Policy Prompt

Do emerging technologies inherently serve the greater good? Join Policy Prompt hosts Vass and Paul in a discussion with world-renowned economist Daron Acemoglu, on his recent book Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, co-authored with Simon Johnson (PublicAffairs, 2023). Following the launch of this episode, the announcement was made that Acemoglu, Johnson and James Robinson share this year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their groundbreaking research on global inequality. The hosts and Acemoglu discuss the implications of technological prowess on the global stage, the impacts of artificial intelligence on the future of work and education, and the building blocks of techno-optimism.Mentioned:Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity (PublicAffairs, 2023)GenAI: Too Much Spend, Too Little Benefit? (Goldman Sachs, June 25, 2024)Further Reading:Daron Acemoglu, “The Simple Macroeconomics of AI” (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, May 12, 2024)Robin Wigglesworth, “Daron Acemoglu is not having all this AI hype” (Financial Times, May 28, 2024)Thomas B. Edsall, “Will A.I. Be a Creator or a Destroyer of Worlds?” (The New York Times, June 25, 2024)Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty (Penguin Random House, 2020)In-Show Clips:TED with Cathie Wood: “Why AI Will Spark Exponential Economic Growth”Goldman Sachs: “A skeptical look at AI investment”TEDxSioux Falls with Natasha Berg: “Should we let students use ChatGPT?”CBC News, About That: “AI's hidden climate costs”TODAY: “Teens open up about the impact of social media on their lives”Credits:Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.Original music by Joshua Snethlage.Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.Be sure to follow us on social media.X: @_policypromptIG: @_policypromptListen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

In this episode, the Policy Prompt hosts are joined by Grant Bollmer and Katherine Guinness, authors of The Influencer Factory: A Marxist Theory of Corporate Personhood on YouTube (Stanford University Press, 2024), to discuss the evolving landscape of influencer culture. The episode touches on the growing phenomenon of “uncancelability” among influencers, the rise of artificial intelligence–powered avatars and the impact of fluctuating platform regulations.Mentioned:The Influencer Factory: A Marxist Theory of Corporate Personhood on YouTube (Stanford University Press, 2024)The Influencer Marketing Hub claims that the worldwide influencer marketing industry is worth nearly US$21.1 billion, a 29 percent jump from 2022Jon Porter, “TikTok’s big day in court is here: all the news on attempts to ban the video platform” (The Verge, September 16, 2024)AI Influencer profile, Miquela “Lil Miquela” Sousa: Miquela (@lilmiquela) Instagram photos and videos; Eric Chang, “@LilMiquela is an Instagram IT Girl, Social Influencer, and Recording Artist — She’s Also a Digital Simulation” (Vogue, August 17, 2017)Further Reading:Grant Bollmer’s official websiteKatherine Guinness’s official websiteGrant Bollmer’s Materialist Media Theory: An Introduction (Bloomsbury, 2019)Grant Bollmer’s Theorizing Digital Cultures (Sage, 2018)Contemporary Absurdities, Existential Crises, and Visual Art, edited by Katherine Guinness and Charlotte Kent (Intellectual Books, forthcoming October 2024)In-Show Clips:Mia Maples: “Testing Tiktok VIRAL Products”A Beautiful Mess: “Elsie’s Home Tour Video”MrBeast: “Train Vs Giant Pit”StarTalk: “William Shatner Has Questions for Neil deGrasse Tyson”BeFullyDevoted: “THE DAILY GRACE CO HAUL”Shane Dawson: “The Secret World of Jeffree Starr”The Try Guys: “the new try guys”Lil Miquela: Miquela (@lilmiquela) Instagram photos and videosCredits:Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.Original music by Joshua Snethlage.Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.Be sure to follow us on social media.X: @_policypromptIG: @_policypromptListen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

Marietje Schaake joins the hosts to discuss her book The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley (Princeton University Press, 2024). Informed by Marietje’s experience working at the forefront of tech governance, the conversation explores strategies for effective government regulation and ways citizens can counterbalance the immense power wielded by today’s tech giants, to promote a more democratic digital landscape.Mentioned:The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley (Princeton University Press, released September 24, 2024 )The Tech Coup websiteCIGI’s Global Commission on Internet GovernanceFurther Reading:Marietje Schaake | FSI (stanford.edu) (Stanford profile page and publications)Marietje Schaake (ft.com) (Financial Times column page)In-Show Clips:Yahoo Finance: “CEO talks Big Tech and rights of users”Al Jazeera English: “Social media blamed for Myanmar’s tribal dispute”CNBC, “Why The U.S. Government And Big Tech Disagree On Encryption”CNBC Television: “Facebook lays out details for content oversight board”Euronews: “Poland to investigate alleged use of Pegasus spyware by last government”CBS News: “Appeals court allows TikTok lawsuit over girl’s death in viral challenge”Credits:Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.Original music by Joshua Snethlage.Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.Be sure to follow us on social media.X: @_policypromptIG: @_policypromptListen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

Welcome to Policy Prompt, a new podcast from the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). Hosted by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson, Policy Prompt will keep you abreast of the most pressing policy challenges in the digital era. Discussions with today’s thought leaders will cover the latest developments in tech and governance and their impact on communities worldwide. Join us biweekly for new episodes, available on all major podcast platforms.Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.Original music by Joshua Snethlage.Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.Be sure to follow us on social media.X: @_policypromptIG: @_policypromptListen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.