13 episodes

Techtonic is a new podcast from human rights organisation Article 19, hosted by tech reporter Chris Stokel-Walker and produced by Christopher Hooton and Nicola Kelly.

The new series looks at freedom of expression online with a focus on the human impact of Big Tech and social media. We speak to experts around the world, including the former Head of Elections at Twitter, digital rights activists and journalists and we hear from those at the sharp end of AI, deepfake technologies, internet shutdowns and more.

Techtonic ARTICLE 19

    • News
    • 5.0 • 12 Ratings

Techtonic is a new podcast from human rights organisation Article 19, hosted by tech reporter Chris Stokel-Walker and produced by Christopher Hooton and Nicola Kelly.

The new series looks at freedom of expression online with a focus on the human impact of Big Tech and social media. We speak to experts around the world, including the former Head of Elections at Twitter, digital rights activists and journalists and we hear from those at the sharp end of AI, deepfake technologies, internet shutdowns and more.

    Israel-Hamas: verifying truth in the fog of war

    Israel-Hamas: verifying truth in the fog of war

    The Israel-Hamas war has proven to be a particularly fraught conflict on social media.
    Finding out what’s happening on the ground has been complicated by a number of issues: the divisiveness of the debate on both sides, and how entrenched each viewpoint is; the ease with which alternative narratives are broadcast; and the immediate emotional responses that content can trigger. 
    In this, the last episode of the series, host Chris Stokel-Walker speaks to Valerie Wirtschafter, a Fellow in Foreign Policy and the Artificial Intelligence Initiative at the Brookings Institution about the solutions to these issues and how we can verify truth in the fog of war.
    Producers: Christopher Hooton and Nicola Kelly.
    Find out more about ARTICLE 19's work and follow us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/article19org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTICLE19org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/article19/

    • 34 min
    AI's inequality problem

    AI's inequality problem

    The world grows ever more dominated by artificial intelligence. We’re promised huge productivity gains and streamlining benefits to make our lives easier, but there are significant drawbacks. 
    The data underpinning AI is biased, the technology can amplify inequalities, and it's unclear who will set crucial standards for the sector and how they will be imposed.
    In this episode, host Chris Stokel-Walker speaks to Rumman Chowdhury, Responsible AI Fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center, who has long been a campaigner for equality in technology. She fears we’re giving the keys to our society to a small group of companies that have shown they can’t be fully trusted.
    Find out more about ARTICLE 19's work and follow us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/article19org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTICLE19org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/article19/

    • 42 min
    The small town newspaper raided by police

    The small town newspaper raided by police

    When Eric Meyer answered the door to the home he shared with his mother on August 11, 2023, he couldn’t have expected what was waiting on the other side.
    The editor and proprietor of a small Kansas newspaper was being raided by police, who were looking for evidence of supposed illegal data access by one of his reporters.
    Not used to seeing the police intervene so overtly and unabashedly in the workings of the press, Americans sent letters of support to the newspaper in their tens of thousands.
    In this episode, Eric tells host Chris Stokel-Walker how he believes the raid was politically motivated; this small town scuffle potentially being an augur for the future of press freedom in a world where opinion is increasingly replacing fact-based news.
    Producers: Christopher Hooton and Nicola Kelly
    Find out more about ARTICLE 19's work and follow us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/article19org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTICLE19org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/article19/

    • 39 min
    The artist suing AI giants

    The artist suing AI giants

    Generative AI is overhauling the way we work and live - and giving superpowers to ordinary individuals to create smart copy and stunning images in fractions of a second, but at whose expense? 

    In this week's episode, host Chris Stokel-Walker speaks to Karla Ortiz, an artist from Puerto Rico who has drawn for Marvel, HBO, ILM, Universal and more. She has also launched a lawsuit against three large generative AI platforms, alleging mass copyright infringement of her work.

    She tells Chris how she felt when she learned her artistic expression had allegedly been co-opted, and what impact it’s had on her both professionally and personally.
    Producers: Christopher Hooton and Nicola Kelly
    Find out more about ARTICLE 19's work and follow us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/article19org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTICLE19org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/article19/

    • 37 min
    Chat GPT and the fake Guardian article

    Chat GPT and the fake Guardian article

    Generative AI can do a lot of useful things: summarise text, spark inspiration and analyse patterns and data. But it can also makes things up, including entire articles from The Guardian.
    In this episode, host Chris Stokel-Walker speaks to The Guardian's Head of Editorial Innovation, Chris Moran, about the day he was made aware of an article which never actually existed, though Chat GPT swore otherwise. He describes the newspaper's approach to AI and the many egregious implications the technology will have on the future of journalism.
    Producers: Christopher Hooton and Nicola Kelly
    Find out more about ARTICLE 19's work and follow us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/article19org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTICLE19org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/article19/

    • 35 min
    Could you live without your phone?

    Could you live without your phone?

    Our mobiles are a gateway to the world, holding news and entertainment, personal details and banking account information, friendships - even romances start there. Phones are a treasure trove of information, which is why governments in countries like the Philippines want to access them.

    In this episode of 'Techtonic', host Chris Stokel-Walker speaks to Mong Palatino, former Filipino congressman, now activist and writer, about a new law requiring users to hand over their names and government IDs to register their SIM cards. Is this to police citizens, or is it a crack down on dissent? Mong tells Chris what it means to sign over your digital life to the authorities.

    Producers: Christopher Hooton and Nicola Kelly
    Find out more about ARTICLE 19's work and follow us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/article19org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTICLE19org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/article19/

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
12 Ratings

12 Ratings

angelniks ,

Such an insightful show!

I’ve learnt quite a bit from this podcast so I’m looking forward to more episodes. It’s a must listen to for those interested in the human impact of tech. And the sound track is pretty good.

Okcat131 ,

Such a vital topic right now

Looking forward to more episodes 🤲

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