
The science behind successful start-ups, with Fabian Braesemann and Paul McCarthy
24/4/2025 | 35 mins.
The impact of founder personalities on startup success, how a predictive model outperforms industry standards to predict company success, and what factors can help us predict which startups will succeed. In the eighth episode of the OII Podcast, our experts discuss topics such as: * How founder personalities and early company characteristics significantly predict startup success * How traits of successful founders differ from traditional employees * Research implications for the broader startup ecosystem, including venture capital investors, potential buyers, and startup incubators Dr Fabian Braesemann is a Departmental Research Lecturer in AI & Work at the OII. His research focuses on the Science of Success. He uses data science methods to quantify the determinants of success in different fields of work. Professor Paul X McCarthy is a CEO, computational social science research leader and author. He founded the League of Scholars, and is also Adjunct Professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, as well as an Industry Fellow at The UTS Data Science Institute and an Honorary Fellow at Western Sydney University. Veena McCoole is Media and Communications Manager for the Oxford Internet Institute. The OII Podcast looks at issues and developments in the digital world that matter to us all, and explores them through thought-provoking conversations with experts and practitioners. To keep up with forthcoming episodes, follow the OII on social media where new episodes will be announced. Our social media links can be found on our website: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ (see end of page).

The science behind successful start-ups, with Fabian Braesemann and Paul McCarthy
24/4/2025 | 35 mins.
The impact of founder personalities on startup success, how a predictive model outperforms industry standards to predict company success, and what factors can help us predict which startups will succeed. In the eighth episode of the OII Podcast, our experts discuss topics such as: * How founder personalities and early company characteristics significantly predict startup success * How traits of successful founders differ from traditional employees * Research implications for the broader startup ecosystem, including venture capital investors, potential buyers, and startup incubators Dr Fabian Braesemann is a Departmental Research Lecturer in AI & Work at the OII. His research focuses on the Science of Success. He uses data science methods to quantify the determinants of success in different fields of work. Professor Paul X McCarthy is a CEO, computational social science research leader and author. He founded the League of Scholars, and is also Adjunct Professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, as well as an Industry Fellow at The UTS Data Science Institute and an Honorary Fellow at Western Sydney University. Veena McCoole is Media and Communications Manager for the Oxford Internet Institute. The OII Podcast looks at issues and developments in the digital world that matter to us all, and explores them through thought-provoking conversations with experts and practitioners. To keep up with forthcoming episodes, follow the OII on social media where new episodes will be announced. Our social media links can be found on our website: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ (see end of page).

How Can AI Be Deployed Ethically in the Defence Sector? With Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo and Sir Chris Deverell
24/3/2025 | 49 mins.
Our experts discuss why AI adoption in defence is slow -- covering procurement, regulation, and tech hurdles -- and how conflicts like the Ukraine war shape its future. They also call for public debate on risks and ethics. In the seventh episode of the OII Podcast, our experts discuss topics such as: - The factors behind AI’s slow penetration into global defence systems, including complex procurement, regulatory uncertainty, and challenges with interoperability. - How current geopolitical conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine War are shaping future AI development in defence with large amounts of new data. - The need for a public debate on the acceptable levels of risk and ethical trade-offs of AI implementation in defence. Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo is Professor of Digital Ethics and Defence Technologies at the Oxford Internet Institute, and DPhil Programme Director. Her research focuses on the ethics and governance of digital technologies, and ranges from designing governance measures to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to addressing the ethical challenges of using defence technology in defence. Sir Chris Deverell is a retired four-star General who is now advising many startups in the Defence sector. Chris has also given evidence to the House of Lords Committee on AI and Weapon Systems. Veena McCoole is Media and Communications Manager for the Oxford Internet Institute. The OII Podcast looks at issues and developments in the digital world that matter to us all, and explores them through thought-provoking conversations with experts and practitioners. To keep up with forthcoming episodes, follow the OII on social media where new episodes will be announced. Our social media links can be found on our website: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ (see end of page).

Why social media is the new frontier for misinformation, and what we can do about it: Professor Mohsen Mosleh and Cameron Martel
12/3/2025 | 25 mins.
The link between misinformation and polarisation on social media, what's being done to combat misinformation and disinformation, the role of social media platforms and regulators, and where the research gaps are. In the sixth episode of the OII Podcast, our experts discuss topics such as: * The real world impacts that arise when people increasingly identify with their political tribes online * What role governments are playing in combating misinformation, and what more should be done to tackle this problem at a policy level * What the future holds for misinformation on social media, in the wake of generative AI, deepfakes and ever-evolving algorithms Professor Mohsen Mosleh is Associate Professor of Social Data Science at the Oxford Internet Institute. His research focuses on how misinformation and disinformation spread on social media, and how ties are formed on social networks. Cameron Martel is a PhD candidate at MIT Sloan School of Management and an incoming assistant professor at John Hopkins Carey Business School, focusing on why people believe and share misinformation, what forces shape the online social networks through which misinformation may spread, and which content moderation interventions are effective for improving online information quality. Veena McCoole is Media and Communications Manager for the Oxford Internet Institute. The OII Podcast looks at issues and developments in the digital world that matter to us all, and explores them through thought-provoking conversations with experts and practitioners. To keep up with forthcoming episodes, follow the OII on social media where new episodes will be announced. Our social media links can be found on our website: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ (see end of page).

How AI is being regulated: Professors Sandra Wachter and Brent Mittelstadt
13/2/2025 | 43 mins.
The current state of artificial intelligence regulation, the potential negative consequences of AI proliferation, and what needs to change about how AI is governed by policymakers, with Professor Sandra Wachter and Professor Brent Mittelstadt. The current state of artificial intelligence regulation, the potential negative consequences of AI proliferation, and what needs to change about how AI is governed by policymakers, with Professor Sandra Wachter (Oxford Internet Institute) and Professor Brent Mittelstadt (Oxford Internet Institute). In the fifth episode of the OII Podcast, our experts discuss topics such as: * The current state of artificial intelligence regulation, and what needs to change about how AI is governed by policymakers * The potential negative consequences of AI proliferation, including its societal, environmental, and ethical harms * The subtle distinctions between hallucinations and careless speech, and why the latter is harder to recognise Professor Sandra Wachter is Professor of Technology and Regulation at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford where she researches the legal and ethical implications of AI, Big Data, and robotics as well as Internet and platform regulation. Professor Brent Mittelstadt is Professor of Data Ethics and Policy at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) at the University of Oxford, and the OII's Director of Research. He also coordinates of the Governance of Emerging Technologies (GET) research programme which works across ethics, law, and emerging information technologies. Veena McCoole is Media and Communications Manager for the Oxford Internet Institute. The OII Podcast looks at issues and developments in the digital world that matter to us all, and explores them through thought-provoking conversations with experts and practitioners. To keep up with forthcoming episodes, follow the OII on social media where new episodes will be announced. Our social media links can be found on our website: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/ (see end of page).



The Human Interface: An OII Podcast