From Crops to Code: Philip Spalding on AI, Education, and Lifelong Learning

Hot Stories Speaker Spotlight: Philip Spalding on AI, Data Sovereignty, and Lifelong Learning

At July's Hot Stories event in Cambridge, we were joined by the insightful and passionate Philip Spalding—a former agricultural research scientist turned educator, AI enthusiast, and lifelong learning advocate.

Philip’s talk took us on a journey through science, education, and digital ethics, touching on themes that affect every small business owner, technologist, and thinker in the room.

From Fertilisers to Farming Minds

Philip began his professional life working in sustainable fertilisers. When that career was cut short by corporate takeovers, he redirected his energy into education—teaching and shaping minds instead of crops.

Over the past 17 years, Philip has also been running a side project focused on online education and universal learning. Though ahead of his time in the early 2000s, the tech simply wasn’t ready. Fast-forward to today, and the pieces are finally in place.

AI, The Wild West, and Owning Your Data

Now based at a hot desk in Haverhill, Philip collaborates on AI education, wearable tech, and practical digital strategies. But he warns small businesses:

“AI is still the Wild West. It’s like social media in its early days - fast-moving, largely unregulated, and shaped by US law, not ours.”

He advocates for data sovereignty and encourages small businesses to build tools and systems that operate off the cloud—protecting their knowledge, intellectual property, and customer information.

Why Universal Learning Matters

Philip’s message wasn’t about fear—it was about empowerment. He urged everyone to be proactive:

Embrace lifelong learning
Stay informed on tech trends
Protect your digital footprint
Take ownership of your own data

And while he shares his views freely on his blog, he also welcomes collaborations, paid projects, and discussions with like-minded professionals.

“If you find our chat helpful—great. If you want to pay me for it—even better!”

Visit his blog and join the conversation: 🌐 https://cambolc.blog

Grateful Acknowledgements

We are incredibly thankful for our Cambridge location partner: The Red Lion, Cherry Hinton, for hosting this session of Hot Stories.

Huge thanks to our talented visual storyteller, Chris Hornby Photography, for capturing the energy and heart of the event through photo and video.

This blog and the Hot Stories platform are proudly organised by Gemini Web Media, and we extend our gratitude to our main sponsor, Blue Line Operations Ltd, for their continued support.