Burning Platforms

Hosted by Per Capita Australia

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Aug 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

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/

August 12, 2026Episode 10650 min

Mind Craft with Dr Miah Hammond-Errey

The national security expert on the strategic risks of cognitive readiness and information is the new theatre of conflict. Panellists Australian Writers Guild CEO Claire Pullen, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: Pornography as harbinger of digital doom Mark Zuckerburg’s values-free ‘Encyclical’ Australia’s nascent Digital Duty of Care. For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

August 5, 2026Episode 10550 min

Roll Your Own with Beth Noveck

The author of 'Reboot: AI and the Race to Save Democracy' on how citizens must seize new technology to ensure it works for them. Regular panelists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O'Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita's Peter Lewis also discuss Anthropic's rare book-breaking binge Backlash over the surveillance of open models How to regulate perv glasses For show notes and further discussion go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

August 3, 2026Episode 1041 hr 0 min

Fair AI at the ALP Conference 2026 - Burning Platforms LIVE

Burning Platforms is back for another live show, this time recorded at the 2026 ALP Conference in Adelaide where we launched the "FairAI Initiative" with Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Human technology Institute co-director Ed Santow and Senator Tony Sheldon. Join the Burning Platforms for show notes, resources, and regular updates from the Big Tech Policy space: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/ For more on the Centre of the Public Square and it's research into AI policy, check out: https://percapita.org.au/the-centre-of-the-public-square/ Last but no least, learn more about the Fair AI Initiative here: https://www.fairai.au/

July 29, 2026Episode 1031 hr 21 min

Believe it or not: Navigating the Misinformation Age LIVE

In a world of relative facts and filter bubbles how do we build a common base of reality to anchor democracy? Burning Platforms will bring themes from the ABC series ‘A Matter of Facts’ to life in a fun and interactive live event that will challenge you to pick the truth from the lies. Featuring: Hamish Macdonald, award-winning journalist Lizzie O’Shea, Co-founder and Chair of Digital Rights Watch Jess Scully, Executive Director of RadicalXChange Emma McDonald, Media Lawyer, policy, regulatory and communications executive Professor Leo Robba and social design students from Western Sydney University Hosted by Essential’s Peter Lewis, and supported by Democracy Counts, we’ll explore what it means for democracy when so much of the content we’re consuming blurs the lines between fact and fiction, when our shared sense of reality becomes fractured.

July 7, 2026Episode 1021 hr 2 min

The Palantir Primer

Burning Platform is back from its brief hiatus for a special live Virtual Town Hall, convened on July 6th, looking at the growing fight to resist the US tech behemoth, in partnership with Digital Rights Watch and GetUp! Hosted by Per Capita's Peter Lewis, with speakers: * DRW chair Lizzie O'Shea * GetUp! campaigner Hayden Rodgers * Australian Greens Senator David Shoebridge Show notes available at: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/p/your-palantir-primer

June 18, 2026Episode 10154 min

Little Voices with Clare Stutchbery

This week on Burning Platforms, we're joined by the head of the Local and Independent News Association, Clare Stutchbery, to get her insights on the importance of media diversity in an age of information hierarchies. Panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Australian Writers Guild CEO Claire Pullin and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also explore: Why has Trump blocked Anthropic’s latest model? Is Google responsible for its AI news summaries? Are Gina and Elon a match made in heaven? For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

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/