Big Technology Podcast Signal’s President on AI, Advertising, and Running a Popular Messaging App — With Meredith Whittaker
Jan 3, 2024
Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal and an AI ethics expert, dives into the challenges facing tech giants like Google and the reality behind AI hype. She highlights the ethical dilemmas in advertising and the urgent need to reassess tech priorities in favor of public interest. The discussion also emphasizes Signal's user growth and commitment to privacy, contrasting it with other messaging apps like Telegram. Whittaker critiques both generative AI's practicality and the dangerous decline of local news, advocating for a more responsible approach to technology.
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ChatGPT's True Nature
- ChatGPT is not an innovation, but rather an expensive advertisement for Microsoft's AI capabilities.
- It's based on older technology, but generated a narrative of progress, causing a scramble at Google.
Google, Capitalism, and AI
- Google's decision not to release its Lambda model might have been right for safety, but bad for shareholder value.
- Meredith Whittaker critiques capitalism, suggesting Google should prioritize public interest over profit.
The Double-Edged Sword of Tech Growth
- Tech growth has downsides, like damaging the news ecosystem, despite some benefits.
- The surveillance advertising model gutted local media and weakened democratic processes, Whittaker argues.