Cambridge Executive Business Insights
Cambridge Judge Business School
Cambridge Executive Business Insights: Rethinking AI is the second series of the podcast from Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education. Hosted by Jaideep Prabhu, Professor of Marketing at Cambridge Judge, the series explores a timely and provocative question: what if the future of artificial intelligence isn’t about building ever-bigger systems, but about building smarter ones?
The series introduces the concept of frugal AI, an approach to artificial intelligence focused on doing more with less. At a time when AI systems are becoming increasingly resource-intensive, Rethinking AI explores alternative paths that prioritise efficiency, accessibility, and purposeful innovation.
The podcast brings together leading academics, technologists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to discuss the ideas, stories, and experiments reshaping how we design and deploy AI. Across the series, conversations explore topics such as low-resource innovation, energy-efficient AI models, creative constraints in technology development, and the potential for frugal approaches to expand access and equity.
Through these discussions, the series asks what it means to rethink intelligence in a world facing growing technological and environmental challenges. Ultimately, Rethinking AI explores how we can build AI systems that are not only powerful, but also purposeful, efficient, and inclusive.
About the host
Jaideep Prabhu is Professor of Marketing at Cambridge Judge Business School and a leading expert on innovation, strategy, and inclusive growth. His research focuses on frugal innovation, developing affordable, sustainable solutions that deliver greater value with fewer resources.
Jaideep is the co-author of the internationally acclaimed book Jugaad Innovation and Frugal Innovation: How to Do Better with Less. His work explores how organisations can rethink innovation to make products, services, and technologies more accessible, efficient, and sustainable.
At Cambridge Judge Business School, Jaideep teaches and researches how businesses can harness frugal innovation to address global challenges while creating lasting economic and social impact.
The series introduces the concept of frugal AI, an approach to artificial intelligence focused on doing more with less. At a time when AI systems are becoming increasingly resource-intensive, Rethinking AI explores alternative paths that prioritise efficiency, accessibility, and purposeful innovation.
The podcast brings together leading academics, technologists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to discuss the ideas, stories, and experiments reshaping how we design and deploy AI. Across the series, conversations explore topics such as low-resource innovation, energy-efficient AI models, creative constraints in technology development, and the potential for frugal approaches to expand access and equity.
Through these discussions, the series asks what it means to rethink intelligence in a world facing growing technological and environmental challenges. Ultimately, Rethinking AI explores how we can build AI systems that are not only powerful, but also purposeful, efficient, and inclusive.
About the host
Jaideep Prabhu is Professor of Marketing at Cambridge Judge Business School and a leading expert on innovation, strategy, and inclusive growth. His research focuses on frugal innovation, developing affordable, sustainable solutions that deliver greater value with fewer resources.
Jaideep is the co-author of the internationally acclaimed book Jugaad Innovation and Frugal Innovation: How to Do Better with Less. His work explores how organisations can rethink innovation to make products, services, and technologies more accessible, efficient, and sustainable.
At Cambridge Judge Business School, Jaideep teaches and researches how businesses can harness frugal innovation to address global challenges while creating lasting economic and social impact.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 31, 2026 • 40min
The Case For Frugal AI in a World of Giant Models
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Firas Ben Hassan, Head of Agentic AI Solutions Hub at Allianz Technology. Firas shares his journey from fraud detection data scientist to leading Allianz’s agentic AI initiatives, including AllianzGPT. He explains the concept of frugal AI - using simpler, more efficient, and more explainable models instead of defaulting to the largest systems. The conversation explores responsible, human-centred AI in financial services, regulatory guardrails, levels of AI autonomy, and how organisations can balance innovation, efficiency, and trust in an era of rapidly advancing AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 17, 2026 • 49min
The future is assistive: frugal AI, accessibility, and inclusive innovation
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Neil Milliken, former Global Head of Accessibility and Digital Inclusion at Atos, about the powerful intersection of AI and accessibility. Drawing on 25 years in assistive technology, Neil explains how today’s generative AI builds on foundations laid by early speech recognition systems and how AI can make work inherently assistive—from automated note-taking to large-scale compliance analysis. The conversation explores how inclusive design can drive mainstream innovation, the risks of bias in AI-powered recruitment and decision systems, and why accessibility should be embedded at the design stage, not treated as an afterthought. This is a thoughtful discussion on building AI that is inclusive, responsible, and impactful at scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 3, 2026 • 49min
Frugal AI in practice: smarter, leaner and more responsible intelligence
In the first episode or series 2, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Serish Gandikota, Elizabeth Osta, and Arjuna Sathiaseelan about ‘frugal AI’ - a smarter, leaner approach to building and deploying artificial intelligence. As AI development becomes increasingly resource-intensive, reliant on vast compute power and energy the Frugal AI Hub at Cambridge Judge Business School is challenging the ‘bigger is better’ mindset. The conversation explores why many GenAI pilots are failing in enterprises, the importance of measuring real value and impact, and how AI can be made more accessible, especially in regions with limited infrastructure and among communities underserved by today’s dominant language models. From corporate boardrooms to the Global South, this episode outlines a practical vision for AI that is sustainable, inclusive, and designed to thrive under real-world constraints. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 27, 2026 • 20min
Journey To Regeneration: Best Bits
In this best of episode, Chris Marquis shares some of his favourite moments from Journey To Regeneration.
During the series we explored how technology and impact investing are reshaping the business landscape, from disruptive innovations to sustainable models. Visionaries like Ronnie Cohen highlighted the power of tech to drive massive change, while leaders like Heidi Renata, Lisa Ferguson, and Ana Costa stressed the importance of patience, collaboration, and integrating environmental and social values. We heard actionable insights from Juliet Scott Croxford on individual wellness, and from John Elkington on the mainstream rise of sustainability. The message is clear: start with small steps, champion positive change, and make your business—and your life—a force for good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 25, 2026 • 17min
Journey To Regeneration: Best Bits
Professor Chris Marquis shares some of his favourite moments from the first series of Cambridge Executive Business Insights, Journey To Regeneration.
Chris features thought leaders passionate about sustainability, regeneration, and business’s role in shaping a better world. You’ll hear practical advice from Vincent Stanley of Patagonia on connecting with and defending the places we love, and strategies from Lindsay Hopper for leveraging coalitions and trade bodies to drive meaningful change.
Andrew Winston challenges us all to ask whether we and our organizations are truly making the world better, while Elizabeth Whitlow invites listeners to reconnect with food—and the soil it grows in. You'll discover actionable steps for everyday impact, from what we wear, as shared by Lindsay Hooper, to the transformative power of regenerative agriculture, explored by Andrea Ili.
Kate Williams shares the philosophy behind 1% for the Planet, emphasizing progress over perfection, and Nigel Topping urges businesses to track exponential changes within their industries for resilience and innovation. These highlights offer a rich blend of thought-provoking perspectives and practical wisdom, setting the stage for Series 2’s focus toward frugal AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 9, 2025 • 40min
Shifting Cocoa Farming From Exploitation to Regeneration
In this episode, host Christopher Marquis is joined by Douglas Lamont, CEO of Tony’s Chocolonely, the Dutch chocolate company born when journalists exposed widespread child labour in West Africa’s cocoa fields and set out to prove a fairer model was possible. Douglas breaks down how Tony’s rebuilt its supply chain around five core sourcing principles—paying a living-income price, long-term contracts, full traceability, strong farmer cooperatives, and improved farming practices—and how these have dramatically reduced child-labour risks, lifted farmers out of poverty, and cut incentives for deforestation. The episode also dives into Tony’s Open Chain Initiative, which invites other brands to adopt the same ethical sourcing model in pursuit of a 5% market share tipping point for industry-wide change. Douglas discusses Tony’s mission-lock structure, the UK’s Better Business Act, and how stronger company law and bold leadership can shift businesses from extractive to regenerative models. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 2, 2025 • 44min
Reimagining Accountability: The Future of the B Corp Movement
In this week’s episode, host Christopher Marquis is joined by Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, to discuss the evolution of the B Corp movement and what it reveals about the changing expectations of business in the 21st century.
They explore the rise of B Corps in the UK, now numbering around 2,700 companies employing more than 200,000 people, and consider insights from B Lab UK’s Take 10 report, which brings together evidence on how certified companies are approaching environmental and social performance.
Chris outlines the aim of the Better Business Act, an initiative to amend the UK Companies Act so that every company has a legal duty to align shareholder interests with those of workers, communities, and the environment. He also reflects on the updated global B Corp standards and what raising the bar for responsible business may mean worldwide.
In this episode, we cover:
How B Lab UK has grown and how the B Corp community has evolved
Key findings from the Take 10 report
The goals of the Better Business Act and why governance reform matters
How updated B Corp standards and assurance processes aim to strengthen accountability
Why conversation, expectation-setting, and community play a central role in driving change
Together, the discussion offers a thoughtful look at how governance, standards, and collective action might help embed environmental and social purpose more deeply into the DNA of business.
Take 10: Celebrating 10 Years of the UK B Corp movement: https://bcorporation.uk/act-and-learn/campaigns/10-years-of-b-lab-uk/
Introducing B Impact: A better way to measure and manage impact: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/programs-and-tools/b-impact/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 25, 2025 • 41min
Shaping Sustainable Choices
In this week’s episode, host Christopher Marquis is joined by Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer at Mastercard, to explore how the company is experimenting with ways to support more sustainable consumer choices. Positioned within a payments network that reaches 150 million merchants and billions of cardholders, Mastercard has a vantage point on everyday spending that can help inform how incentives and information are designed. They discuss a recent pilot at University College London, created with Rewild, that linked item-level purchases to emissions data and offered rewards for lower-carbon food options.
Early findings suggest that such incentives can influence purchasing decisions, offering useful insights into consumer behaviour. Ellen also highlights practical trials, from reusable cup systems in European cities to tap-and-go transit technologies, that aim to lower friction for more sustainable actions. A key theme throughout is Mastercard’s inspire, inform, enable framework, including tools like the Carbon Calculator and campaigns with public figures such as Gareth Bale, which seek to address the “say–do gap” by matching clearer information with convenience and rewards.
Together, these examples demonstrate how practical tools can facilitate a transition from sustainable intentions to more sustainable everyday choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 19, 2025 • 43sec
Follow Journey To Regeneration
We hope you've been enjoying Journey To Regeneration from Cambridge Judge Business School.
For more episodes of Journey To Regeneration with Professor Chris Marquis, follow the new feed here - https://podfollow.com/journey-to-regeneration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 11, 2025 • 51min
Green Swans and Regenerative Business
In this episode, host Christopher Marquis is joined by John Elkington, author, advisor, and originator of the “triple bottom line.” John revisits how that idea took off in the 1990s, and why he later issued a “product recall” to refocus leaders on truly integrating people, planet, and profit. The episode explores his concept of “Green Swans” - system-positive shifts that outpace incremental change. From renewables and EVs to greener cities, John shows where technology, policy, and strategy are already bending the curve toward regeneration. He also reflects on the B Corp movement and how sustainability is spreading across the C-suite, uniting impact, risk, and return under one agenda. John leaves us with practical advice: get out into the world - visit farms, factories, and front-line communities where the future is being built. By seeing what’s possible, leaders can move from theory to transformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
