Wild with Sarah Wilson

FRANCES HAUGEN: In which I speak to the Facebook whistleblower

Jun 27, 2023

Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, discusses her motivation for exposing Facebook's negligence and the dangers of AI manipulation. They also explore the vulnerabilities of individuals to internet conspiracy theories and the limitations of Facebook's fact-checking program. The podcast covers the challenges of whistleblowing, the parallel between the media industry and AI, and the potential benefits of exposing Facebook's actions globally.

57:55

Creator website

Episode guests

Frances Haugen

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Frances Haugen exposed internal documents that showed Facebook prioritized profits over public safety.

Holding tech companies accountable for their actions is crucial in addressing the harmful impact of social media platforms.

Deep dives

Importance of Holding Tech Companies Accountable

The episode explores the significance of holding tech companies accountable for their actions, particularly in regard to the harmful impact of social media platforms. It highlights the role of whistleblower Frances Haug

Introduction

4min

A Conversation About Autoimmune Disease and Internet Vulnerability

3min

Facebook's Role in Addressing Misinformation

17min

The Dangers of AI and Manipulation in Conversations

2min

Motivation and Action: Exposing Facebook's Negligence

6min

The Decision to Become a Whistleblower and the Importance of Trust

2min

Documenting a closed system and the challenges of whistleblowing

5min

The Parallel Between Media Industry and AI

19min

Frances Haugen (globally renowned whistleblower, author of The Power of One) singlehandedly created social media’s Big Tobacco moment.

In 2021, the algorithms specialist exposed 20,000 internal documents to media and lawmakers that showed Facebook consistently and knowingly prioritised profits over public safety. A few months later, and at great personal risk, she “outed” herself on 60 Minutes and has worked tirelessly since to change laws on social media transparency around the world.

What sees a 37-year-old woman do what hundreds of thousands of employees before her did not? Courage? Blind optimism? What fuels her commitment to truth? And what do we – the rest of us – need to do once we are armed with the truth?

Frances also shares insights on The Zuck and what we should be doing instead of having an AI pause.

Get hold of her book The Power of One.

Frances and her team are building a movement to create social media that works for humanity, you can sign up here to hear about upcoming ways to get involved.

If you want to learn more about the AI pause, and why many (women) oppose it, check out my post on substack 'Why we should NOT have a pause on AI'.

If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" page

For more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!

Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious Life

Let’s connect on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Get the app