
Carnegie Council Podcasts
Listen, learn, and reflect on the most critical issues at the intersection of ethics and international affairs. Subscribe for access to the latest interviews, events, and audio articles from Carnegie Council’s global community.
Latest episodes

Jul 31, 2024 • 1h 4min
Responsible AI & the Ethical Trade-offs of Large Models, with Sara Hooker
In this episode of the Artificial Intelligence & Equality podcast, Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen speaks with Sara Hooker, head of Cohere for AI, to discuss her pioneering work on model design, model bias, and data representation. She highlights the importance of understanding the ethical trade-offs involved in building and using large models and addresses some of the complexities and responsibilities of modern AI development. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/aiei-sara-hooker

Jul 24, 2024 • 1h 15min
AI & Warfare: A New Era for Arms Control & Deterrence, with Paul Scharre
War analyst Paul Scharre discusses AI in warfare, governance of autonomous weapon systems, and the challenges of arms control and deterrence. They explore the importance of multiple AI governance frameworks, implications of advanced technologies in modern warfare, and the power of human agency in shaping the future.

Jul 22, 2024 • 56min
Global Leadership in a Turbulent Time: A Conversation with Professor Abiodun Williams
From the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to UN Security Council gridlock and escalating climate and migration crises, multilateral institutions face unprecedented tests. Amid these challenges lies a unique opportunity for a new generation of transformational leaders to emerge—driven by civic duty and the values of the UN Charter. In this special roundtable discussion hosted by Council President Joel Rosenthal, Tufts University's Professor Abiodun Williams, former director of strategic planning for UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, draws upon his extensive experience to speak about the essential leadership traits and strategies needed to drive institutional change and benefit those they serve. Williams’ latest book, Kofi Annan and Global Leadership at the United Nations, sets out the challenges that the secretary-general managed at a time of great change, and charts his ambitious efforts to reform and adapt the UN to the needs of the 21st century. For more from Williams, read his recent Online Exclusive "Global Justice in a Turbulent World" for the Ethics & International Affairs journal website. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/global-leadership-williams Please see below the names and affiliations for those who offered questions during the event: 21:45 – George Shadrack Kamanda, Carnegie Ethics Fellow; Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the UN 29:43 – James Ketterer, Center for Civic Engagement, Bard College 34:39 – Eddie Mandhry, Trustee, Carnegie Council 38:51 – David Passarelli, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) 46:25 – Giovanni Bassu, New York Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 48:31 – Tinatin Japaridze, Eurasia Group

Jul 2, 2024 • 59min
Cybernetics, Digital Surveillance, & the Role of Unions in Tech Governance, with Elisabet Haugsbø
In this episode of the AI & Equality podcast, Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen is joined by Elisabet Haugsbø, president of Norway-based tech union Tekna, to discuss her journey in engineering, the importance of cybernetics, digital surveillance, and how to stay resilient in the age of AI. They also explore the benefits of collaborating with professional unions in technology governance. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/aiei-haugsbø

Jun 28, 2024 • 7min
Space-Based Data Risks to Refugee Populations, by Zhanna L. Malekos Smith
Space-based data is quite useful for observing environmental conditions, but, as Zhanna Malekos Smith writes in this "Ethical Article," it also raises privacy concerns for vulnerable populations. To read this article, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/space-based-data-malekos-smith

Jun 27, 2024 • 1h 12min
AI, Military Ethics, & Being Alchemists of Meaning, with Heather M. Roff
In this episode of the "AI & Equality" podcast, Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen speaks with Heather Roff, senior research scientist at the The Center for Naval Analyses. They cover the gamut of AI systems and military affairs, from ethics and history, to robots, war, and conformity testing. Plus, they discuss how to become alchemists of meaning in the digital age. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/aiei-roff

Jun 26, 2024 • 57min
Unlocking Cooperation: Climate Change and Human Mobility
On World Refugee Day, Carnegie Council hosted a critical discussion on enhancing multilateral cooperation at the intersection of climate change and human mobility, the second event in the Council’s “Unlocking Cooperation” series. As extreme weather events and rising sea levels increasingly threaten coastal and island populations, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the panel will explore the urgent need for innovative and inclusive policies, guided by ethical considerations, to address climate-induced displacement and migration. The discussion featured Ambassador Ali Naseer Mohamed, permanent representative of the Republic of Maldives to the UN, alongside experts from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the New York Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The conversation was moderated by University for Peace's Ramu Damodaran. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/climate-change-mobility

Jun 18, 2024 • 47min
Linguistics, Automated Systems, & the Power of AI, with Emily M. Bender
In this "AI & Equality" podcast, guest host and AIEI board advisor Dr. Kobi Leins is joined by University of Washington’s Professor Emily Bender for a discussion on systems, power, and how we are changing the world, one technological decision at a time. With a deep expertise in language and computers, Bender brings her perspective on how language and systems are being perceived and used—and changing us through automated systems and AI. Why do words and linguistics matter when we are thinking about these emerging technologies? How can we more thoughtfully automate the use of AI? For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/aiei-leins-bender

Jun 13, 2024 • 57min
The Doorstep: How the World Ran Out of Everything, with Peter S. Goodman
After four years of showcasing how global news impacts your daily life, The Doorstep is signing off for the final time. For its last episode, co-hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev were joined by New York Times reporter Peter Goodman to discuss his new book "How the World Ran Out of Everything" and how geopolitics is connected to the goods that literally end up on our doorstep. From factories in Asia to farms in California and truck drivers in the Great Plains, this conversation delves into the fascinating innerworkings of America’s supply chain and why it’s in a constant state of dangerous vulnerability. How can paying more attention to how we get the things that we need protect the fate of our global fortunes? Thank you for listening to The Doorstep! For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/doorstep-goodman-2024

Jun 3, 2024 • 52min
The Intersection of AI, Ethics, & Humanity, with Wendell Wallach
How can thinking about the history of machine ethics inform the responsible development of AI and other emerging technologies? In a wide-ranging discussion with Carnegie Ethics Fellow Samantha Hubner, Carnegie-Uehiro Fellow Wendell Wallach, co-director of the Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative (AIEI), discusses the continued relevance of his re-released book "A Dangerous Master," the prospects for international governance around AI, why it’s vitally important for the general public to be informed about these complex issues, and much more. For more, please go to: https://carnegiecouncil.co/aiei-hubner-wallach
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