LSE Research channel | Video

Contributor(s): Beatriz Lopez Buarque | In this video, we break down the Southport riots of 2024 — and how generative AI misinformation played a shocking role in fuelling UK civil unrest. From AI-generated fake images to spreading anti-Muslim and anti-Islam conspiracy theories, this explainer unpacks how false visuals spread online and ignited real-world violence. Was this a case of AI and social unrest colliding? Or a warning about how generative AI controversy in the UK could shape our future? LSE Fellow Beatriz Lopez Buarque explores how the Southport riots started on X and ended in the worst far-right rioting we have seen in the UK since the Second World War and how it is more important than ever that there is fact-checking in place on social media platforms. New videos every month on AI, technology and their impact on society 👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK4elntcUEy1_ckZz-Q1KjWvVSVOFXkh9 Read more here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/AI

Contributor(s): | What if making babies didn’t require sperm or eggs? In this video see the cutting-edge technology that could revolutionise how we treat infertility, and transform medicine altogether. We speak to LSE Professor Emily Jackson to understand this rapidly developing new science and the ethical and legal questions that surround embryo models. “Developmental biology is raising issues that are just as significant as AI, where the social, ethical, legal, cultural implications are just as important, and we need social scientists to be thinking about those.” Scientists are using induced pluripotent stem cells to create organoids, model diseases, and potentially generate sperm and eggs from skin cells, offering hope for those facing infertility. Discover how breakthroughs in stem cell research, CRISPR, and regenerative medicine are transforming our understanding of biology and medicine, and what this means for the future of IVF, and human development.

Contributor(s): | How did the transatlantic slave trade and British colonial rule shape modern race relations in the UK? This film explores the deep and often overlooked ties between Britain and the Anglophone Caribbean—and how centuries of empire, slavery, systemic racism, and neglect laid the foundations for the racial inequalities we see in Britain today. Focusing on Britain’s colonial legacy in the British West Indies—including Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad—Dr Imaobong Umoren traces the economic and ideological roots of empire, from plantation slavery to the Windrush scandal. Her research connects these histories to 20th-century migration, particularly the arrival of the Windrush generation, and to ongoing debates about race, citizenship, and national identity in modern Britain. 🔴 Check out the new book by Imaobong Umoren on this research: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/443176/empire-without-end-by-umoren-imaobong/9781911717034 🔴 Dr Imaobong Umoren is an associate professor of International History at LSE: https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-History/People/academicStaff/umoren/umoren

Contributor(s): | Could artificial intelligence already be conscious? Are today’s AI systems truly aware — or are we just projecting human qualities onto machines? We speak to Professor Jonathan Birch to explore the science and ethics of AI sentience. As machine learning systems like ChatGPT become more advanced, questions about consciousness in AI are becoming impossible to ignore. From unexplained emergent behaviours to the possibility of strange new forms of awareness, could we be facing a moral blind spot?

Contributor(s): | Is artificial intelligence the solution to the National Health Service? Can we use technology to help reduce wait times in Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments at hospitals in the UK? As the NHS celebrates its 76th anniversary, we talk to Dr Laura Gilbert who tells us about how AI can help with simple processes that can give time back to NHS workers. How AI isn’t about taking away jobs in the NHS but giving doctors, nurses and pharmacists more time with patients.

Contributor(s): | From writing emails and generating art to reshaping industries, artificial intelligence is transforming daily life. But what powers artificial intelligence? And how stable is the infrastructure it's built on? AI isn’t just software — it’s hardware, geopolitics, rare earth mining, and an energy-hungry race for dominance. As AI becomes more embedded in our lives, the need to understand its material foundations has never been more urgent. In this video, we explore the fragile and often invisible supply chain behind AI, including the mining of rare earth metals, the role of GPUs and semiconductors, and the massive energy demands driving this new digital gold rush. From TSMC's advanced microchip manufacturing in Taiwan, to ASML’s one-of-a-kind EUV lithography machines in the Netherlands, and NVIDIA’s dominance in powering generative AI, we break down the six key stages behind today’s most powerful AI systems. Dr Nils Peters explains why even a small disruption to this global network could have huge consequences — not just for big tech, but for all of us.

Contributor(s): | In this film, we explore how cutting-edge artificial intelligence is being developed to assist event security and police forces in managing public safety at large-scale gatherings. We speak with Professor Tom Kirchmaier about a groundbreaking project in collaboration with Greater Manchester Police, aiming to predict and prevent crowd crush incidents, like the Astroworld disaster before they turn deadly. This emerging technology could shape the future of crowd control—and save lives. To find out more about N-AI: www.n-ai.com

Contributor(s): | Will artificial intelligence and automation cause huge unemployment? Is the tech revolution going to deliver on its promises of transformational change to workplaces, the economy and beyond? We speak to Professor Judy Wajcman to uncover the truth behind the hype, and separate AI myths from reality. Whilst Silicon Valley might have captured our imagination about the future of work, and have its own ambitions for workforce disruption, with a few lessons from history and a refocusing on what matters, perhaps we can rewrite the AI revolution.

Contributor(s): | How reliable is artificial intelligence in critical, high-stakes situations? We speak to Professor Elizabeth Stokoe to explore the limitations of AI in emergency service calls. Through conversation analysis, we break down the science behind the viral 911 pizza delivery call—revealing the hidden signals that AI-powered dispatch systems or voice assistants might miss. Can AI truly support police and ambulance dispatchers in life-or-death moments, or are human instincts and reactions still essential?

Contributor(s): | Governments worldwide invest heavily to project a positive image on the global stage, spending billions to host events like the #WorldCup or #Olympics in hopes of building prestige and soft power. What happens when the unity and success they aim to showcase clash with the real struggles of their people? What happens when citizens flood the streets to challenge this glossy narrative and offer a different vision of national identity? #Brazil’s protests before the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Rio Olympics may provide clues to these questions. Dr César Jiménez-Martínez is Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE: https://www.lse.ac.uk/media-and-communications/people/academic-staff/cesar-jimenez-martinez #Football #Brasil

Contributor(s): | Visit our dedicated hub showcasing LSE research and expertise on global politics through short films, blogs, articles and events here.

Contributor(s): | Visit our dedicated hub showcasing LSE research and expertise on global politics through short films, blogs, articles and events here.

Contributor(s): | Visit our dedicated hub showcasing LSE research and expertise on global politics through short films, blogs, articles and events here.

Contributor(s): | Visit our dedicated hub showcasing LSE research and expertise on global politics through short films, blogs, articles and events here.

Contributor(s): | Why is there so little diversity in #tech and does it matter? Are men inherently better coders? Or are there hidden biases in the tech industry? We talk to Dr Siân Brooke of the Data Science Institute at LSE, who researches gender inequality in technology, to find out. Discover the impact of gender on code acceptance and learn why diversity in tech is crucial for innovation and security. Explore the gender gap in technology, the importance of women in STEM, and how diversity in coding can drive technological advancements.

Contributor(s): | Do today’s power brokers in Britain continue to be born to privilege and anointed at Eton and Oxford? Or is a new progressive elite emerging with different values and political instincts? In search of an answer, Aaron Reeves and Sam Friedman scrutinised the profiles, interests, and careers of over 125,000 members of the British elite from the late 1890s to today. Their findings offer an insight into who gets in, how they get there, what they like and look like, where they go to school, and what politics they perpetuate. Check out the book by Aaron Reeves and Sam Friedman on this research: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674257719

Contributor(s): | The pivotal 1953 coup in Iran, orchestrated by the CIA and MI6, toppled the democratically elected Prime Minister Muhammad Mossadegh. Renowned scholar Fawaz Gerges explains how this event set a precedent for an American foreign policy of intervention in the region, shaping the political landscape of the Middle East.   This video is based on research from Fawaz Gerges’ new book, What Really Went Wrong?: The West and the Failure of Democracy in the Middle East, available here: https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300259575/what-really-went-wrong/   Fawaz A. Gerges is professor of International Relations at LSE and the author of Making the Arab World and ISIS: A History. He has also been a senior analyst for ABC News. https://www.lse.ac.uk/international-relations/people/gerges

Contributor(s): | Through a series of soundwalks, Gisa Weszkalnys, Rachel Grant and Maja Zećo explore how the city’s overlapping energy regimes are already impacting its citizens. Read the full article here.

Contributor(s): | Visit our dedicated hub showcasing LSE research and expertise on global politics through short films, blogs, articles and events here.

Contributor(s): | Dr Nick Anstead of the Department of Media and Communications at LSE explains today's new information environment, its impact in politics in the UK and elsewhere, and how we can regulate it. Explore our dedicated hub showcasing LSE research and commentary on global politics in a year of elections: https://www.lse.ac.uk/Research/global-politics This #LSEFestival event will discuss the importance of trust for a functioning society here.