Burning Platforms

Hosted by Per Capita Australia

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Oct 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

October 21, 2026Episode 11641 min

Science Friction with Anna-Maria Arabia

The CEO of the new Australian Council on AI Strategy on the big decisions and competing trade-offs facing Australia and where scientists fit in the conversation. Panelists Australian Writers Guild CEO Claire Pullen, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss. is the Parliamentary Inquiry AI actually worth it? should AI be in your fridge? And whether mathematics is dead. For background material go to https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

October 14, 2026Episode 11546 min

Digging for Truth with Craig Silverman

The co-founder of Indicator on how lies have taken over the internet and what we can all do to build a better information ecosystem. Also this week: Culture wars over digital duty of care AI as an intellectual hot dog and what the Firmus flop could mean for datacentres For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

October 6, 2026Episode 11445 min

Open Season with Simon Kriss

As Open AI apologises to Australia the CEO of Sovereign AI takes us through the relative merits of open weight, open source and closed AI models. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinong and Pert Capita’s peter Lewis also discuss the downsides of live-streaming amateur basketball Anthropic’s consultations with God and the rapid release of consumer agents For show notes go to Burning Platforms on substack - https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

September 30, 2026Episode 11346 min

Rearview Mirror with Matt Finch

As Australia confronts the Open AI hack on Medicare we are joined by an expert in strategic foresight to explore how we can confront the AI revolution with the benefit of hindsight. Panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, ABC national AI reporter Cam Wilson and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: whether AI models can get drunk is it time for an AI Pause? and Audrey Tang’s call for a citizen jury to guide AI For show notes go to Burning Platforms on substack - https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

September 22, 2026Episode 11248 min

Tame Your Feed with Agata Stepnik

The Sydney University scholar explains how people can train their algorithms to get a better online experience and what it means to the Digital Duty of Care. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: Frontier Tech’s global reckoning Open AI’s massive content heist and the Australian bros building a global slop empire For cuts and curios from this week’s show go to Burning Platforms on Substack

September 14, 2026Episode 11146 min

Care Package with Sarah Davies

The CEO of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation gives her verdict on the government’s new Digital Duty of care laws. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: the AI hyperscaler’ cry for help Apple’s creepy new release and the surveillance legacy of 9/11. For show notes go to https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

September 9, 2026Episode 11051 min

Making Sausages with Kate Chaney

The independent MP on her community-driven plan for AI, working with government from the cross-bench and pushing the pace of reform. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: GetUp’s big Palantir win Rogue AI latest salvo and the Digital Duty of Care laws For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

September 2, 2026Episode 10949 min

Perv Glass Half Full with Ed Santow

As privacy reforms gather momentum, the co-director of the Human Technology Institute walks us through the proposed changes and their implications for the digital world. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: Meta’s mega $18 billion legal settlement for harming children Hugging Face’s AI agents mutiny And the hidden cost of the AUKUS treaty For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

August 26, 2026Episode 10849 min

Duty of Care with Zoe Hawkins

The co-founder of the Tech Policy Design Centre on the development of new laws to hold tech companies to account for the harms of their products. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also dig into: The new salt mines of AI Australia’s pitch for AI sovereignty and ARIA’s purge of slop from the music charts For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

August 19, 2026Episode 10745 min

Heaps Normal with Nicholas Davis

The co-founder of the Human Technology lays down his megapixel provocation and challenges us to stop thinking about AI as being so different that we can’t control it. Panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, ABC National AI Reporter Cam Wilson and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss Can Automated Decision Making work for the people? Is the Social Media Ban making things worse? Is surveillance-busting ‘adversarial fashion’ the new black? For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/