The Sunday Show

Discussion on the use of child sexual abuse imagery in AI training, challenges in identifying and eliminating problematic content, implications of stable diffusion 1.5 models, challenges in addressing problematic content on hosting platforms, AI Foundation Model Transparency Act, and future directions in generative AI and training sets.

Discussion on the need for a regulatory agency to govern AI, comparing it to the FDA model and emphasizing the importance of safety reviews and monitoring. Exploring the potential of implementing FDA-style approval and oversight for AI governance. The chapter discusses the limitations and potential measures to prevent monopolies in the current AI ecosystem. Exploring the application of the FDA model to regulate AI, including post-market monitoring and international governance. Discussing international aspects of standard setting and certification for AI. Importance of assessing risks in AI and potential application of banking regulation and third-party auditing.

Researchers discuss the need to critically examine what we are building in AI, including addressing bias in technology and the risks of generative AI systems. They also explore the impact of AI on society, the need for regulations and standards, and strategies to address the temporal mismatch of wise choices and idea implementation.

The podcast discusses the first regulatory framework for AI within the EU. It explores the significance of the AI Act on international regulations, including the negotiations, compromises, and concerns involved. Prohibited practices of AI use in the EU are covered, along with fines and penalties associated with the AI Act.

In both the US and Europe, policymakers are making important decisions about the governance of the bulk collection of communications and data for intelligence purposes. In the US, some of these questions are at the fore as Congress considers how to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's Section 702 program, which is set to expire at the start of 2024. To get a sense of how the broader policy debate around government surveillance is advancing in both the US and Europe, Justin Hendrix spoke to two experts on the subject who happened to be meeting together in Washington DC last week: Dr. Thorsten Wetzling, head of the Digital Rights, Surveillance and Democracy research unit of the Berlin think tank Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV), and Greg Nojeim, Director of the Security and Surveillance Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT).

The podcast discusses the progress and challenges of content moderators in Africa, including the formation of a union and a lawsuit against a major tech firm. It explores the unfair treatment faced by moderators, lack of accountability, and the difficulties they face in advocating for better working conditions. The importance of content moderators in maintaining online safety and the need for global conversations around regulation are highlighted. Prioritizing mental health and justice for moderators is also emphasized.

To learn more about the recent leadership crisis at OpenAI and what lessons policymakers should take from it, Justin Hendrix spoke to Karen Hao, a contributing writer at The Atlantic who is currently working on a book about OpenAI. With staff writer Charlie Warzel, Hao wrote a piece for The Atlantic under the headline "Inside the Chaos at OpenAI," drawing on conversations with current and former employees of the company.

On November 15, the Open Markets Institute and the AI Now Institute hosted an event in Washington D.C. featuring discussion on how to understand the promise, threats, and practical regulatory challenges presented by artificial intelligence. Justin Hendrix moderated a discussion on harms to artists and creators, exploring questions around copyright and fair use, the ways in which AI is shaping the entire incentive structure for creative labor, and the economic impacts of the "junkification" of online content. The panelists included Liz Pelly, a freelance journalist specialized in the music industry; Ashley Irwin, President of the Society of Composers & Lyricists; and Jen Jacobsen, Executive Director of the Artist Rights Alliance.

This episode explores Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose its Harmful Secrets, a new book by Wall Street Journal technology reporter Jeff Horwitz. His relentless coverage of Meta, including first reporting on the documents brought forward by whistleblower Frances Haugen in the fall of 2021, has been pivotal in shedding light on the complex interplay between social media platforms, society, and democracy. Justin Hendrix talks to him about his journey, new details revealed in the book, and the impact his reporting has had in driving platform accountability both in the United States and internationally. 

Today's guest is Dr. Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and author of the new book, Police and the Empire City: Race and the Origins of Modern Policing in New York, just out from Duke University Press. Guariglia says we're really living in a world of police surveillance built in the early 20th century, even as police departments wield powers that only a few years ago we thought might only be in the hands of federal intelligence agencies.