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The CEO Retort

The CEO Retort

By: Tim El-Sheikh
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 The CEO Retort is a thought-provoking podcast that inspires critical thinking, challenges conventional narratives, and explores the complexities of our world. The show brings leading experts and thinkers to examine how science, business, health, politics, technology, and AI shape our lives, industries, and societies. Hosted by Tim El-Sheikh — a serial tech and AI entrepreneur since 2002, one of the first-generation AI pioneers at Google Campus London, biomedical scientist, and ex-pro athlete. He is currently at the frontier of human-centric Augmented Intelligence with his company Nebuli.com.Tim El-Sheikh
Episodes
  • Asking the right questions can transform your life | Pia Lauritzen

    Asking the right questions can transform your life | Pia Lauritzen
    Jul 14 2025
    From childhood curiosity to becoming a renowned philosopher dedicated to the art of questions, Dr. Pia Lauritzen challenges societal barriers that stifle our natural curiosity.In the usual CEOR fashion of delving into thought-provoking discussions, I sat down with one of the most exciting philosophers, Dr. Pia Lauritzen, to discuss the complexities, risks and opportunities of questioning our beliefs and the status quo.Pia shares her journey from childhood curiosity to becoming an advocate for open dialogue and philosophical inquiry. We explore why asking questions is often discouraged and how this impacts our personal and collective growth.Timestamps:(00:00:00) – Preview(00:02:55) – From childhood curiosity to becoming a renowned philosopher(00:09:44) – The importance of asking questions(00:20:20) – How society views questioning and knowledge(00:32:48) – The role of ego and technology, especially AI, in shaping our thinking(00:39:00) – The impact of AI on human behaviour and social understanding(00:49:23) – The future of education and technology: We need to change!(01:01:58) – The dangers of outsourcing life decisions to AI and technology(01:08:58) – Should we prioritise philosophy over science and maths?(01:16:25) – The power of challenging yourself by asking random questions!(01:21:46) – Why philosophy is critical for building smarter algorithms(01:26:27) – How philosophy can influence better business decisions without AI(01:32:38) – Is there such a thing as "human-centric" technology?(01:37:12) – How philosophy can help corporations stop repeating the same mistakes?(01:43:50) – Will there ever be a future where most businesses will put ethics first?Episode Notes & Citations:https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/07/14/pia-lauritzen-asking-the-right-questions-can-transform-your-life/Support our independence by becoming a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our new YouTube channel, The CEO Retort Extra: ⁠youtube.com/@ceoretortextra⁠Sponsors & Offers:Brain.fm – Peak your productivity on demand with Neuromusic. Get an extended 30-day free trial without limits. Go to ⁠Brain.fm/CEOR⁠Ground News – See how media bias affects news coverage. Get 40% off top tier: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://check.ground.news/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Saily eSIM – Stay connected worldwide. Use code CEORetort5 for 5% off 10GB & 20GB plans: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/saily⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NordVPN – Secure your browsing. CEO Retort community offer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/ceoretort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nebuli ( @Nebuli-AI ) Innovation-as-a-Service: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nebuli.com/innovate/start⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nebuli Free AI Readiness Assessment (Under 3 Minutes): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nebuli.com/ai-readiness-assessment⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The CEO Retort:YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ceo-retort/id1767132889⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5ytJdrSK0yGL2OZfTitnp8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with The CEO Retort:TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/ceoretort.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Tim El-Sheikh:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/timelsheikh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tbmsai
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    1 hr and 51 mins
  • Can Finland's approach to deeptech ethics end AI's societal damage?

    Can Finland's approach to deeptech ethics end AI's societal damage?
    Jul 7 2025
    In this short episode, I’m sharing my frustration over the lack of action in digital ethics and AI innovation over the years. But it is also a big announcement, involving Finland and building a new AI-focused nonprofit organisation.Episode Notes & Citations:⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/solo/2025/07/07/we-need-finlands-approach-to-deeptech-ethics-to-end-ais-societal-damage/Support our independence by becoming a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our new YouTube channel, The CEO Retort Extra: youtube.com/@ceoretortextraSponsors & Offers:Brain.fm – Peak your productivity on demand with Neuromusic. Get an extended 30-day free trial without limits. Go to Brain.fm/CEORGround News – See how media bias affects news coverage. Get 40% off top tier: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://check.ground.news/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠Saily eSIM – Stay connected worldwide. Use code CEORetort5 for 5% off 10GB & 20GB plans: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/saily⁠⁠⁠⁠NordVPN – Secure your browsing. CEO Retort community offer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/ceoretort⁠⁠⁠⁠Nebuli ( @Nebuli-AI ) Innovation-as-a-Service: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nebuli.com/innovate/start⁠⁠⁠⁠Nebuli Free AI Readiness Assessment (Under 3 Minutes): ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nebuli.com/ai-readiness-assessment⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The CEO Retort:YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ceo-retort/id1767132889⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5ytJdrSK0yGL2OZfTitnp8⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with The CEO Retort:TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/ceoretort.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Tim El-Sheikh:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/timelsheikh⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tbmsai
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    21 mins
  • Misinformation broke our societies for power — Part 1 | Emma Monk

    Misinformation broke our societies for power — Part 1 | Emma Monk
    Jun 30 2025
    Emma Monk is a molecular biologist turned anti-misinformation campaigner who has spent over a decade debunking falsehoods in both mainstream media and social media platforms, particularly X (aka Twitter).Emma’s ability to present complex topics in simple ways is evidenced by her loyal following on X and regularly hitting half a million views, her articles on wide-ranging topics in Byline Times and West Country Voices, and her media invitations to debunk important stories.Timestamps:(00:00:00) – Preview(00:03:48) – Debunking misinformation: A case study(00:10:14) – The role of media in misinformation(00:11:56) – How Emma transitioned from molecular biology to misinformation busting(00:18:03) – The Influence of populist politics on COVID-19 misinformation(00:21:38) – How governments and the media manipulated COVID-19 facts(00:22:52) – Tim's experience with UK government's "VIP Lane" corruption scandal00:28:02 – The rise of misinformation and its impact on everyone(00:35:15) – Critical thinking vs. misinformation(00:37:33) – The conflict between science and belief(00:43:24) – Emma's bravery in diving deep into Twitter's (X) cesspit!(00:47:47) – How fighting misinformation can change people's lives(00:53:54) – Cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias(00:57:28) – The role of real-world experiences in busting misinformation(01:03:36) – How the system caused people to distrust experts(01:07:56) – Engaging constructively with people who disagree with you(01:13:48) – The importance of real-life conversations to beat misinformation(01:19:18) – The power and financial motives behind populism(01:31:57) – The young generation's disillusionment with democracyEpisode Notes & Citations:⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/06/30/emma-monk-misinformation-broke-our-societies-for-power/Support our independence by becoming a member:⁠⁠⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠⁠⁠Sponsors & Offers:Ground News – See how media bias affects news coverage. Get 40% off top tier: ⁠⁠⁠https://check.ground.news/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠Saily eSIM – Stay connected worldwide. Use code CEORetort5 for 5% off 10GB & 20GB plans: ⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/saily⁠⁠⁠NordVPN – Secure your browsing. CEO Retort community offer: ⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/ceoretort⁠⁠⁠Nebuli ( @Nebuli-AI ) Innovation-as-a-Service: ⁠⁠⁠https://nebuli.com/innovate/start⁠⁠⁠Nebuli Free AI Readiness Assessment (Under 3 Minutes): ⁠⁠⁠https://nebuli.com/ai-readiness-assessment⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The CEO Retort:YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ceo-retort/id1767132889⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5ytJdrSK0yGL2OZfTitnp8⁠⁠⁠Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.substack.com⁠⁠⁠Connect with The CEO Retort:TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/ceoretort.com⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠Connect with Tim El-Sheikh:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/timelsheikh⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tbmsai
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    1 hr and 44 mins

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