Paris Marx is joined by Dan McQuillan to discuss how AI systems encourage ranking populations and austerity policies, and why understanding their politics is essential to opposing them.Dan McQuillan is a Lecturer in Creative and Social Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London. He’s also the author of Resisting AI: An Anti-fascist Approach to Artificial Intelligence. You can follow Dan on Twitter at @danmcquillan.Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.Also mentioned in this episode:Dan wrote specifically about ChatGPT and how we should approach it on his website.Dan mentions TWIML as a podcast that has conversations with industry players that’s informative for how these technologies work (though you’re not likely to get a critical perspective on them), and Achille Mbembe’s book Necropolitics.OpenAI used Kenyan workers earning $2/hour to make ChatGPT less toxic.The UK had to scrap a racist algorithm it was using for visa applications and many councils dropped the use of algorithms in their welfare and benefits systems.Dan mentions a Human Rights Watch report on the EU’s flawed AI regulations and its impacts on the social safety net.The Lucas Plan was developed by workers at Lucas Aerospace in the 1970s, but rejected by their bosses.Support the show

Join Emil P. Torres, a postdoctoral candidate, Julia Black, a features reporter, Dan McQuillan, a lecturer, and Ali Alkhatib, former head of a data ethics center, as they dive into the chilling nexus of tech and extreme right-wing politics. They discuss the dangers of tech billionaires' visions for a future where humans merge with machines. Ethical implications of living in a simulation are unpacked, alongside calls for reclaiming digital sovereignty against expanding data centers. A thought-provoking conversation on technology's societal impact awaits!

Dan McQuillan, a Lecturer at Goldsmiths University and author of 'Resisting AI', dives into the dark side of generative AI. He discusses the immense energy consumption and environmental impact of AI technologies. McQuillan critiques the power shift as technology dominates societal structures, emphasizing the urgency of addressing rising inequalities. The conversation reveals how major tech companies manipulate climate narratives while expanding their influence, raising alarm about the societal costs of their ambitions.

YT version: https://youtu.be/P1j3VoKBxbc (references in pinned comment) Support us! https://www.patreon.com/mlst MLST Discord: https://discord.gg/aNPkGUQtc5 Dan McQuillan, a visionary in digital culture and social innovation, emphasizes the importance of understanding technology's complex relationship with society. As an academic at Goldsmiths, University of London, he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and champions data-driven equity and ethical technology. Dan's career includes roles at Amnesty International and Social Innovation Camp, showcasing technology's potential to empower and bring about positive change. In this conversation, we discuss the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of technology and society, exploring the profound impact of our digital world. Interviewer: Dr. Tim Scarfe [00:00:00] Dan's background and journey to academia [00:03:30] Dan's background and journey to academia [00:04:10] Writing the book "Resisting AI" [00:08:30] Necropolitics and its relation to AI [00:10:06] AI as a new form of colonization [00:12:57] LLMs as a new form of neo-techno-imperialism [00:15:47] Technology for good and AGI's skewed worldview [00:17:49] Transhumanism, eugenics, and intelligence [00:20:45] Valuing differences (disability) and challenging societal norms [00:26:08] Re-ontologizing and the philosophy of information [00:28:19] New materialism and the impact of technology on society [00:30:32] Intelligence, meaning, and materiality [00:31:43] The constraints of physical laws and the importance of science [00:32:44] Exploring possibilities to reduce suffering and increase well-being [00:33:29] The division between meaning and material in our experiences [00:35:36] Machine learning, data science, and neoplatonic approach to understanding reality [00:37:56] Different understandings of cognition, thought, and consciousness [00:39:15] Enactivism and its variants in cognitive science [00:40:58] Jordan Peterson [00:44:47] Relationism, relativism, and finding the correct relational framework [00:47:42] Recognizing privilege and its impact on social interactions [00:49:10] Intersectionality / Feminist thinking and the concept of care in social structures [00:51:46] Intersectionality and its role in understanding social inequalities [00:54:26] The entanglement of history, technology, and politics [00:57:39] ChatGPT article - we come to bury ChatGPT [00:59:41] Statistical pattern learning and convincing patterns in AI [01:01:27] Anthropomorphization and understanding in AI [01:03:26] AI in education and critical thinking [01:06:09] European Union policies and trustable AI [01:07:52] AI reliability and the halo effect [01:09:26] AI as a tool enmeshed in society [01:13:49] Luddites [01:15:16] AI is a scam [01:15:31] AI and Social Relations [01:16:49] Invisible Labor in AI and Machine Learning [01:21:09] Exploititative AI / alignment [01:23:50] Science fiction AI / moral frameworks [01:27:22] Discussing Stochastic Parrots and Nihilism [01:30:36] Human Intelligence vs. Language Models [01:32:22] Image Recognition and Emulation vs. Experience [01:34:32] Thought Experiments and Philosophy in AI Ethics (mimicry) [01:41:23] Abstraction, reduction, and grounding in reality [01:43:13] Process philosophy and the possibility of change [01:49:55] Mental health, AI, and epistemic injustice [01:50:30] Hermeneutic injustice and gendered techniques [01:53:57] AI and politics [01:59:24] Epistemic injustice and testimonial injustice [02:11:46] Fascism and AI discussion [02:13:24] Violence in various systems [02:16:52] Recognizing systemic violence [02:22:35] Fascism in Today's Society [02:33:33] Pace and Scale of Technological Change [02:37:38] Alternative approaches to AI and society [02:44:09] Self-Organization at Successive Scales / cybernetics

Dan McQuillan, a lecturer in creative and social computing and author of "Resisting AI," shares his insights on the dystopian potential of artificial intelligence. He discusses how AI technologies can intensify oppression and perpetuate biases in sectors like education and healthcare. McQuillan delves into the colonial roots of AI and advocates for an anti-fascist approach, highlighting the need for collective resistance strategies. Engaging with historical movements like the Luddites, he emphasizes the importance of solidarity in facing the challenges posed by AI.