The Sunday Show Taking on the AI Con
14 snips
Jun 1, 2025 
Emily M. Bender is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington, while Alex Hanna leads research at the Distributed AI Research Institute. They discuss their new book, which critiques the exaggerated hype surrounding AI and advocates for a more realistic view of its societal impact. The conversation highlights AI's effects on labor, the importance of worker advocacy, and the challenges of algorithm-driven governance. They also share insights on promoting critical thinking in education and their commitment to fighting misinformation.
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AI Coding Tools Labor Anecdote
- Developers find AI coding tools helpful but requiring extra human oversight and fixes.
- GitHub discussions reveal the real labor around AI-assisted coding like Microsoft's Copilot.
Labor Resistance to AI Automation
- Labor resistance to AI is growing through unions and contract provisions nationwide.
- Unionized workers use legal and organizational tools to push back against unwanted AI workplace intrusion.
Automation Enables Government Austerity
- Government automation often replaces services with austerity, undermining humane governance.
- The move to automate public services can destroy systems rather than improve fairness or efficiency.
