Measurementality #4: What are we Optimizing for? with Laura Musikanski and Jonathan Stray

The Radical AI Podcast has unfortunately reached its end. In this episode, Dylan and Jess say goodbye to the podcast and thank you listeners for your unwavering support throughout the years. 

In this episode, we interview Dr. Jonathan Flowers about Twitter vs. Mastodon 101, the power dynamics of the fediverse, and potential paths forward in our digital lives.   Johnathan Flowers is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Northridge. His research areas include African American intellectual history, Japanese Aesthetics, American Pragmatism, Philosophy of Disability, and Philosophy of Technology. Johnathan also works in the area of Science and Technology Studies, where he applies insights from American Pragmatism, Philosophy of Race, and Disability Studies to current issues in human/computer interaction, artificial intelligence and machine learning.    Full show notes for this episode can be found at Radicalai.org.  

In this episode, we discuss Meredith Broussard's influential new book, More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech – published by MIT Press.   Meredith is a data journalist, an associate professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University, a research director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology, and the author of several books, including “More Than a Glitch” (which we cover in this episode) and “Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World.” Her academic research focuses on artificial intelligence in investigative reporting and ethical AI, with a particular interest in using data analysis for social good.     Full show notes for this episode, including the link to buy Meredith's new book, can be found at Radicalai.org.

In this episode, we unpack: is ChatGPT Ethical? In what ways?    We interview Dr. Emily M. Bender and Dr. Casey Fiesler about the limitations of ChatGPT – we cover ethical considerations, bias and discrimination, and the importance of algorithmic literacy in the face of chatbots.   Emily M. Bender is a Professor of Linguistics and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Computer Science and the Information School at the University of Washington, where she has been on the faculty since 2003. Her research interests include multilingual grammar engineering, computational semantics, and the societal impacts of language technology. Emily was also recently nominated as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).     Casey Fiesler is an associate professor in Information Science at University of Colorado Boulder. She researches and teaches in the areas of technology ethics, internet law and policy, and online communities. Also a public scholar, she is a frequent commentator and speaker on topics of technology ethics and policy, and her research has been covered everywhere from The New York Times to Teen Vogue.   Full show notes for this episode can be found at Radicalai.org.

ChatGPT – what is it? How does it work? Should we be excited? Or scared? The recent natural language chatbot has been getting ALL the hype. In this episode we interview Deep Dhillon about the ins and outs of ChatGPT! Deep is the co-founder and leader of technology development at Xyonix, where his mission is to find novel value in clients' data. Deep has experience as a technology executive; conceptualizing, architecting and deploying advanced applications, leveraging machine learning, natural language processing and data science to build smarter businesses and more powerful products. Full show notes for this episode can be found at Radicalai.org.  

What can our senses teach us about data? What can data teach us about our senses?    In this episode, we interview Jordan Wirfs-Brock about how we can explore data through all of our senses, especially through the sense of sound.   Jordan Wirfs-Brock recently completed a PhD in Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder and will be joining Whitman College as an assistant professor in Computer Science in January. Her research explores how to bring data into our everyday lives as a creative material by developing data representations that are participatory and engage all of our senses, especially sound. In the past, she has worked as a data journalist covering the energy industry and as a civic technologist helping non-profit organizations understand their communities through data.   Full show notes for this episode can be found at Radicalai.org.  

How can technology be designed to fight online abuse and harassment? What is the difference between cancel culture and appropriate accountability? How can you stay safe online?     In this episode we interview Seyi Akiwowo to discuss her newly released book: How to Stay Safe Online: A digital self-care toolkit for developing resilience and allyship.     Seyi is the founder and CEO of Glitch, a charity that’s been on a mission to end online abuse by making digital citizens of us all since 2017.Seyi is also an author, a consultant and writer within the political and tech space, and a former TED speaker. Full show notes for this episode can be found at Radicalai.org.

What is the reality of data privacy after the overruling of Roe v. Wade?    In this episode, we interview Rebecca Finlay about protecting user data privacy and human rights, following the US Supreme Court ruling of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.    Rebecca Finlay is the CEO of the non-profit, Partnership on AI overseeing the organization’s mission and strategy. In this role, Rebecca ensures that the Partnership on AI and their global community of Partners work together so that developments in AI advance positive outcomes for people and society.   Full show notes for this episode can be found at Radicalai.org.  

What is Digital Lethargy?  How can we adapt to an age of disconnection? How can art act as a force of resistance?    In this episode we interview Tung-Hui Hu about digital exhaustion in the modern day, and his new upcoming book from MIT Press: “Digital Lethargy: Dispatches from an Age of Disconnection.”   Tung-Hui is an associate professor of English at the University of Michigan and the author of A Prehistory of the Cloud from MIT Press. He is on the advisory board of the McLuhan Centre for Culture and Technology and is also a poet.   Full show notes for this episode can be found at Radicalai.org.  

How does the government use algorithms? How do algorithms impact social services, policing, and other social services? And where does Silicon Valley fit in?   In this episode we interview Shion Guha about how governments adopt algorithms to enforce public policy.   Shion is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Information at University of Toronto. His research fits into the field of Human-Centered Data Science, which he helped develop. Shion explores the intersection between AI and public policy by researching algorithmic decision-making in public services such as criminal justice, child welfare, and healthcare. Full show notes for this episode can be found at Radicalai.org.