Ep 5. Echo Chambers

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

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. 

AI tools played a major role in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, from developing drugs and vaccines, to aiding medical research, & coordinating healthcare providers. 

<p>Sam Harris speaks with Renée DiResta about the state of our information landscape. They discuss the difference between influence and propaganda, shifts in communication technology, influencers and closed communities, the asymmetry of passion online and the illusion of consensu ... Show More

Donald Trump sparked a social media frenzy on Wednesday when he posted a video of Gaza generated by artificial intelligence on his site Truth Social. Marianna's been analysing Trump's social media strategy and how he attempts to influence what we see on our online feeds.Meanwhile ... Show More

Dr. Sinan Aral is the David Austin Professor of Management and Professor, Information Technology and Marketing at MIT. He’s a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Northwestern University. He has Master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Harvard University. And he has a PhD f ... Show More

<p>How information (and misinformation) spreads online continues to change with the media landscape. Renée DiResta and Ryan continue their conversation on the role of podcasts as a medium, the pitfalls of audience capture, and the dynamics of social media silos. They talk about t ... Show More

In the information age, knowledge is power. Hence, facilitating the access to knowledge to wider publics empowers citizens and makes societies more democratic. How can publishers and authors contribute to this process? This podcast addresses this issue. We interview Professor Aus ... Show More

Social media is full of wonderful opportunities for people to connect. It is also filled with people who push identity-based hate, extremism, disinformation, and conspiracy theories. Imran Ahmed, Founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, joins Dr. Phil on his Phi ... Show More

Why is it that we are extremely addicted to Social Media? What are the negative effects of social media? And How can we detach ourselves from it? In this weeks episode Sayed Jawad Qazwini and Sister Zaynab Barakat delve into the topic of social media and how it effects our day to ... Show More

In the early 2020s, a conspiracy theory started circulating online known as the “dead internet theory”. This suggested that, instead of a vibrant digital super-community where people freely share things like cat videos and conspiracy theories, the internet was instead basically d ... 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