Can AI improve social mobility or deepen inequality?

About this episode

The episode explores the impact of AI on social mobility and inequality with insights from Dipi McKernan.

Artificial Intelligence is often positioned as the great democratiser of knowledge. But could it also widen existing inequalities? In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster is joined by Dipi McKernan, Chief Controls Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, to explore the intersection of AI and social mobility. Drawing on her own journey and extensive work championing socioeconomic diversity, Dipi shares why social mobility remains a significant challenge across financial and professional services, despite growing awareness and progress. Together, Jason and Dipi discuss how AI could create new opportunities by opening access to knowledge, learning, mentoring and career development that were previously out of reach for many. But they also examine the risks. As AI reshapes the workforce, what happens to entry-level roles that traditionally provide experience and pathways into leadership? Could bias, unequal access to technology, and a lack of diversity among those building AI systems reinforce existing barriers? This is a thoughtful conversation about the future of work, opportunity, and the responsibility leaders, educators and organisations have to ensure AI helps create a fairer…

People in this episode

Host: Jason Foster

Guest: Dipi McKernan

Topics covered

• Artificial Intelligence
• social mobility
• inequality
• workforce
• socioeconomic diversity
• career development

Keywords

• AI
• social mobility
• inequality
• career development
• socioeconomic diversity
• workforce
• bias

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lloyds Banking Group

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