Burning Platforms

Hosted by Per Capita Australia

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. Join Peter Lewis, Lizzie O’Shea (Digital Rights Watch), Dan Stinton (HealthEngine CEO), and guests, fortnightly for analysis of the politics of technology from some of Australia’s leading digital campaigners and industry experts. Brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 10, 2026Episode 1001 hr 7 min

BeNICE with Ed Coper

The political strategist and author of ‘Angertainement', Ed Coper, joins the Burning Platform this week to discuss how social media outrage ruined everything and outlines his blueprint for harnessing the toxic information ecosystem. Panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: is Anthropic really calling to hit pause? will Microsoft’s agentic AI play land safely? can a government automate discretion? For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

June 3, 2026Episode 9950 min

Magnifica Humanitas

This week on Burning Platforms we dive deep into Pope Leo’s XIV’s encyclical with Dr Michael Walker from the Justice and Peace Office at the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney . Our panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, ABC AI reporter Cam Wilson and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: AI’s Trust Deficit Amnesty International’s new report: Unlawful by Design and Greenpeace’s new research on data centres ‘Energy Vampires’ For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

May 27, 2026Episode 981 hr 3 min

Deep Tech with George Tulloch

The founder of start-up Noizend on the challenges of scaling tech in Australia and how the real innovation is not running on the back of LLMs. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: Why is Meta ditching End to End Encryption? Will Google’s new IO break the internet? And Elon Musk’s the SpaceX float take-off? For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

May 20, 2026Episode 971 hr 1 min

The Kids are Alright with Tama Leaver

Internet academic Tama Leaver on the lines between regulating and equipping children to navigate the AI revolution. Panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, ABC AI reporter Cam Wilson and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: Students Jeer AI Inspiration Palantir’s Surveillance Playbook and can we build an AI Wealth Fund? For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

May 13, 2026Episode 961 hr 4 min

The Devil’s Playground with Claire Pullen

The Australian Writer’s Guild CEO Claire Pullen updates us on the fight to protect Australian creators from the industrial-scale thrift of their work. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: The wild west of AI-powered toys Chat-GPT’s new bot-phone and how Anthropic is tapping religious leaders for moral guidance For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

May 6, 2026Episode 951 hr 0 min

Kids’ Gloves with Carly Kind

The Privacy Commissioner takes us through the new code to to give children greater control over their data and how this could open the door for less surveillance for all of us. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: What’s behind the cancellation of RightsCon? Why did Jack Dorsey lay off 40 per cent of his business? And who wins when two tech overlords go to court? For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

April 30, 2026Episode 941 hr 5 min

Hyperscaling with Ed Husic

The Labor MP and former Industry Minister on how the power of the global tech giants and why tech sovereignty is non-negotiable. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: Who is enabling the Nudify apps? Is there a world beyond the US AI stack? And what on earth is Palintir CEO Alex Karp smoking? For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

April 22, 2026Episode 931 hr 0 min

Popular Front with Cam Wilson

The Sizzle editor (and freshly minted ABC AI reporter) joins us to make sense of the spate of attacks on CEO leaders. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: What role should AI play in Aged Care? Is all the AI Bubble talk just hot air? And how to get into a slinging match with a chat bot? For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

April 14, 2026Episode 921 hr 4 min

War Crimes with Prof Toby Walsh

On this week's Burning Platforms, Australia’s leading AI scientist, Prof Toby Walsh, takes us through the failing efforts to place limits around the automation of military conflict. Regular panelists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: Sam Altman’s moments of truth Anthropic’s Maven’s Vuln-pocalypse and the AI Bubble's Overton Window For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

April 8, 2026Episode 911 hr 2 min

Industrial Revolution with Joseph Mitchell

The ACTU’s Assistant Secretary takes us through the multiple challenges AI poses workers and the pressure points where unions are pushing back. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: Anthropic’s pitch to Canberra slop-aganda in the Iranian war and a new platform to Surf the fedi-verse For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/