The Sunday Show

Emily M. Bender is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington, while Alex Hanna leads research at the Distributed AI Research Institute. They discuss their new book, which critiques the exaggerated hype surrounding AI and advocates for a more realistic view of its societal impact. The conversation highlights AI's effects on labor, the importance of worker advocacy, and the challenges of algorithm-driven governance. They also share insights on promoting critical thinking in education and their commitment to fighting misinformation.

Guests Robin Mansell, a Professor Emeritus at the LSE, and Courtney Radsch, Director at the Center for Journalism and Liberty, dive into the pressing interplay of information ecosystems and democracy. They discuss insights from a groundbreaking report on how misinformation erodes democratic values, stressing the implications of AI and corporate practices. The conversation highlights the need for qualitative research to address these complexities and suggests innovative partnerships among NGOs to navigate the challenges posed by big tech and political populism.

Vera Zakem, California's State Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, previously led global efforts at USAID to align technology with democratic values. In this discussion, she shares insights on balancing innovation and public accountability, tackling the challenges of integrating AI and other emerging technologies in governance. Zakem emphasizes the need for collaboration among public, academia, and industry to foster responsible tech development while also addressing talent recruitment and upskilling in California's competitive tech landscape.

Frank Torres, Senior Policy Advisor on Civil Rights and Technology at the Center for Civil Rights and Technology, discusses a groundbreaking Innovation Framework aimed at fostering equitable AI practices. They dive into the importance of integrating civil rights into AI governance, highlighting risks faced by marginalized communities. The conversation emphasizes consumer trust, the need for responsible AI deployment, and why engaging those historically pushed to the margins is crucial in the design process. Sustainability challenges in AI also take center stage, advocating for a balance between innovation and ethical accountability.

Cristiano Lima-Strong, Associate Editor at Tech Policy Press, joins to delve into a contentious legislative proposal proposing a 10-year moratorium on state AI laws. He uncovers the motivations behind this initiative aimed at creating a cohesive national framework for AI regulation. The discussion reveals concerns over consumer protections for vulnerable groups and highlights the rapid progression of this proposal in Congress. Lima-Strong also examines the shifting dynamics of AI regulation amid growing state-level scrutiny and industry lobbying.

Karen Hao, a journalist and author of 'Empire of AI,' dives into the troubling dynamics of artificial intelligence and its imperialistic impact on marginalized communities. She critiques the unethical practices of tech giants like OpenAI and emphasizes the vast disparity between executives and lower-paid workers. The conversation highlights grassroots activism against harmful AI developments and advocates for a future where AI promotes equity in education and healthcare. Hao envisions a world where technology serves humanity rather than undermining it.

Milton L. Mueller, a professor at Georgia Tech and head of the Internet Governance Project, explores the evolution of internet governance and the implications for today's tech policy. He discusses the historic shift of U.S. control over ICANN and the emergence of a more multi-stakeholder approach post-2012. The conversation touches on the geopolitics between the U.S. and China, tensions in tech sovereignty, and the UN's role in governance. Mueller emphasizes the need to retain idealism in navigating the complex future of digital governance.

In the wake of the most intense India-Pakistan escalation in two decades, experts are still trying to make sense of the role that the information war played in the physical one. In this episode, Tech Policy Press Associate Editor Ramsha Jahangir speaks to two experts from India and Pakistan who tirelessly navigated the deluge of rumor and disinformation during the crisis, and who came away with thoughts about the role of social media platforms and the incentives they create, particularly in times of conflict:Pratik Sinha, co-founder and editor at Alt News—one of India’s major fact-checking websites, and Asad Baig, founder of Media Matters for Democracy—a non-profit focused on media literacy and development in Pakistan.Sinha and Baig reflect on how the India-Pakistan conflict played out across digital platforms—and how it revealed a deeper, more dangerous dysfunction in the information ecosystem. 

 Last year, a United States federal judge ruled that Google is a monopolist in the market for online search. For the past three weeks, the company and the Justice Department have been in court to hash out what remedies might look like. Tech Policy Press associate editor Cristiano Lima-Strong spoke to two experts who are following the case closely, including Karina Montoya, a senior reporter and analyst for Center for Journalism and Liberty at the Open Markets Institute, and Joseph Coniglio, the director of antitrust and innovation at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF).

Last year, Elon Musk's xAI set up its "Colossus" supercomputer in an old Electrolux manufacturing facility in Memphis, Tennessee. Now, the residents of nearby neighborhoods are pushing for facts and fair treatment as the company looks to expand its footprint amid questions about its environmental impact. Justin Hendrix considers the state of play with Dara Kerr, a reporter for The Guardian; Amber Sherman, a Memphis activist; and artifacts from local media reporting over the past year.