In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser is joined by Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston to discuss how governments can leverage AI for good. Recorded live from the Denver AI Summit, Mayor Johnston outlines his vision for using AI to enhance public services, streamline city operations, and solve pressing societal issues.

The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including:

•How Denver is becoming a laboratory for AI innovations in city government

•Practical applications of AI, from speeding up traffic management to reducing government red tape

•The ethical considerations of AI (and why there's low-hanging fruit before we need to get to the "doomsday" concerns)

•Mayor Johnston’s partnership with AI leaders like Reid Hoffman to position Denver as a hub for AI solutions

•How AI can improve public services like permitting, trash collection, and public safety

Jeff and the Mayor also explore the future potential of AI in transforming cities and public policy, with Denver leading the charge as a model for other cities. Tune in for an insightful discussion on how AI for Good can reshape the way governments serve their citizens.

Listen now to learn how AI is being used to make day-to-day life more efficient, equitable, and transparent.

https://denverite.com/2024/09/18/den-ai-summit-johnston-hoffman/

https://denaisummit.com/

In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser explores the role of AI in the film industry, focusing on a major new partnership between Lionsgate and AI video startup Runway. Could AI actors and AI-written scripts become the norm in Hollywood? With access to John Wick, Hunger Games, and 20,000 other movie and TV titles, Runway is poised to revolutionize film production.

Jeff dives into how AI tools are changing pre-production and post-production workflows, discussing both the optimistic view—AI as a tool for creators—and the concerns raised by industry professionals like Reid Southen, a concept artist for The Matrix Resurrections and Hunger Games.

Additionally, we discuss the potential of a secret AI-powered device being developed by Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief, and Sam Altman of OpenAI. What could they be building, and why are they raising $1 billion for it?

Lastly, the episode highlights a new study published in Science, which explores how AI chatbots could be used to combat conspiracy theories, offering a rare positive angle on AI and misinformation.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction: AI in Hollywood and the Lionsgate-Runway partnership

[01:00] The potential impact of AI on creators and filmmakers

[03:00] Concerns from concept artists about AI replacing human roles

[04:00] Jony Ive and Sam Altman’s secret AI project

[05:00] Can AI help fight misinformation and conspiracy theories?

[07:00] Using AI in podcast production: lessons and challenges

If you’re interested in how AI is reshaping Hollywood and creative industries, this episode offers a balanced look at both the opportunities and challenges.

https://runwayml.com/news/runway-partners-with-lionsgate

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq1814

In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser dives deep into AI critiques with Sara Watson, a leading technology critic. The conversation explores the often overlooked risks of AI, moving beyond the usual dystopian scenarios of robots taking over and instead addressing the more subtle, real-world implications of AI.

Sara is the former lead analyst at Forrester, the co-founder of co-founder A People’s History of Tech, and has written for outlets such as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Wired. She brings a thoughtful and nuanced perspective to the current AI landscape. On this episode we cover AI’s environmental toll, the concentration of power, bias in AI training data, and the challenges of distinguishing truth in an era of deepfakes.If you’re curious about how technology shapes society and what AI means for our future, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Key Topics:

•[00:02:00] The Role of Criticism: It’s Not About Negativity or Nihilism

•[00:04:00] Being “Cautiously Optimistic” and Understanding the Hype Cycle

•[00:05:00] Investigating AI’s Claims in a Critical Moment of Hype

•[00:06:00] The Importance of Asking the Right Questions

•[00:07:00] Long-Term Existential AI Risks vs. Present Harms

•[00:08:00] Bias in AI: The Historical Injustices Baked into Data Sets

•[00:11:00] Environmental Costs of AI and the Hidden Resource Strain

•[00:12:00] The Concentration of Power: Who Owns and Controls AI?

•[00:14:00] The Ethical Challenges of AI Development

•[00:15:00] How Bias in Training Data Reinforces Systemic Injustice

•[00:16:00] Human Choices Behind Algorithms: The Myth of Objectivity

•[00:19:00] Deepfakes and the Erosion of Trust in Visual Media

•[00:22:00] The Weaponization of AI to Cast Doubt on Authentic Media

•[00:24:00] Sci-Fi’s Role in AI Critique: From Killer Robots to Governance

•[00:25:00] The Fragility of the Systems Built on AI: A Conversation on Tech Infrastructure

•[00:26:00] Tech Criticism Today: How It’s Evolved Over the Last Decade

•[00:27:00] What Are We Optimizing For? How This Question Shapes AI’s Development

•[00:29:00] Regulation, Children, and the Role of Government in Tech

•[00:31:00] Progress for Whom? Criticism as Part of AI’s Development

•[00:34:00] Future Justice and What AI Should Be Used For

•[00:35:00] Creativity, Human Time, and AI’s Role in Freeing Us for Innovation

•[00:36:00] What Sara Means by Being a “Radical Futurist”

•[00:38:00] AI and Capitalism: Can We Imagine a Different System?

Key Topics Covered:
•The role of AI criticism in driving thoughtful progress
•The environmental impact of AI and its hidden costs
•Bias in AI algorithms and its real-world consequences
•The risks of AI misinformation and deepfakes
•How concentration of power in AI development affects us all


Sara M. Watson
http://www.saramwatson.com/

Toward a Constructive Technology Criticism
https://www.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/constructive_technology_criticism.php