The We Society

Artificial Intelligence is now at our fingertips, in our homes, and governing what we see and how we see it. We are currently riding a great wave of change. But while private companies have embraced AI, how is the public sector keeping up? How can public institutions build and maintain trust amongst all this change? Our guest today is Imogen Parker, she is Associate Director in Social and Economic Policy at the Ada Lovelace Institute, at the Nuffield Foundation which is on a mission to improve social wellbeing through research and innovation. She led the strategic development of the Institute, identifying in 2017 the profound impact data-driven technologies and AI were having on the way we live, work and interact with the state.Imogen works at the intersection of technology, policy and public life, exploring how artificial intelligence is governed and how it’s deployed. She’s spent her career working on public sector reform, from early years to pensions, immigration and education. And formerly leading research at Citizens Advice, she is only too aware of the pain caused from the public sector not responding to people’s needs.Their tagline might be described as ‘learn fast and write things’, the Ada Lovelace Institute moves at lightning speed, and Imogen is here to tell us their latest findings. In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

Our guest, Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve shares with us the top findings from the recently released 2026 World Happiness Report. He is Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Oxford and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre. A leading voice in the science of happiness and wellbeing, Jan’s work brings data and empirical methods to questions once thought too subjective to measure. He has advised governments and international organisations on how to put wellbeing at the heart of public policy.Jan-Emmanuel tells us about the global country rankings, with a focus on the marked difference in ratings between nations like Finland and Afghanistan. He explains that Finland consistently ranks as the happiest country, attributing this success to their strong social support system, trust in institutions, and a deep connection to nature. He talks about the decline in British happiness rankings, particularly among younger generations facing unprecedented challenges related to economic instability and social media usage.Listen to our previous interview with Jan-Emmanuel’s colleague Richard Layard here where he explained why governments should centre wellbeing in their policies. In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

Professor Stephani Hatch has dedicated her career to making workplaces - especially the NHS - more inclusive by reducing discriminatory practices. She is the Vice Dean for Culture, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, and Professor of Sociology and Epidemiology at King's College London. Her work has seen her introduce 360 degree Virtual Reality headsets to NHS managers and staff to allow them to ‘walk in the shoes of’ racially minoritised staff in occupational roles. This followed her research which found that NHS Staff members who are black or from ethnic minority backgrounds were more than twice likely to experience workplace harassment and bullying compared with white British staff. This impacts mental health, and ultimately will affect the care of those using the NHS. What can be done? Stephani tells us in this conversation.In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

In this episode of the We Society with Will Hutton, we are joined by two esteemed academics placing journeys to adulthood under a Social Science microscope. Carey Oppenheim is a project lead on the Nuffield Foundation's Grown Up? Journeys to adulthood programme. Using young people's voices and robust data, Carey and her team are exploring the challenges and opportunities young people face as they transition into adulthood. Bobby Duffy is Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London and was, until recently, the chair of the Campaign for Social Science, the advocacy arm of the Academy of Social Sciences. His book, Generations: Does When You're Born Shape Who You Are? focuses on generational divide. In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

In the first episode of Season 10, we are joined by Professor Richard Wiseman who has spent his career studying the intangible ways humans communicate with one another - not just through language, but with humour, magic tricks and belief in one’s own luck. He is professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire and one of the world’s leading experts on why some people seem to attract opportunity while others seem to miss it.In recent years, his academic research has focussed on the impact of magic not just on those watching it but those practicing it. He’s investigated the harms and benefits of pop psychology, and examined the links between paranormal belief and psychology. In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

Join host Will Hutton for Season 10 of the We Society from next week to hear some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.Launching Wednesday 4th March with an array of great guests starting with Richard Wiseman who is going to talk to us about the psychology of luck and magic. But we also wanted to celebrate this milestone - ten seasons! Through this journey, our host Will Hutton has met some incredible individuals whose work has changed the course of history. From the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton to social scientists like Tom Shakespeare whose critical research focuses on improving the way disabled people are treated in the UK.In the next series, you will continue to hear interviews from social scientists, business leaders and public figures to hear their solutions to society's most pressing issues. Please subscribe, rate and share with your friends. This podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust.

Joining Will Hutton for the final episode of Season 9 is Professor Rana Mitter, an authority on contemporary China and U.S relations. He is the ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. In the conversation, Professor Mitter argues that we should look past the often prevailing sense of doom regarding U.S.-China relations to explore the realities - both nations have distinct aspirations that do not lead automatically to conflict. He argues that the tendency of apocalyptic framing oversimplifies reality.Professor Mitter puts forward his view that rather than a clash of liberalism versus authoritarianism, today’s geopolitics is defined by competing antiliberal views. They talk about China’s booming economy, especially now that the green energy market is open to investment following America’s renewed focus on fossil fuels. In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production

Almost a third of five-year-olds in Britain enter primary school without the essential language, communication, and literacy skills they need to thrive. Eleanor Ireland, our guest today, looks at the critical importance of early childhood development and the widening disadvantage gap as inequality deepens in Britain.Eleanor is one of the Programme Heads for Education at the Nuffield Foundation, which tackles the UK’s biggest social challenges by funding research, generating evidence, and guiding decision-makers to implement solutions that improve people’s lives. In her conversation with Will, they look at how support systems for parents and children have changed over the years, and the potential impact of the new UK Government policy of providing 30 hours of free childcare a week for working parents with under 5s.In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production

Professor Tim Grant is one of the world's most experienced forensic linguistic practitioners who specialises in the analysis of abusive and threatening communications. He is an academic practitioner in the field of forensic linguistics - teaching and leading research as a professor at Aston University. As the former director of the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics at Aston University he spearheaded the Institute’s expansion between 2013 and 2024. Tim joins Will Hutton and explains how forensic linguistics is used to improve the delivery of justice across various contexts from police interviews with vulnerable witnesses to providing evidence in court cases. He introduces us to the concept of "identity performance" within language use, which allows linguists to profile gender and education levels based on the linguistic style of the texts.They also delve into the impact AI is having on Forensic Linguistics noting its tendency to lack a distinct style and personality. In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to.The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production

Our guest today, Alex Beer, joins us at a critical time as the UK Government prepares to publish its child poverty strategy this autumn.According to official numbers, there are 4.5 million children living in poverty in the UK and 1.1m children are in families that have used a food bank in the past year. The Nuffield Foundation launched a major new Strategic Review earlier this summer committing £30 million annually over the next five years to fund research and innovation that addresses some of the UK's most urgent social and economic challenges. Read more about it here (https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/news/nuffield-foundation-announces-150-million-funding-commitment-to-tackle-uks-biggest-social-challenges) As Assistant Director of Strategy at the Nuffield Foundation, Alex's role is to develop and deliver programmes of work that deliver the strategy and improve social wellbeing in the UK. In this conversation with Will, Alex shares some evidence-backed policy suggestions for alleviating child poverty, which includes changes to the two-child limit and the benefit cap, but also emphasises the importance of taking a holistic approach. In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to.The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Producer: Emily Uchida FinchAssistant Producer: Emily GilbertA Whistledown Production