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The Times Tech Podcast

Common Sense's Jim Steyer: "I'm more worried than ever for our democracy"

Dec 22, 2023
Jim Steyer, Founder of Common Sense Media, talks about the pivotal year for democracy in 2024, concerns over Facebook's readiness, the impact of TikTok as a news source, AI-powered misinformation, and the need for regulation outside of Washington. Steyer also discusses Elon Musk's actions at Twitter and the best and worst case scenarios for 2024.
36:44

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The impact of social media platforms and big tech companies on democracy will be amplified in the upcoming 2024 election cycle, especially with the rise of AI tools and the ease of generating believable misinformation using AI.
  • Tech leaders need to take responsibility for the rise of AI and its potential impact on elections by ensuring good and ethical leadership, restaffing trust and safety divisions at companies like Twitter and Facebook, and holding platforms like TikTok accountable as a significant source of news for young people.

Deep dives

The Impact of Social Media and AI on Democracy in the 2024 Election

The upcoming 2024 election cycle, both in the United States and globally, will have significant implications for democracies, children's futures, and the global leadership role of the United States. The impact of social media platforms and big tech companies on democracy will be amplified in this election year, especially with the rise of AI tools. Concerns arise due to the ease of generating believable fake videos, audio, and text using AI. Trust and safety divisions at platforms like Twitter and Facebook have been gutted, leaving them ill-equipped to control misinformation. The social media industry, as a whole, needs to be held accountable for the spread of misinformation and the risks it poses to democracy. Public awareness, staffing up trust and safety divisions, and increased regulation are crucial to mitigate the worst outcomes.

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