Decoder with Nilay Patel Recode Decode: MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito
Jun 26, 2019
Joi Ito, Director of the MIT Media Lab, shares insights on the intersection of technology and society. He discusses the phenomenon of surveillance capitalism and its exploitation of user data. Ito critiques how tech often oversimplifies complex societal problems while emphasizing the need for ethical considerations in innovations like AI and CRISPR. He also reflects on the importance of integrating liberal arts into tech education and highlights the role of young tech workers in reshaping industry values for a more responsible future.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Unconventional Education
- Joi Ito's non-traditional background includes nightclub DJing and dropping out of college twice.
- He found early internet communities more resilient and sophisticated than university monoculture.
Early Internet Optimism
- Early online communities offered connection and a sense of freedom, leading to ideas like emergent democracy.
- Ito invested in early social media platforms, foreseeing the transformative power of online interaction.
Accidental Support Group
- Ito's blog post about quitting drinking unintentionally created an online support group.
- This highlighted the internet's power to connect people around shared experiences organically.
