices in AI research. The campaign uses vertically scrolling webtoons, co-designed with members of the public in Sheffield, Morecambe, and Plymouth, to prompt accessible conversations about AI in the media, everyday life, and schools, including issues like deepfakes, scams, and disinformation. Success is defined as changing conversations and raising awareness, with resources at letstalkai.org.uk (http://letstalkai.org.uk). Susan was appointed as Lead for Human-centric AI for the University of Sheffield’s Centre for Machine Intelligence in June 2024. As AI and in/Equality Lead, she champions research, learning and engagement activity from across the university that raises awareness of AI’s role in society - for good and bad. Susan is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on AI, giving evidence in May 2026, and was a member of the UK Delegation to the International AI Impact Summit (https://sheffield.ac.uk/machine-intelligence/news/dr-susan-oman-represents-sheffield-india-ai-impact-summit-2026), Delhi in February 2026. Links Let’s Talk AI website (https://www.letstalkai.org.uk/) Sheffield Digital article on Let’s Talk AI (https://sheffield.digital/lets-talk-ai/) Talking AI campaign (https://sheffield.digital/talking-ai-launches/) by Sheffield Digital Subscribe to the podcast If you’d like to have new episodes of the show appear right in your podcast player, you can subscribe via our page on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/sheffield-digital-podcast/id1272667962?mt=2) and follow the show on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0FO0um2BlEcizMAa9HRpgj?si=89ba60a7e1bf41cd), or search for us in your podcast app of choice! Notes This interview was recorded on 16th April 2026. Join the conversation We’re really keen to get your feedback on the podcast. You can email info@sheffield.digital (mailto:info@sheffield.digital) Thank you for the music Thanks to Alex Mclean – aka Yaxu (https://yaxu.org/) – for the show’s intro music, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Who has been a guest on Sheffield Digital Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Katie Fenn
• Amy Benson
• Kerry Russell

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

11,381

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

21

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

0

Contact Sheffield Digital Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.