11/24/2024: Disruptor U., Humans in the Loop, Lowriders of New Mexico
Nov 25, 2024
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A controversial new university in Texas challenges traditional academic norms by promoting open debate against cancel culture. Meanwhile, in Nairobi, workers training AI face harsh conditions, sparking concerns over exploitation in the tech industry. In New Mexico, the lowrider community reclaims its narrative, transforming from symbols of rebellion to cultural custodians and community advocates. Through passion and art, they aim to change perceptions and uplift local pride while tackling the impact of anti-cruising laws.
42:30
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Quick takeaways
The University of Austin seeks to disrupt traditional academia by promoting open debate and diverse political perspectives in learning environments.
Workers in the AI training industry face grave working conditions and low wages, raising ethical concerns about labor exploitation in technology.
Deep dives
KiwiCo Clubs for Hands-on Learning
KiwiCo Clubs have been launched to promote active learning among children through engaging hands-on projects. Each club focuses on different fields, such as science, technology, engineering, art, and math, allowing kids to progressively build their skills. For instance, children can start by learning to construct simple devices like bows and arrows and advance towards more complex projects, such as engineering their own robots. This approach emphasizes the importance of play and problem-solving in the development of essential skills during formative years.
The Rise of UATX: A New Model for Higher Education
The University of Austin (UATX) has been established as a response to growing dissatisfaction with current American higher education practices, particularly in terms of free expression and open debate on campuses. It aims to create a space where diverse political opinions are not only tolerated but welcomed, breaking away from what some perceive as an echo chamber. Founders like Neil Ferguson stress the need for universities to prioritize intellectual exploration over political agendas, highlighting a disconnect between the academic elite and the general public. UATX's approach encourages students to engage in challenging conversations rather than conforming to prevailing narratives.
AI Workforce and Exploitation in Developing Countries
The podcast discusses the lives of individuals employed in the AI industry, highlighting how their work often resembles modern-day exploitation. Many of these jobs, essential for training AI systems, are low-wage and characterized by harsh working conditions, often described as sweatshop-like. For example, workers in Kenya label graphic content for AI systems but receive minimal compensation, sometimes as low as two dollars an hour, while the companies profit significantly. These conditions raise critical questions about the ethics of outsourcing labor to developing nations while exploiting local economic vulnerabilities.
The Transformative Culture of Lowriding
Lowriders have evolved from being viewed through the lens of gang culture to being celebrated as culturally significant icons in communities, particularly in New Mexico. Traditionally associated with rebellion, this movement now emphasizes family, community, and artistic expression. Events like local car shows showcase lowrider bicycles and radio-controlled vehicles designed by youth, integrating cultural heritage into communal efforts. This transition reflects a broader cultural acceptance of lowriding as a legitimate form of art and identity, shifting perceptions and fostering community pride.
As contempt for cancel culture and self-censorship on college campuses continues to drive a political divide across the country, correspondent Jon Wertheim reports on a new start-up university, the University of Austin, in Austin, Texas. Labeled by some as an “anti-woke university,” Wertheim speaks to the founders, students, and advisors, about how they believe they’re disrupting modern academia by fostering debate and ideological openness in their classrooms.
As chatbots continue to evolve, Lesley Stahl reports from Nairobi, Kenya, on the growing market of “humans in the loop” – workers around the world who help train AI for big American tech companies. Stahl speaks with digital workers who have spent hours in front of screens teaching and improving AI, but complain of poor working conditions, low pay, and undertreated psychological trauma.
Correspondent Bill Whitaker cruises through Espanola, New Mexico, a town that’s a hub of lowrider culture: vintage American automobiles with vibrant paint jobs and street-scraping suspensions. He meets a community of “cruisers” who are turning their hobby’s bad-boy reputation on its head, paving a new route as activists and community servants, and claiming a place as custodians of Hispanic culture and champions of fine art.