Joining the discussion is Tamara Kneese, the Director of Climate, Technology, and Justice at the Data & Society Research Institute. She dives into the absurdity of lunar data centers and critiques Silicon Valley's technosolutionist dreams. The conversation also highlights the environmental impact of AI and Bitcoin, addressing the societal backlash against these technologies. Kneese advocates for scientific research over blind faith in innovation, stressing the urgent need for genuine solutions to climate challenges and the preservation of Indigenous languages.

Gina Neff, executive director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, critiques the UK Prime Minister's recent AI investment initiative, highlighting its potential to benefit big tech rather than the economy or workers. She dismantles the 'AI Opportunities Action Plan,' questioning its effectiveness amidst austerity measures. The conversation underscores the urgent need for a regulatory framework prioritizing labor rights and explores the disconnect between AI ambitions and childhood play, revealing a tug-of-war between technology and imagination.

This conversation dives into OpenAI's groundbreaking o3 model and its claims of nearing human-like intelligence. Sam Altman's reflections on ChatGPT reveal the complex dynamics of AGI development. The hosts humorously examine AI's role in everyday tools, like kitchen faucets, and the ethical implications surrounding its adoption in schools. They also tackle the climate crisis through the lens of AI's environmental impact and highlight concerns over AI's integration into academia and public policy, urging for clear communication and accountability.

The podcast takes a critical look at AI's role in medical education, questioning its fairness. They hilariously dissect UCLA's use of AI in literature courses and examine AI’s shortcomings in parenting and social issues. Ancient civilizations are explored with skepticism about AI's effectiveness. Legal missteps shine a light on OpenAI's data handling troubles, while a discussion on media bias reveals the complexities of news metrics. Finally, healthcare applications of AI highlight concerns about reliability and emotional connections.

Once upon a time, artificial general intelligence was the only business plan OpenAI seemed to have. Tech journalist Brian Merchant joins Emily and Alex for a time warp to the beginning of the current wave of AI hype, nearly a decade ago. And it sure seemed like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and company were luring investor dollars to their newly-formed venture solely on the hand-wavy promise that someday, LLMs themselves would figure out how to turn a profit.Brian Merchant is an author, journalist in residence at the AI Now Institute, and co-host of the tech news podcast System Crash.References:Elon Musk and partners form nonprofit to stop AI from ruining the worldHow Elon Musk and Y Combinator Plan to Stop Computers From Taking OverElon Musk's Billion-Dollar AI Plan Is About Far More Than Saving the WorldBrian’s recent report on the business model of AGI, for the AI Now Institute: AI Generated Business: The rise of AGI and the rush to find a working revenue modelPreviously on MAIHT3K: Episode 21: The True Meaning of 'Open Source' (feat. Sarah West and Andreas Liesenfeld)Fresh AI Hell:OpenAI explores advertising as it steps up revenue driveIf an AI company ran Campbell's Soup with the same practices they use to handle dataHumans are the new 'luxury item'Itching to write a book? AI publisher Spines wants to make a dealA company pitched Emily her own 'verified avatar'Don't upload your medical images to chatbotsA look at a pilot program in Georgia that uses 'jailbots' to track inmatesCheck out future streams at on Twitch, Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.Our book, 'The AI Con,' comes out in May! Pre-order now.Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown. Follow us!Emily Bluesky: emilymbender.bsky.social Mastodon: dair-community.social/@EmilyMBender Alex Bluesky: alexhanna.bsky.social Mastodon: dair-community.social/@alex Twitter: @alexhanna Music by Toby Menon.Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park. Production by Christie Taylor.

Adrienne Williams, a former educator and DAIR research fellow, dives into the detrimental impact of tech-savvy billionaires on education. She critiques their focus on AI solutions while ignoring systemic issues in underfunded schools. The conversation highlights the challenges faced by educators of color, the ethical dilemmas of data sharing, and the startling realities of biased AI technologies. From the absurdities of self-driving wheelchairs to the dangers of AI-driven narratives, Adrienne encourages a critical look at tech’s role in our classrooms.

OpenAI's latest ambitious claim about its new model's 'complex reasoning' sparks a lively dissection by the hosts. They highlight the absurdity of relying on so-called experts for dataset validation. As they delve into the murky waters of AI policies and human values, a fictional AI hell provides comedic relief amid serious critiques. The conversation shifts to the ethical implications of recent AI actions, advocating for greater consumer awareness and protection against the risks posed by new technologies.

Technology journalist Paris Marx joins Alex and Emily for a conversation about the environmental harms of the giant data centers and other water- and energy-hungry infrastructure at the heart of LLMs and other generative tools like ChatGPT -- and why the hand-wavy assurances of CEOs that 'AI will fix global warming' are just magical thinking, ignoring a genuine climate cost and imperiling the clean energy transition in the US.Paris Marx is a tech journalist and host of the podcast Tech Won’t Save Us. He also recently launched a 4-part series, Data Vampires, (which features Alex) about the promises and pitfalls of data centers like the ones AI boosters rely on.References:Eric Schmidt says AI more important than climate goalsMicrosoft's sustainability reportSam Altman's “The Intelligence Age” promises AI will fix the climate crisisPreviously on MAIHT3K: Episode 19: The Murky Climate and Environmental Impact of Large Language Models, November 6 2023Fresh AI Hell:Rosetta to linguists: "Embrace AI or risk extinction" of endangered languagesA talking collar that you can use to pretend to talk with your petsGoogle offers synthetic podcasts through NotebookLMAn AI 'artist' claims he's losing millions of dolalrs from people stealing his workUniversity hiring English professor to teach...prompt engineeringCheck out future streams at on Twitch, Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.Our book, 'The AI Con,' comes out in May! Pre-order now.Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown. Follow us!Emily Bluesky: emilymbender.bsky.social Mastodon: dair-community.social/@EmilyMBender Alex Bluesky: alexhanna.bsky.social Mastodon: dair-community.social/@alex Twitter: @alexhanna Music by Toby Menon.Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park. Production by Christie Taylor.

The hosts dive into the debate on whether AI can replace human scientists, revealing the limitations of fully automated research. They share concerns about AI's potential to skew academic integrity and the absurdity of its role in generating genuine scientific insight. A humorous discussion unpacks the anthropomorphism of AI in academia, questioning its capabilities while highlighting ethical standards. Additionally, they touch on troubling incidents involving AI in journalism and healthcare, advocating for more stringent regulations in the face of growing skepticism.

Dive into the absurdity of synthetic data in Hollywood, where AI fails to nail box office predictions. The hosts hilariously dissect AI's influence on the writing community, including the contradictions of NaNoWriMo's sponsorship. Discover the ethical mishaps of AI assistants and questionable pricing in tech. Unpack the chaos of AI in education, including teacherless classrooms and biased language models. With a blend of humor and serious critique, this episode navigates AI's impact on society and the need for responsible practices.