Best Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna Podcasts (2024)

1
Are Our Fears About Artificial Intelligence Unfounded & How Should Legislators Protect Us: A Conversation with Prof. Emily M. Bender and Dr. Alex Hanna 50:05

2d ago50:05

50:05

Professor Emily M. Bender, and sociologist Dr. Alex Hanna discuss the impact of Artificial Intelligence and whether our government can protect us from its potential harms via legislation, and regulation. We also discuss the sociological harms of AI, as well as the environmental impact. Lastly, Professor Bender discusses the reaction to a paper she …

1
Episode 36: About That 'Dangerous Capabilities' Fanfiction (feat. Ali Alkhatib), June 24 2024 1:02:00

2h ago1:02:00

1:02:00

When is a research paper not a research paper? When a big tech company uses a preprint server as a means to dodge peer review -- in this case, of their wild speculations on the 'dangerous capabilities' of large language models. Ali Alkhatib joins Emily to explain why a recent Google DeepMind document about the hunt for evidence that LLMs might inte…

1
Immigration law in space, with Victor Manibo 44:32

2d ago44:32

44:32

What is the point of absurdist storytelling in a world that feels absurd? We talk about science fiction that gets silly, satirical, and weird -- and why we need it desperately. From The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to The Onion, we analyze absurdism as readers and writers. Then we're joined by Victor Manibo, author of the brilliant new novel Es…

1
Episode 35: AI Overviews and Google's AdTech Empire (feat. Safiya Noble), June 10 2024 1:01:42

10d ago1:01:42

1:01:42

You've already heard about the rock-prescribing, glue pizza-suggesting hazards of Google's AI overviews. But the problems with the internet's most-used search engine go way back. UCLA scholar and "Algorithms of Oppression" author Safiya Noble joins Alex and Emily in a conversation about how Google has long been breaking our information ecosystem in…

1
Secrets of the Planet of the Apes with Josh Friedman 54:54

23d ago54:54

54:54

The Planet of the Apes franchise spans decades and formats: it started as a French novel in 1963, and then jumped the Atlantic to become a long-running series of movies, TV shows, a cartoon, and even videogames. We talk about the politics of the story, and why some versions succeed while others fail. Then we're joined by Josh Friedman, who wrote Ki…

1
Episode 34: Senate Dot Roadmap Dot Final Dot No Really Dot Docx, June 3 2024 1:03:57

23d ago1:03:57

1:03:57

The politicians are at it again: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's series of industry-centric forums last year have birthed a "roadmap" for future legislation. Emily and Alex take a deep dive on this report, and conclude that the time spent writing it could have instead been spent...making useful laws. References: Driving US Innovation in Arti…

1
How Women Keep the Country from Falling Apart: A Conversation with Professor Jessica Calarco 38:35

1M ago38:35

38:35

Esteemed sociology professor, Jessica Calarco, discusses her new book "Holding It Together: How Women Became America's Safety Net." While other countries have an adequate social safety net, with services that include universal childcare, paid leave, and other services, America has instead locked women into this role. In this episode, Professor Cala…

1
Romancing the Dragon, with Moniquill Blackgoose 47:18

1M ago47:18

47:18

We’re obsessed with dragons, and for good reason. These gigantic creatures soar through many cultures and genres — and they feel more relevant than ever today. We talk to author Moniquill Blackgoose about why, and discuss her Nebula-award winning novel To Shape A Dragon’s Breath. Then we have a completely non-awkward conversation about dragons and …

1
What the Data Reveals About LGBTQ Voter Engagement: A conversation with GLAAD President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis 36:19

1M ago36:19

36:19

GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, joins The Electorette to discuss their newly released data about LGBTQ voters, what this data reveals about LGBTQ voter engagement ahead of the election, and how anti-LGBTQ bills will not be a winning voter issue on the ballot. In our conversation, Ellis also addresses the following: Are LGBTQ voters enthu…

1
Episode 33: Much Ado About 'AI' 'Deception', May 20 2024 1:00:30

1M ago1:00:30

1:00:30

Will the LLMs somehow become so advanced that they learn to lie to us in order to achieve their own ends? It's the stuff of science fiction, and in science fiction these claims should remain. Emily and guest host Margaret Mitchell, machine learning researcher and chief ethics scientist at HuggingFace, break down why 'AI deception' is firmly a featu…

1
EMILYs List President, Jessica Mackler, On the Importance of Electing Pro-Choice Democratic Women 22:08

2M ago22:08

22:08

EMILYs List president, Jessica Mackler, joins The Electorette to discuss the importance of electing pro-choice, Democratic women to office—candidates who are unapologetic advocates for reproductive rights. We also discuss how unified messaging about abortion rights, among all Democrats, will energize voters. Lastly, we discuss the crucial role Vice…

1
Summer Entertainment Guide: What to Watch and Read this Summer! 55:18

2M ago55:18

55:18

The summer entertainment season is upon us! Many of our favorite TV shows are back, and there are a few movies we're excited about as well. Not to mention a flood of truly incredible books by many of our favorite authors. Here's our select guide to the stuff we're most pumped about this summer, and all the latest trends in entertainment.…

1
Episode 32: A Flood of AI Hell, April 29 2024 57:48

2M ago57:48

57:48

AI Hell froze over this winter and now a flood of meltwater threatens to drown Alex and Emily. Armed with raincoats and a hastily-written sea shanty*, they tour the realms, from spills of synthetic information, to the special corner reserved for ShotSpotter. **Lyrics & video on Peertube. *Surveillance:* Public kiosks slurp phone data Workplace surv…

1
How Surveillance Dystopias Came True (with Wole Talabi) 1:05:15

2M ago1:05:15

1:05:15

You are being watched. Pop culture used to be full of vivid warnings about Big Brother watching you. What does it mean that we're now under constant surveillance for real? Plus we talk to Wole Talabi about his new story collection Convergence Problems.

1
Episode 31: Science Is a Human Endeavor (feat. Molly Crockett and Lisa Messeri), April 15 2024 1:02:57

2M ago1:02:57

1:02:57

Will AI someday do all our scientific research for us? Not likely. Drs. Molly Crockett and Lisa Messeri join for a takedown of the hype of "self-driving labs" and why such misrepresentations also harm the humans who are vital to scientific research. Dr. Molly Crockett is an associate professor of psychology at Princeton University. Dr. Lisa Messeri…

1
How to turn a story into a deadly weapon 53:34

2M ago53:34

53:34

Psyops are used by the military against foreign enemies, but now these dangerous weapons of demoralization and chaos are being used in culture wars between Americans. In this episode, Annalee tells us about their new book Stories Are Weapons, a history of psychological warfare in the U.S. (yes, it includes scifi!) -- and an exploration of the ways …

1
When Disinformation Targets Black Voters: Esosa Osa Explains the 2024 Disinformation Landscape 36:54

3M ago36:54

36:54

Esosa Osa, the founder and CEO of Onyx Impact, an organization that fights the harmful information ecosystems that target Black communities, discusses how misinformation and disinformation campaigns target the Black community and voters. Osa served as the Senior Advisor to Stacey Abrams' gubernatorial campaign, and is the former deputy direction of…

1
Is the Climate Crisis Making You Think Twice About Having Kids? A Conversation With Dr. Jade S. Sasser 38:31

3M ago38:31

38:31

Dr. Jade S. Sasser discusses eco-anxiety, climate guilt, and her new book, "Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question: Deciding Whether to Have Children in an Uncertain Future," as well as, the growing reproductive-resistance movement among young people who've decided to refrain from having children due to the looming climate crisis. From this Episode C…

1
Episode 30: Marc's Miserable Manifesto, April 1 2024 1:00:45

3M ago1:00:45

1:00:45

Dr. Timnit Gebru guest-hosts with Alex in a deep dive into Marc Andreessen's 2023 manifesto, which argues, loftily, in favor of maximizing the use of 'AI' in all possible spheres of life. Timnit Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR). Prior to that she was fired by Google, wh…

1
Fascism and Book Bans (with Maggie Tokuda-Hall) 56:59

3M ago56:59

56:59

Science fiction has been warning us about fascism for decades — so why haven't we listened? How did Nazis become just another monster in our stories, like werewolves or cyborgs? Plus we talk about the new wave of book censorship with Maggie Tokuda-Hall, co-founder of the new organization Authors Against Book Bans. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorr…

1
Focusing on a Family Friendly Economy to Energize Voters & Transform the Country with Sondra Goldschein 32:25

3M ago32:25

32:25

Sondra Goldshein, the Executive Director of The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, discusses the organization's election-year ground game focused on electing candidates who support family friendly policies like childcare, elder care, and paid family leave. The organization is investing $40 million dollars to back the reelection campaign of the…

1
The Turing Test is bullsh*t (w/Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender) 48:21

4M ago48:21

48:21

We're talking about the Turing Test, the grandmother of all tests for AI sentience. Joining us are AI researchers Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender, hosts of the Mystery AI Hype 3000 podcast. We discuss why the Turing Test is so influential in both fiction and reality – and why it is completely wrong. Later in the episode, we’ll talk about another thi…

1
Episode 29: How LLMs Are Breaking the News (feat. Karen Hao), March 25 2024 1:02:30

3M ago1:02:30

1:02:30

Award-winning AI journalist Karen Hao joins Alex and Emily to talk about why LLMs can't possibly replace the work of reporters -- and why the hype is damaging to already-struggling and necessary publications. References: Adweek: Google Is Paying Publishers to Test an Unreleased Gen AI Platform The Quint: AI Invents Quote From Real Person in Article…

1
Dr. Venice Haynes of United States of Care Discusses State-Level Solutions to the Maternal Healthcare Crisis 24:59

4M ago24:59

24:59

Dr. Venice Haynes, the Senior Director of Research and Community Engagement at United States of Care, an organization focused on building a better health care system by expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare, discusses their recent report which shows positive outcomes, particularly for Black women, when state-level Community Based Organ…

1
Queer Horror! (with Dr. Chuck Tingle) 50:48

4M ago50:48

50:48

It's a scary time for LGBTQIA+ folks — and many of us are turning to horror stories that take our real-life terrors and make them even more monstrous. To find out why, we talk to Dr. Chuck Tingle, the author of Camp Damascus and Bury Your Gays, and we geek out about why queers love to be scared. Also, we talk about horror movie soundtracks — and th…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Emily M. Bender And Alex Hanna Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000

Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna

1
Our Opinions Are Correct

Our Opinions Are Correct

1
The Electorette Podcast

Electorette

1
Are Our Fears About Artificial Intelligence Unfounded & How Should Legislators Protect Us: A Conversation with Prof. Emily M. Bender and Dr. Alex Hanna 50:05

1
Episode 36: About That 'Dangerous Capabilities' Fanfiction (feat. Ali Alkhatib), June 24 2024 1:02:00

1
Immigration law in space, with Victor Manibo 44:32

1
Episode 35: AI Overviews and Google's AdTech Empire (feat. Safiya Noble), June 10 2024 1:01:42

1
Secrets of the Planet of the Apes with Josh Friedman 54:54

1
Episode 34: Senate Dot Roadmap Dot Final Dot No Really Dot Docx, June 3 2024 1:03:57

1
How Women Keep the Country from Falling Apart: A Conversation with Professor Jessica Calarco 38:35

1
Romancing the Dragon, with Moniquill Blackgoose 47:18

1
What the Data Reveals About LGBTQ Voter Engagement: A conversation with GLAAD President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis 36:19

1
Episode 33: Much Ado About 'AI' 'Deception', May 20 2024 1:00:30

1
EMILYs List President, Jessica Mackler, On the Importance of Electing Pro-Choice Democratic Women 22:08

1
Summer Entertainment Guide: What to Watch and Read this Summer! 55:18

1
Episode 32: A Flood of AI Hell, April 29 2024 57:48

1
How Surveillance Dystopias Came True (with Wole Talabi) 1:05:15

1
Episode 31: Science Is a Human Endeavor (feat. Molly Crockett and Lisa Messeri), April 15 2024 1:02:57

1
How to turn a story into a deadly weapon 53:34

1
When Disinformation Targets Black Voters: Esosa Osa Explains the 2024 Disinformation Landscape 36:54

1
Is the Climate Crisis Making You Think Twice About Having Kids? A Conversation With Dr. Jade S. Sasser 38:31

1
Episode 30: Marc's Miserable Manifesto, April 1 2024 1:00:45

1
Fascism and Book Bans (with Maggie Tokuda-Hall) 56:59

1
Focusing on a Family Friendly Economy to Energize Voters & Transform the Country with Sondra Goldschein 32:25

1
The Turing Test is bullsh*t (w/Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender) 48:21

1
Episode 29: How LLMs Are Breaking the News (feat. Karen Hao), March 25 2024 1:02:30

1
Dr. Venice Haynes of United States of Care Discusses State-Level Solutions to the Maternal Healthcare Crisis 24:59

1
Queer Horror! (with Dr. Chuck Tingle) 50:48

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