57. Why Sustainability and AI Are About to Collide (Hard): Alex Smith

What does real sustainability look like when AI enters the room—loud, power-hungry, and ethically ambiguous?In this episode of the UKAI Women in AI Podcast, we’re joined by Alex Smith, CEO of Future Plus, to talk candidly about non-linear careers, leadership under pressure, and why sustainability must move from glossy reports into everyday business decisions.Alex shares her journey—from hospitality and professional sailing to building a guided SaaS platform that helps businesses embed sustainability across climate, social impact, governance, and economic resilience. Along the way, we explore:Why sustainability and AI are fundamentally governance problemsThe myth of “perfect” sustainability (and why progress matters more)AI’s impact on net-zero pledges, workforce trust, and biasLessons from working parents, single motherhood, and executive leadershipHow AI is being used to reduce food waste through projects like Bridge AI, in collaboration with Innovate UK, Google, and NestléThis is not sustainability as virtue-signalling. It’s sustainability as discipline: measured, managed, and embedded—especially as AI accelerates faster than our moral reflexes.📌 Key theme: Just because we can, should we?🔗 Learn more about Alex’s work: https://www.futureplus.co.uk🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on AI, governance, and impactAI is our Business.UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co