Ep 3. The Next Pandemic

This is an episode of another WHYY podcast called The Pulse. In a lot of ways, artificial intelligence acts as our personal butlers — it filters our email, manages the temperature in our homes, finds the best commute, shapes our social media, runs our search engines, even flies o ... Show More

We examine AI’s role in polarizing America, from online echo chambers to the virulent spread of misinformation on social media. 

AI systems can be highly susceptible to bias. The potential for serious consequences is huge, especially when it comes to the AI increasingly used in police departments. 

This episode features two segments on the subject of disinformation. In the first, Rebecca Rand speaks with Dr. Shelby Grossman, a research scholar at the Stanford Internet Observatory, on recent research that looks at whether AI can write persuasive propaganda. In the second seg ... Show More

Around the world, automated bot accounts have enabled some government agencies and political parties to exploit online platforms in dispersing messages, using keywords to game algorithms, and discrediting legitimate information on a mass scale. Through this they can spread junk n ... Show More

Fake news can sway elections, tank economies and sow discord in everyday life. Data scientist Sinan Aral demystifies how and why it spreads so quickly -- citing one of the largest studies on misinformation -- and identifies five strategies to help us unweave the tangled web betwe ... Show More

<p>The past two weeks have seen a new debate arise in the world of online activism - what is the place of AI in conversations around raising awareness of important political issues? In this episode, Ione and Gina ask whether all is fair in getting All Eyes On Rafah or if we need ... Show More

OK, not exactly a computer — more like, the wild array of technologies that inform what we consume on our computers and phones. Because on this episode, we're looking at how AI and race bias intersect. Safiya Noble, a professor at UCLA and the author of the book Algorithms of Opp ... Show More

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Harris speaks with Nina Schick about the growing epidemic of misinformation and disinformation. They discuss the coming problem of "deep fakes," the history of Russian "active measures" against the West, the weaponization of the EU migration ... Show More

Preorder our book Make It Make Sense here!!!This week we've got Squish back on the mic thanks to all of your messages hounding him to make an epic return. AND we've got a bit of an AI special for you! From fake videos of Bella Hadid to an executive order from Joe Biden to try and ... Show More

<p>Sam Harris speaks with Paul Bloom about AI and current events. They discuss the state of LLMs, the risks and benefits of AI companionship, what it means to attribute consciousness to AI, relationships with AI as a form of psychosis, Trump's attacks on science and academia, wha ... Show More

<p>This week, with the tech world in chaos over President Trump’s tariffs, we look at how four specific companies are navigating the new day-to-day reality. Then, the A.I. researcher Daniel Kokotajlo returns to the show to discuss a new set of predictions for how artificial intel ... Show More