Chris Gilliard

In this engaging discussion, Chris Gilliard, co-director of the Critical Internet Studies Institute and author of the upcoming book Luxury Surveillance, critiques the latest trend of AI-powered smart glasses. He explores the alarming normalization of surveillance, emphasizing how these devices turn users into data sources. Gilliard warns of their potential to facilitate doxing and toxic behavior. He also connects the rise of generative AI with authoritarianism, highlighting the risks of loneliness and eroded autonomy as chatbots replace genuine relationships.

In this engaging discussion, Chris Gilliard, a surveillance justice expert and Just Tech fellow at the MacArthur Foundation, dives into the concept of luxury surveillance and its implications. He explores how companies like Ring and Flock perpetuate inequalities through voluntary surveillance. Gilliard highlights the risks of 'friction-free racism' tied to face-scanning technologies and the societal harms amplified by generative AI. He advocates for community organizing and alternative choices as powerful responses to these surveillance practices.

In this engaging conversation, Chris Gilliard, co-director of the Critical Internet Studies Institute and author of the upcoming book "Luxury Surveillance," delves into the intersections of technology, politics, and society. He critiques cyberlibertarianism and the influence of right-wing ideologies on our perceptions of the internet. Gilliard discusses the troubling ties between Silicon Valley and the military-industrial complex, as well as the dark implications of tech companies evolving from connectivity champions to tools that threaten democracy.

Chris Gilliard, an expert on AI, discusses the risks of AI digital assistants, the authoritarian potential of AI systems, unintended consequences of AI technology, tech dystopia, and the impact of technology on time and culture.

Chris Gilliard, Co-director of the Critical Internet Studies Institute, dives into the repercussions of AI in universities. He warns against AI's reliance on stolen materials and its inherent biases, which contradict university values. The conversation highlights the dangers of AI diminishing writing and critical thinking skills, and raises ethical concerns about plagiarism. Gilliard also critiques the double-edged nature of AI partnerships with underserved communities, questioning genuine empowerment versus exploitation, all while emphasizing the need for authentic human expression.