How to make the internet fun again with Steve Huffman and Michael Sun

30 October - 29 mins
Podcast Series TED Tech

From Hotmail to Yahoo! to AOL instant messenger, online chat space has transformed throughout the years. Now, there’s Chat GPT, Claude, Gemini, and more AI agents vying for your attention. In today’s episode, Sherrell shares two talks, first featuring Steve Huffman, the co-founder of Reddit, on the platform’s model for a better internet. Then a talk from internet culture writer Michael Sun on how you can recapture the joy of the early internet.

Talks featured

Reddit's model for a better internet | Steve Huffman

How to recapture the joy of the early internet | Michael Sun

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 mins

Series Episodes

Democracy in the Age of AI (1/5): How AI could hack democracy | Lawrence Lessig Playing

Democracy in the Age of AI (1/5): How AI could hack democracy | Lawrence Lessig

Does AI pose a threat to democracy? Law professor Lawrence Lessig dissects how this emerging technology could influence democratic institutions, warning that we’ve already passed a point (before superintelligence or AGI) that deserves a lot more attention. After the talk, Sherrell reflects on the importance of media literacy and the need to remain vigilant and engaged to defend our democracy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 mins

26 October Finished

Democracy in the Age of AI (2/5): When AI can fake reality, who can you trust? | Sam Gregory Playing

Democracy in the Age of AI (2/5): When AI can fake reality, who can you trust? | Sam Gregory

We're fast approaching a world where widespread, hyper-realistic deepfakes lead us to dismiss reality, says technologist and human rights advocate Sam Gregory. What happens to democracy when we can't trust what we see? Learn three key steps to protecting our ability to distinguish human from synthetic — and why fortifying our perception of truth is crucial to our AI-infused future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 mins

26 October Finished

Democracy in the Age of AI (3/5): Your creative superpowers can help protect democracy | Sofia Ongele Playing

Democracy in the Age of AI (3/5): Your creative superpowers can help protect democracy | Sofia Ongele

"Democracy is more fun and inviting when you take it into your own hands," says creator and activist Sofia Ongele. Sharing how she's using coding and social media to defend democracy, Ongele invites us to identify our own creative superpowers — whether it's community organizing, making music or telling stories — and use them to cause a ruckus and bring movements to life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 mins

26 October Finished

Democracy in the Age of AI (4/5): How to govern AI — even if it's hard to predict | Helen Toner Playing

Democracy in the Age of AI (4/5): How to govern AI — even if it's hard to predict | Helen Toner

No one truly understands AI, not even experts, says Helen Toner, an AI policy researcher and former board member of OpenAI. But that doesn't mean we can't govern it. She shows how we can make smart policies to regulate this technology even as we struggle to predict where it's headed — and why the right actions, right now, can shape the future we want. After the talk, Sherrell expands on what’s needed to ensure that AI aligns with the best interests of humanity, without stifling innovation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 mins

26 October Finished

Democracy in the Age of AI (5/5): How AI and democracy can fix each other | Divya Siddarth Playing

Democracy in the Age of AI (5/5): How AI and democracy can fix each other | Divya Siddarth

We don't have to sacrifice our freedom for the sake of technological progress, says social technologist Divya Siddarth. She shares how a group of people helped retrain one of the world's most powerful AI models on a constitution they wrote — and offers a vision of technology that aligns with the principles of democracy, rather than conflicting with them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 mins

26 October Finished

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