"The World We Are Building" is going to expand your understanding about AI development. Learn how the industry is being built, for whom and why with the people working on the social side of this technical tool. Join host, Ally Cohen, as we envision a better future for all.
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19 recent
December 17, 20241 hr 12 min
Khaoula Chehbouni: Rethinking AI Safety, Hidden Hierarchies in AI Development and Who Gets to Decide What Makes AI Research Worthy of Publication
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Khaoula Chehbouni, PhD researcher specializing in bias and fairness in large language models.
In this episode she shares her thoughts about:
- the superficiality of prominent AI safety research
- the hidden incentives in AI development
- how responsible AI is being quietly discouraged
For more information about Khaoula's research, you can check out website!
November 26, 202444 min
Jed Brubaker & Dylan Thomas-Doyle: Data After Death
One of our most valuable assets is too often ignored in end of life planning, namely our data.
Join me as I talk with two of the researchers behind the Digital Legacy Clinic, Jed Brubaker and Dylan Thomas-Doyle from the University of Colorado Boulder.
In this episode we discuss:
- Types of post-mortem data
- How reasonable it is to feel sentimental about a Facebook page
- The creation of new cultural rituals for data after death
For more information about the Digital Legacy Clinic you can check out this link.
November 5, 202446 min
Dane Malenfant: Embedding the Indigenous Value of Reciprocity into AI Systems
In this episode, Ally speaks with Dane Malenfant, a Metis citizen pursuing a Masters in Computer science at Mila and McGill University. They discuss Dane's work at the intersection of AI and psychology and what it looks like to embed indigenous values into AI systems.
Other points of discussion include:
👆 The culture shock of Western values at McGill University
✌ Why a 1992 algorithm works better than modern AI models at integrating indigenous value sets
🖖 How principles from psychology and neuroscience are influencing AI architecture and how AI architecture influences our understanding of psychology and neuroscience
Links:
- Publication: Causality Mining in Fiction
- Publication: Contrastive Retrospection
- Linc Lab
October 22, 202446 min
Lynnsey Chartrand On Growing the Indigenous and AI Intersection: Bringing Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Indigenous Talent Together with the Pathfinders in AI Program
Australian historian Patrick Wolfe so aptly said "settler colonizers come to stay: invasion is a structure not an event". With the Indigenous Pathfinders Program, Lynnsey Chartrand is working to address the colonial legacy obstructing Indigenous representation in the field of AI. In this episode, Lynnsey sits down with Ally to discuss how she and her colleagues have built a bespoke program to enhance Indigenous representation in the AI pipeline. Lynnsey shares key take-aways from the first cohort and her vision for Indigenous leadership in the AI field.
Indspire: https://indspire.ca/about/
Indigenous Pathfinders in AI Program: https://mila.quebec/en/ai4humanity/learning/indigenous-pathfinders-in-ai
FLAIR: https://mila.quebec/en/ai4humanity/applied-projects/first-languages-ai-reality
OCAP Principles: https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/
October 1, 202431 min
Dr. Rumman Chowdhury: Reimagining Human and Artificial Intelligence
This episode is dedicated to a special person, colleague and friend. Abhishek Gupta was well known in the AI ethics community for his intelligence, kindness and humour. With this episode, we hope to carry his torch of creating accessible content on ethical AI and encouraging the public to participate in shaping the future of technology.
In this episode, Ally sits down with Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, CEO of Humane Intelligence and pioneer of AI ethics with leadership roles in Responsible AI at Accenture and Twitter.
They discuss the re-imagining of human intelligence, the fallacy of the perfectly responsible AI product, and the organizational culture that's needed to support responsible AI product development.
Links:
- Dr. Chowdhury's LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rumman/
- Humane Intelligence: https://www.humane-intelligence.org/
- "Where Responsible AI Meets Reality: Practitioner Perspectives on Enablers for Shifting Organizational Practices" https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.12358
September 10, 202445 min
Adriana Eufrosina-Bora: Tackling Modern Slavery in Global Supply Chains with AI
In this episode of "The World We Are Building", Ally sits down with Adriana Eufrosina-Bora. Adriana is an AI and Modern Slavery researcher, pursuing both her PhD on the topic at Queensland University of Technology and leading an applied research project at Mila - Quebec AI Institute.
In this episode we discuss the passion, perseverance and creativity with which Adriana created a multi-year project using AI to tackle the challenge of modern slavery by going after corporate supply chains.
For more information about the project you can check out the AIMS Github: https://github.com/the-future-society/Project-AIMS-AI-against-Modern-Slavery
August 27, 202458 min
Kulani Abendroth-Dias - Why Pictures of Policy Meetings Are Worth 1K Words
In this episode of "The World We Are Building", Ally sits down with Kulani Abendroth-Dias. In addition to being a new mom (you will hear from her newborn in the episode), Kulani is an AI risk and policy specialist with a background in behavioural science.
This episode discusses emerging questions in the field of AI policy including data traps, interoperability and governance gaps.
Kulani shares resources including:
- Blunt Force Regulation by Denise Van Der Kamp
- UNU AI Network
August 13, 202448 min
Kyle Roth - AI and Mormon Transhumanism: Technologies of Revelation and Digital Resurrection
In this episode of "The World We're Building," Ally sits down with PhD student, Kyle Roth. They talk about Mormonism's embrace of AI, particularly tools that make revelation and digital resurrection possible.
These concepts are described with reference to the Wilford Woodruff AI Experience, a large language model that has been trained to output answers to users' questions in a style similar to Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Wilford Woodruff.
For more information on the topic, see Machines for Making Gods: Mormonism, Transhumanism and Worlds Without End" by Jon Bialecki.
July 25, 202445 min
Dr. Alex Hanna - Cutting Through the Hype: On the Importance of Quality Data and Community-Driven Design
In this episode of "The World We're Building," Ally sits down with Dr. Alex Hanna, the Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR). Dr. Hanna is a computational sociologist by training, working to tackle some of the most pressing socio-technical challenges with a focus on the data. Dr. Hanna shares quality data practices and both the necessary and sufficient criteria for achieving "good AI". Dr. Hanna also debunks the myth of AI hype and describes the harm it can cause.
For further information about the DAIR team that Dr. Hanna references, you can see their website here: https://www.dair-institute.org/team/
June 9, 20241 hr 10 min
Manon Gruaz - Healing by Design: on the responsibilities of designers in the AI era, Mental Health, and Empathy in AI-development
In this episode of "The World We're Building," Ally sits down with Manon Gruaz, a trailblazing UX/UI designer and advocate for ethical, user-centered AI design. Manon's journey from France to Canada, overcoming burnout and depression, has fueled her passion for integrating empathy and human connection into technology.
Join us as Manon shares insights on the importance of understanding user contexts, the intersection of mental health and design, and innovative approach to creating calming, compassionate user experiences. Through their story, we explore how personal challenges can inspire impactful design and why putting mental health first is crucial for reclaiming our well-being.
Tune in to learn about the concept of "healing by design," the responsibilities of designers in the AI era, and how empathy-driven design can transform technology for the better. Whether you're a designer, a tech enthusiast, or someone interested in the human side of AI, this episode offers valuable perspectives and thought-provoking discussions.
Links:
Manon on LinkedIn
Manon's website
If you want to get in touch with us, feel free to reach out to Allison Cohen and/or Peter Kurzwelly on LinkedIn, or both of us on Twitter/X.
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