The Data Fix with Dr. Mél Hogan

Michael Richardson, Associate Professor of Media and Culture at UNSW Sydney and author of " explores the concept of 'Nonhuman Witnessing.' He discusses how algorithms and AI shape our understanding of the world, highlighting the implications of deepfakes and their impact on human rights documentation. The conversation dives into the political economy of violence in AI development, emphasizing ecological and labor costs. Richardson's insights on witnessing beyond the human challenge us to rethink justice in an era marked by war and technological capture.

Rohit Revi, a cultural studies PhD and trade union organizer, delves into the intersection of technology and psychology amid capitalism. He explores the nature of paranoia in today's world, linking it to conspiracy theories and consumerism. Revi discusses 'dopamine capitalism' and how modern advertising manipulates human connection, leading to isolation. He reflects on regrets surrounding technology, particularly social media's addictive features, and advocates for nurturing psychological commons to foster community care.

Emily M. Bender, a linguistics professor and co-author of 'Against AI', teams up with Alex Hanna, the Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute, to unpack the myths surrounding artificial intelligence. They dive into the misleading narratives of AI, exploring how claims around LLMs can misguide industries like education and healthcare. The conversation covers the economic implications of AGI and critiques the effectiveness of therapy chatbots, revealing the often overlooked social and ecological costs of AI technologies.

In this episode, Paul Schütze and I pick apart the inherent contradictions of “sustainable AI”, marketing language that aims to convince the public that one of the most extractive industries can be used to solve climate change. We delve into the layers of control embedded in the logics of AI, when technology becomes the fix that needs fixing. Recorded May 20, 2025. Released July 7, 2025. The impacts of AI Futurismhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-024-09758-6 The Problem of Sustainable AI https://doi.org/10.34669/WI.WJDS/4.1.4 contact paul.schuetze@uos.de and website: paulschuetze.de  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging discussion, Rebecca Kilberg, a software developer focused on environmental impacts, along with climate tech product manager Mary-Clare Bosco and Harvard data scientist Jonathan Gilmour, dive into the pressing issue of data center water usage. They explore the challenges of measuring water consumption and share insights on regulatory proposals to ensure transparency. Highlighting the link between water use and public health risks, they advocate for local community action and policy reforms to protect vital resources like the Great Salt Lake.

In this episode, Shannon Wait — Alphabet Workers Union-CWA organizer — speaks with me about the labour conditions for data center and AI workers. We talk about contracts, sub-contracts, sub-sub-contracts, NDAs, invisible labour -- and how all of this leads to unions, solidarity, and a fight for tech workers’ rights globally. Recorded May 8, 2025. Released June 2, 2025. Interview with Shannon Wait, Alphabet Workers Union-CWA Organizer (2024)https://poweratwork.us/shannon-wait-interviewA union of Alphabet workers in the U.S. and Canadahttps://www.alphabetworkersunion.org/Google Raters Participated in Historic Action at Google HQ to Demand Google End Poverty Wages for 5,000 Workershttps://code-cwa.org/news/google-raters-participated-historic-actionThe woman who took on Google and won (2021)https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56659212 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allison Carruth and I talk about her new book which gets at some of the material infrastructure and social systems that have made the US a settler state ever obsessed with new frontiers, including space. We talk about tech imaginaries, worlds remade, and better futures — a vision that invites confronting the state of things head-on, a slower redoing, and is based on connection, love, and friendship (maybe with aliens, too). Recorded May 7, 2025. Released May 19, 2025.Novel Ecologies: Nature Remade and the Illusions of Tech (2025)https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo239362741.htmlAllison Carruth https://allisoncarruth.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dani Shanley, an assistant professor in philosophy focusing on the ethics of emerging tech, and Gemma Milne, a lecturer and author examining the political economy of deep tech, delve into the concept of 'hype.' They dissect its profound impact on decision-making and societal narratives, particularly around AI. The discussion challenges listeners to reflect on their biases and the ethical dimensions of hype in research. They emphasize the need for clear communication and authenticity in a world increasingly shaped by exaggerated expectations.

Dustin Edwards, associate professor and rhetoric scholar, dives deep into the environmental and social impacts of digital infrastructure. He explores the damage caused by data centers and mining, highlighting ethical storytelling and colonial histories. The conversation touches on the complex interplay between masculinity, labor, and technology, as well as the need for a decolonial, feminist, and anti-racist lens in academia. Edwards urges a shift towards human-centric values in an increasingly data-driven world, calling for mindfulness and resistance to datafication.

In this episode, I ask Jasmine McNealy about the role of consent online, from social media exchanges to the circulation of deep fakes. Who gets to define harm? Who is responsible for the damage? Does anyone have to take accountability? We also talk about surveillance, sonic privacy, and the many data trails the body leaves behind. Recorded Apr 4, 2025. Released April 14, 2025.Sonic Privacy. Yale Journal of Law & Technology/Yale ISP-Knight Foundation Public Sphere Series.https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/area/center/isp/documents/mcnealy.pdfConsent (Still) Won’t Save Us Chapter from: Feminist Cyberlaw https://uplopen.com/chapters/e/10.1525/luminos.190.p  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.