The World We Are Building Ally and Peter

This is an intro to our episode with Kasia Chmielinski



In this episode, we travel to the quaint town of Carberry, Manitoba, where we uncover the story of Alera, a young woman whose distinct characteristics have caught the eye of leading AI companies worldwide.

Amidst a future where personal data sovereignty is paramount, Alera leverages her unique traits to negotiate groundbreaking deals with tech giants. From SynthCorp's humanoid robots to Cognitech's virtual assistants and NeuroVision's virtual realities, her data promises to bring an unparalleled authenticity to AI technologies.

Tune in as we explore Alera's journey through the lens of the Iterative Trust License, a pioneering concept that ensures ongoing compensation, transparency, and insight between individuals and the tech world. This narrative not only challenges our understanding of data privacy but also provokes a deeper conversation about the ethical deployment of AI.



Join us in conversation with Kasia Chmielinski to discover if this is indeed the world we are building.

In this episode Ally and Peter is joined by the multi-faceted Kasia Chmielinski, a trisectoral professional with significant roles in industry, academia, non-profits, and government. Kasia’s career includes impactful positions at notable organizations such as Google, United Nations, McKinsey, and the United States Digital Service, alongside their co-founding role at the Data Nutrition Project.



Kasia shares insights on developing AI tools during Trump's presidency, emphasizing the importance of transparency in data sets used to train AI models. We dive deeper into the Data Nutrition Project, an initiative they co-founded to provide a "nutrition label" for data sets. A project that aims to improve the transparency of data used in AI systems by providing clear, accessible insights into the contents and quality of data, similar to nutritional information on food packaging. This approach helps developers and stakeholders make informed decisions about the data they use, promoting more ethical and unbiased AI applications.



Kasia also discusses the critical intersectionality in AI development, drawing from personal experiences growing up in a multilingual family. That illustrates how these diverse perspectives have shaped Kasia's views on technology’s role in society and stresses the necessity of incorporating these views to foster ethical AI development.



Join us as we dive into a conversation that challenges dominant narratives about AI, exploring how ethical considerations and transparency are pivotal in the evolution of AI technologies. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of AI governance and its societal impact.



Tune in to gain a broader understanding of AI beyond the hype, through the lens of a leader striving for a more inclusive and responsible technological future.



Links:

Kasia on LinkedIn

The Data Nutrition Project

Berkman Kleine Center - Kasia

Feminist Bird Club



The World We Are Building

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.

This is an intro to our episode with Krystal Kauffman



Step into a world where data is the new gold, and those who refine it hold the keys to the future. This episode of "The World We're Building" tells the dramatic sci-fi story of the Orange Run, an audacious act of civil disobedience by data labelers in 2024. These unsung heroes, once sidelined, banded together through the subreddit RejectU to challenge mass rejections and expose the biases riddling their work.



Through meticulous coordination and solidarity symbolized by their copper necklaces, these artisans not only showcased the critical flaws in AI datasets but also ignited a transformative movement in the AI industry. Discover how their strategic defiance brought about a profound shift in recognition, compensation, and career opportunities, turning data labelers from invisible cogs into respected collaborators in the AI development lifecycle.

In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked human element behind artificial intelligence, focusing on the rights and experiences of gig workers who contribute to AI development through data annotation platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk. Ally is joined by Krystal Kauffman, whose unique journey from political campaigning to advocating for gig workers provides a critical perspective on the intersection of technology and labor rights.


Krystal has a rich background in politics and community organizing, which she has leveraged in her roles at Turkopticon and DAIR to advocate for the rights and fair treatment of gig workers. Her experience as a gig worker herself, coupled with her academic pursuits in geology, provides her with a unique insight into the challenges faced by workers in the digital economy.



Learn about the significant yet often invisible role that gig workers play in the AI industry, the challenges they face, and the potential for systemic change. Krystal discusses the ethical considerations of AI development, the impact of big tech's power dynamics, and her efforts to ensure fair treatment and equitable pay for gig workers globally.



This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the critical intersections of technology, labor, and ethics. Tune in to gain a deeper appreciation for the contributions of gig workers and the pressing need for advocacy and reform in the tech industry.



Links:

Krystal on LinkedIn

Turkopticon - Blog

DAIR



The World We Are Building

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.

This is an intro to the episode with Sacha Alanoca

This story introduces "Citizen Collect," a virtual reality platform used in Japan to engage citizens directly in policy-making through immersive VR games that simulate complex ethical scenarios.

This innovative approach has skyrocketed political engagement rates, transforming traditional democratic participation and leveraging AI to synthesize public opinion into actionable policy measures, specifically around the use of facial recognition technology and AI in consumer pricing and mental health accommodations in educational settings.

This episode explores how such technologies might redefine civic engagement and democracy, reflecting on the balance between technological potential and ethical governance.

Tune into the full episode to delve deeper into these themes with insights from AI governance expert, Sacha Alanoca.

Welcome to the second episode of The World We Are Building, the podcast which aims to bring hope, agency, and critical thinking into the AI hype cycle

Today’s guest, Sacha Alanoca, has extensive experience in AI governance, currently studying at Harvard and holding significant positions related to AI policy and technology.



Sacha underscores the importance of ethical considerations in AI development, calling for policies that not only address the immediate impacts of AI technologies but also their long-term effects on society. Her work aims to balance innovation with responsibility, promoting an AI future that is inclusive and fair for all.



Main Points in this episode:

Background and Influence:

Personal Journey: Sacha’s interest in AI was piqued by her background in politics, philosophy, and economics, combined with a deep curiosity about human society and its evolution.



Cultural Influence: Sacha discusses her multicultural background (Franco-Chilean) and how the loss of indigenous languages within her family sparked her passion for cultural representativity and inclusion in AI, emphasizing the risks of standardizing behaviors that could erase unique cultural identities.



AI Governance and Fairness:

Tech as a Human Reflection: Sacha argues that technology reflects its creators—highlighting the importance of inclusive and fair tech policies that consider all of society.

AI Fairness: She is heavily involved in promoting AI fairness, ensuring technology equitably benefits all parts of society. This includes challenging the homogenization that tech often perpetuates.



Regulatory and Societal Challenges:

Challenges in Fairness: The ‘Gender Shades’ project revealed significant biases in commercial AI systems, sparking a debate on acceptable error rates and the societal implications of biased AI systems.



Policy Development: Sacha discusses the importance of involving diverse societal voices in developing AI policies that manage fairness, transparency, and accountability comprehensively.



Future Directions and Personal Goals:

Impact of AI on Society: Looking towards the future, Sacha stresses the importance of AI technologies that do not compromise societal integrity and cohesion

Role of Policy Makers: She advocates for dynamic and responsive AI policies that can quickly adapt to technological advances, ensuring that regulatory frameworks can effectively manage emerging AI risks without stifling innovation.



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.