The Rip Current

My recent trip to Brazil happened to coincide with the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro, and ever since I’ve been looking for the right person to explain how it is that a former military dictatorship is now the kind of democracy that actually brings a former leader to account. In this episode, Cristina Tardaguila, founder of the fact-checking organization Lupa, describes the rise and conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro, the impact of misinformation, and the growing (and now perhaps unstoppable) influence of China and Russia in Brazil. Cristina shares insights into the creation and evolution of Lupa, the complexities of Brazilian democracy, and the economic and political dynamics shaping the nation’s complicated future.00:00 US Diplomacy and Brazil’s Geopolitical Landscape02:17 Introduction to Lupa and Cristina Tardaguila02:48 The Rise of Fact-Checking in Brazil05:09 Global Populism and Bolsonaro’s Influence07:02 The Hate Cabinet and Techno-Populism10:56 Lupa’s Evolution and Business Model12:58 COVID-19 and the Fight Against Misinformation16:46 The Why of Disinformation27:12 Bolsonaro’s Political Journey and Impact33:52 The Aftermath of January 8th, 202334:40 Reflecting on the Insurrection41:25 The Trial and Conviction of Bolsonaro47:56 Brazil’s Political Future51:49 China’s Influence in Brazil59:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, an AI ethicist and the head of Humane Intelligence, is sick of all this complaining. Not because there isn’t plenty to complain about — in this episode we unpack a host of horrors that AI and the companies who make it are foisting on all of us — but because she believes that the fatalism of AI criticism inadvertently empowers powerful corporations. Dr. Chowdhury, who has worked at Accenture, Twitter, and served as a science envoy for the Biden administration, has an unusual background for an AI builder — political science and quantitative social sciences — and her work on the inherent biases within algorithms has led her to believe that the solutions are far more complicated than just switching the whole thing off. Enjoy!Thanks for listening to The Rip Current by Jacob Ward! Feel free to share this episode with someone you feel needs a new perspective on AI.00:00 Introduction: The Pessimism Around AI00:36 Meet Dr. Rumman Chowdhury: AI Ethicist02:00 The Role of Political Science in AI04:26 Challenges in Creating Ethical AI06:20 The Myth of Political Neutrality in Algorithms14:10 From Accenture to Twitter: A Journey in AI16:17 The Twitter Experience: Ethics and Algorithms19:07 The Impact of Social Media Algorithms26:18 The Audacity of Modern AI Developments33:12 The Podcast’s Initial Concept and NPC Idea34:23 Nostalgia Culture and the Creative Class36:09 The Loop: AI and Legal Precedents36:58 Algorithmic Choice and User Agency38:59 Right to Repair and Algorithmic Agency40:23 Exit, Voice, and Loyalty in Tech45:47 Algorithmic Amplification of Right-Wing Content01:03:13 The Hero Narrative and Collective Movements01:05:13 Conclusion and Call to Action This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

When I first came on his show, Andrew Keen took a dim view of my ideas about how we might fight back against the psychological effects of AI in my 2022 book The Loop, and to be honest: he was right. The “how to fight back” section of the book was thin, largely because I was hanging (and still hang) so much of my hopes on the idea that the courts will save us. So I asked him if he’d like to revisit our conversation on his show, and he graciously agreed. Here’s how it went!The Rip Current by Jacob Ward is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

AI ethics consultant Olivia Gambelin has been fighting to make her clients in Silicon Valley understand that good ethics are good business, and to make regulators in Europe see that good business can also have good ethics. It’s a tough gig. Gambelin, who advises both AI companies in Silicon Valley and regulators in Brussels, talks techno-solutionism, the challenges of implementing ethical AI practices when there’s always that one evangelist in the room trying to go too far too fast, and her worries about what she considers the top truly unacceptable category of AI product out there today.The Rip Current by Jacob Ward is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.00:00 Introduction to Techno Solutionism00:44 Meet Olivia Gambelin: AI Ethics Consultant01:56 Olivia’s Journey: From Bay Area to Brussels08:19 The Role of Ethical Intelligence14:38 Challenges in AI Implementation21:50 The Future of AI in the Workplace32:51 Introduction to AI Regulation in Brussels34:05 Cultural Differences in AI Regulation36:29 Challenges in European AI Literacy38:32 Behavioral Science and AI Manipulation44:22 Ethics in AI: Business vs. Regulation51:17 The Need for AI Regulation in the US56:00 Ethical Boundaries in AI Applications01:00:53 Positive Applications of AI01:05:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

TikTok is no different than any other social media company (it wants to serve you irresistible content by predicting your tastes algorithmically), and its processes aren't either (it threw spaghetti and money against the wall until it stuck). But its status as a Chinese company, the first globally successful Chinese media export, and a deeply powerful g… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

AI is making people crazy. And I don’t mean in the sense that it’s driving tech observers like me crazy, with its reckless adoption path and dishonest marketing and screwy incentives. I mean it’s literally making otherwise reasonable people believe that their AI chatbots are lovers, or prisoners, or prophets of hidden wisdom. In this hourlong conversati… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

Are you ready to get in a tube built by billionaires and stay there for nine months? Ready to live in caves on the other side? And who is in charge of this dreary outpost anyway? In this episode of The Rip Current, David Ariosto, author of Open Space: From Earth to Eternity, the Global Race to Explore and Conquer the Cosmos and host of the Space Minds podcast, joins Jake to explore the motivations behind private and state-funded space travel, the potential for settlements on the Moon and Mars, and the ethical implications of billionaire-led space enterprises. We talk about the fragility of the human body in space, the viability of actually governing space settlements, and the technological advancements driving the space industry. Who really holds the power in the final frontier?00:00 Introduction to Space Exploration00:30 The Rip Current: Big Invisible Forces00:32 The Leap of Faith in Space01:20 Guest Introduction: David Sto03:22 The Commercialization of Space05:57 Technological Advances and Market Potential13:41 Geopolitical Implications of Space Exploration21:50 Human vs. Robotic Space Missions34:24 Facing Death: The Mindset of Test Pilots35:52 Astronaut's Dream: Franklin Chang Diaz's Story37:56 Psychological Impact of Space Travel39:55 Billionaires in Space: Elon Musk and Beyond41:48 NASA's Changing Role in Space Exploration51:17 The Future of Space Colonization59:44 The Vastness of Space and Human Survival01:05:40 Conclusion: The Drive to Explore the Cosmos This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

OpenAI described its newest model as a pocket full of PhDs, a cancer doula, and a eulogy writer. But behind the headlines are the enormous pressures building on this industry. Here’s a breakdown of what we learned today. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

As you’ll hear in this episode, I’m considering renaming this whole enterprise — the newsletter and the show — so I’m not hiding what I do behind a needlessly esoteric brand name. The new name I’m considering is the name of a book I’m working on, Great Ideas We Should Not Pursue. So fair warning you may see me roll out a whole new thing in the coming we… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe

Programming note: My apologies to listeners for the weeklong break that I took last week, and the weeklong break I’ll be taking next week. We’ll be back in the saddle the week of July 28th. See you then! Back in 2006, a young interface designer came up with the idea that rather than making people click to another page to continue reading, they should ju… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theripcurrent.substack.com/subscribe