Carnegie Council Podcasts

In this episode of the AI for Information Accessibility podcast, host Ayushi Khemka discusses the deep history behind artificial intelligence with László Z. Karvalics, founding director of the BME-UNESCO Information Society and Trend Research Institute. Their conversation touches on the Google/AI sentience debate, information preservation, social media, and the concept of “intelligence augmentation.” The AI4IA podcast series is in association with the Artificial Intelligence for Information Accessibility 2022 Conference on September 28, which will commemorate the International Day for Universal Access to Information. The AI4IA Conference and the podcast series are also being hosted in collaboration with AI4Society and the Kule Institute for Advanced Studies, both at the University of Alberta; the Centre for New Economic Diplomacy at the Observer Research Foundation in India; and the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica. To register for the conference, click here.

In two years, two-thirds of the world's population may face water shortages that will lead to crises of epic proportions from water refugees to potential armed conflicts over water supply. Yet the global water crisis does not typically get regular press attention. IHE Delft Institute for Water Education's Dr. Susanne Schmeier speaks with Doorstep co-hosts, Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin about how we can frame water crises discussions and begin to work on solutions. What trade-offs must be made? Can the United States and United Nations, whose annual meetings begin in New York City next week, do more? How will next year's UN Water Conference set a new agenda? For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

In this introduction to the new AI for Information Accessibility podcast, host Ayushi Khemka discusses the goals of Artificial Intelligence for Information Accessibility 2022 Conference with Cordel Green, UNESCO's Information for All Programme (IFAP) Working Group on Information Accessibility chair. "We can and must insist on AI development, deployment, and access that is respectful of our human rights and protects the most vulnerable," says Green. "Artificial intelligence must be used to preserve our democratic and cultural traditions and not work against them." The AI4IA podcast series is in association with the Artificial Intelligence for Information Accessibility 2022 Conference on September 28, which will commemorate the International Day for Universal Access to Information. The AI4IA Conference and the podcast series are also being hosted in collaboration with AI4Society and the Kule Institute for Advanced Studies, both at the University of Alberta; the Centre for New Economic Diplomacy at the Observer Research Foundation in India; and the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica. To register for the conference, click here.

What will it take to stop Russia’s President Vladimir Putin? Few have seen his wrath as closely as American-born British financier Bill Browder, who was the largest foreign investor in Russia until investigations led by his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky exposed massive corruption and misconduct by Russian officials leading all the way to Putin. After Magnitsky's murder in a Moscow jail, Browder continued to advocate for justice, becoming Putin's next target, a story he tells in his latest book Freezing Order and in this Book Talk with Doorstep co-hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev. For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

Carnegie New Leader Geoff Schaefer leads a lively conversation with Reid Blackman about his new book Ethical Machines: Your Concise Guide to Totally Unbiased, Transparent, and Respectful AI. Blackman cuts through the common jargon to deliver a clear and tangible approach to AI ethics. The conversation covers everything from "ethical nightmares" to the myth that ethical facts don't–and can't–exist. This episode is full of tips and tricks on how to think about the core ethical challenges in AI.  Reid Blackman is the founder and CEO of Virtue, an AI ethical risk consultancy, and volunteer chief ethics officer for the non-profit Government Blockchain Association. His work, which includes providing guidance to the likes of AWS, US Bank, Citibank, the FBI, NASA, and the World Economic Forum, has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal and Forbes.

In this Artificial Intelligence & Equality podcast, Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen is joined by Asia Society Policy Institute's Elina Noor for a talk on how we frame discussions on AI ethics and governance matters. They also speak about the importance of the social justice aspect of technology and the digital landscape in Southeast Asia. For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

Might the world we live in be a simulation? Are the virtual environments being created real or illusions? What are the prospects for creating artificial consciousness? New York University's David Chalmers and Carnegie-Uehiro Fellow Wendell Wallach discuss Reality+, Chalmers' latest book, which probes the vast array of philosophical and ethical challenges posed by virtual reality and enhanced reality.

How could the world change if the dynamism of India's rise is connected to the wealth and resources of the Gulf states and the technological powerhouse of Israel? Could a new Indo-Abrahamic corridor that connects South Asia with the Middle East and East Africa through to the Mediterranean be a major game-changer for the world of the 21st century? Middle East Institute's Mohammed Soliman joins The Doorstep this week to discuss all of this and more. For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

The return of great power rivalry—whether U.S. versus Russia or U.S. versus China—has recreated the sense that nuclear war is possible. But what is the actual threat versus perceived threat and how can we manage our collective anxiety? Brandeis University's Professor Gary Samore, joins Doorstep co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin to discuss how nuclear deterrence fosters restraint and caution, and the hope that a protracted Russia-Ukraine war will not tip the scales. For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

In the midst of declining domestic approval ratings and skyrocketing inflation, President Biden heads to the Middle East to re-imagine U.S. regional relationships and counter China's and Russia's growing influence.  NYU's SPS Center for Global Affairs Assistant Dean Carolyn Kissane returns to speak with Doorstep co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin about the trade-offs Biden must make in energy, climate, and human rights discussions. How will Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and 'countries to watch' Israel and UAE affect U.S. policy in the short and long-term? Will this trip be a win or loss for Biden? For more "Doorstep" podcasts, visit carnegiecouncil.org.