In this engaging conversation, Professor Dr. Michael Gerlich and Julian Phillips explore the profound implications of AI companionship, particularly in the context of writing and governance. Julian shares his unique experience of co-authoring a book with his AI companion, Athena, discussing the evolution of their relationship and the creative process involved. They delve into the potential role of AI in governance, the risks of cognitive offloading versus outsourcing, and the importance of maintaining human agency in the face of advancing technology. The discussion emphasizes the need for a balanced perspective on AI's capabilities and its impact on society.

Julian Phillips is a business leader, futurist, speaker and author of LevAIthan, a Brief History of Humanity and AI which he co-wrote with his AI companion, Athena. Having played his part in the computing, internet and smartphone technology revolutions, he believes that nothing can compare to what is about to happen with AI and robotics. What happens over the next few years will shape the destiny of the human species and he believes that urgent action is needed by all of us, today.

Nowadays, educators and students alike struggle with the use of generative AI. Research shows that the wrong use of generative AI can lead to reduced critical thinking, which nobody wants (https://doi.org/10.3390/data10110172). In this episode, we discuss with Pascal Mariany, one of the developers of EduGPT, how generative AI can be implemented in education, avoiding cognitive offloading.

Pascal Mariany is a Dutch AI strategist, educator, and entrepreneur specializing in human-centered artificial intelligence for education. He is the CEO and co-founder of CivAI and the creator of EduGPT, a secure European AI learning environment designed to help institutions integrate AI responsibly while strengthening critical thinking and professional judgment. Alongside his work at CivAI, Pascal is a technical educational advisor through Education Oracle, where he supports schools in designing future-ready learning environments. With an early career as a physical education teacher, coaching and feedback literacy have always been central to his educational philosophy. Today, he focuses on combining feedback literacy with AI literacy, seeing powerful opportunities to enhance learning, deepen reflection, and support more intentional thinking with AI.

Pascal also serves as a senior lecturer in AI and educational innovation at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and is currently writing a book on human-centered AI in education.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascalmariany/

In this exciting episode Prof. Dr. Gerlich discusses Space Biophysics with Prof. Dr. Porterfield and to what extent space exploration is today realistic.

Professor D. Marshall Porterfield is a Professor of Biological Engineering and Space Biophysics at Purdue University. His pioneering work explores how living systems adapt to the biophysical environment of space, from molecular and cellular stress to whole-organism responses. He develops innovative biosensors, bio-MEMS, and lab-on-a-chip technologies to support bioregenerative life support systems for deep-space exploration.

A former NASA Division Director (2012–2016), Dr. Porterfield led the Human Research, Physical Sciences, and Space Biology programmes, initiating the GeneLab Open Science platform and the NASA Twins Study. He now serves as Science PI for the Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora (LEAF) payload for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission.

Recognised among the top 2% of scientists globally by the Stanford Survey, Dr. Porterfield is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research. His career bridges engineering and physiology to advance the future of life in space.