145. Is AI stripping our rights to liberty, privacy & self-determination? / Joanna Kavenna

In Conversation with Nathalie Nahai

In this final episode of the season, I speak with Joanna Kavenna - an English novelist, essayist and travel writer of Welsh extraction, who has written six books which explore themes of history, travel, reality and society.

Having grown up in Britain, and lived in the US, France, Germany, China, Sri Lanka, Scandinavia, Italy and the Baltic states, Joanna is the author of several critically acclaimed works of fiction and nonfiction, including The Ice Museum, Inglorious, Come to the Edge, A Field Guide to Reality and – most recently - Zed. Her novel Inglorious won the Orange Award for New Writing, and her novel The Birth of Love was longlisted for the Orange Prize.

Joanna’s writing has appeared in The New Yorker, London Review of Books, The New York Times and many other publications, and she was named as one of the Telegraph’s Best Writers under 40 in 2010 and as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists in 2013. She has also held the Alistair Horne Fellowship at St Antony’s College Oxford and the Harper-Wood at St John’s College Cambridge.

I first came across Joanna at a philosophy festival in London over the summer, called How The Light Gets In, and I had the pleasure of hearing her speak on a panel about technology, society and the future. I was mesmerised by her shimmering, constellated and poetic way of thinking and speaking, and I couldn’t resist asking if she might join me on the show. Luckily for me (and for you) she said yes, and I’m excited to share this wide-ranging conversation with you today!

SUMMARY

In this conversation, we explore the historical implications of technological advancements, the ethical considerations surrounding data usage, and the importance of agency and cognitive liberty. We touch on the nature of reality, the search for beauty in dark times, and the need for hope and resilience amidst societal challenges. Ultimately, we emphasise the necessity for participatory democracy and ethical frameworks in shaping the future of technology.

KEY THEMES

· AI is a reflection of the global human psyche.

· The historical context of technology influences art and society.

· Data usage without consent raises ethical concerns.

· Emerging technologies can lead to both progress and peril.

· Agency is crucial in navigating a tech-driven world.

· Cognitive liberty is essential for personal autonomy.

· AI can simulate human interaction but lacks true consciousness.

· Reality is often distorted by technological representations.

· Finding beauty in everyday moments can foster resilience.

· Hope is vital in facing the challenges of modern life.

WEBSITES

http://www.joannakavenna.com/

BOOKS & OTHER RESOURCES

Zed – Joanna Kavenna (http://www.joannakavenna.com/zed/)

We – Eugene Zamiatin (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76171.We)

Picnic Comma Lightning – Laurence Scott (https://amzn.to/4fKGnpW)

History for Tomorrow – Roman Krznaric (https://amzn.to/3YOGtWI)

Panel on AI ethics – https://royalinstitutephilosophy.org/event/is-ethical-ai-a-fantasy/

MUSIC

https://nathalienahai.hearnow.com/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Exploring the Global Human Psyche

05:52 Historical Context of Technology and Art

11:54 Cognitive Liberty and Data Privacy

17:30 The Role of Participatory Democracy

23:09 The Future of Human Interaction with Technology

30:21 The Humanization of AI and Its Implications

36:52 Chaos, Control, and the Essence of Being Human

43:07 The Dangers of Digital Gaslighting

50:18 Legislative Change and the Fight for Digital Rights

56:41 Surveillance Technology and Control

01:03:41 The Future of Technology and Society

Mentioned in this episode:

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