Utopias, Dystopias and Today's Technology
AI/ML, the blockchain and many other nascent technologies are already affecting peoples’ lives across our planet, yet a discussion as to how these effects play out and whether they produce dystopian or utopian conditions is still largely missing. Where there are discussions about technology and ethics, they mostly come from decisively western ethical traditions and they are often concentrated not on what is good but merely the negative consequences that those technologies might bring and how to avoid the worst. We expect technologies to solve our problems and to catapult us into a future of abundance, improved health and ecosystems flourishing. Yet what those hopes are and how we shall arrive in this world of plenty must be discussed on a global level in order for us to steer the ship and not have the ship float our lives into random and perhaps dystopian waters, determined only by profits. The purpose of this podcast then, is to spur an inclusive discussion with expert thinkers who are underrepresented in today’s discussions about these new technologies and what they can achieve or break in our global societies.
Episodes
25 episodes
AI, ESG and Startups
Join us in this episode of "Utopias, Dystopias, and Today's Technology" as host Johannes sits down with Christian Lazopoulos, a seasoned expert in the FinTech and ESG sectors. We step into the world of AI, exploring its rise, potential, and the...
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Season 2
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1:31:26
'The Artificial Era': Bridging AI, Music, Sustainability, and Societal Impact for the Future.
In this episode of "Utopias, Dystopias and Today's Technology," host Johannes invites the multifaceted AI expert and celebrated pianist Gissel Velarde for an exploration of AI, music, and society.Starting off with Gissel's journey in th...
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Season 1
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1:02:00
Coding Nepal's Future: A Unique Blend of High-Tech and Tradition in the Himalayas
Venture with us into the unique conversation nexus of Utopias, Dystopias, and Today's Technology. This episode features the thought leader, Umesh Upadhyaya, Co-founder of HPCNepal, who, along with our host, Johannes Castner, navigates the inter...
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Season 1
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1:25:54
AI's Trajectory: From '80s Beginnings to the GPT Era and Beyond
Join our host Johannes and AI expert Neville Newey as they explore the intricate world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and consciousness. This compelling discussion ventures into the origins of AI, its evolution from the AI ...
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Season 1
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1:15:28
Transforming Finance: Varun Mehta's Work on India's Future in FinTech
India's FinTech Revolution" is the topic of this week's installment of the 'Utopias, Dystopias and Today's Technology' podcast, facilitated by your host Johannes and featuring guest Varun Mehta.Mehta offers a unique perspective on India...
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Season 1
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1:09:59
Shaping Work's Future: AI, Gig Economy, & Tech-Driven Transformation
Ben Legg, co-founder of the Portfolio Collective and host Johannes discuss the evolving job market and gig economy. They touch upon the role of emerging technologies, such as AI and Blockchain, that are contributing to the reshaping of our prof...
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43:37
Prototyping Futures: Anatola Araba's Exploration of Art, AI, and the Metaverse
Join us in the latest episode of Utopias, Dystopias, and Today's Technology, where host Johannes engages in a stimulating discourse with the multifaceted Anatola Araba, a NYC-based futurist, visual artist, and journalist. Araba's work, known fo...
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Season 1
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1:07:18
Empowering Diverse Learners with Ananya Agrawal's Unique EdTech Approach
In this episode of Utopias, Dystopias and Today's Technology, host Johannes engages with Ananya Agrawal, an education technology (EdTech) expert who began her professional journey building an educational platform for remote Himalayan villages. ...
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1:18:19
Exploring the Relationship Between Consciousness and Artificial Intelligence
In this podcast, guest Srijit Panja and host Johannes discuss and debate the complex and fascinating relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and consciousness. They explore the differences between brain-like and brain-inspired AI syst...
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1:11:55
Digital Health Frontiers: Balancing Innovation, Ethics, and the Human Touch in Healthcare
In this episode of "Utopias, Dystopias, and Today's Technology," host Johannes and digital health expert Claudia Pagliari dive into the critical interplay between healthcare, technology, and ethics. Discover Sir Berners Lee's Solid project, aim...
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1:16:22
AI, Human Cloning, and the Future: Exploring the Boundaries of Singularity and Transhumanism
In this episode, host Johannes and Christian Wilk engage in a deep conversation about artificial intelligence (AI), human enhancement, and the future of society. They discuss human cloning and the potential utopian and dystopian outcomes, delvi...
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Season 1
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1:35:55
Shaping Conscious Machines, Semantic Capital, and Our Digital Future
Explore the future of AI and ethics with host Johannes and Enrico Panai in this riveting podcast episode. They dive deep into the entanglement of consciousness, empathy, and ethics, and discuss the role of the state in AI development. Dis...
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59:32
Quantum Consciousness Unveiled: Exploring the Mind's Hidden Dimension & Encountering Smart Zombies
Dive into the world of quantum consciousness with host Johannes and Utpal Chakraborty as they explore the fascinating intersection of science, philosophy, and human experience. Utpal shares his groundbreaking ideas on how consciousness and aspe...
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1:50:21
ChatGPT and Beyond: Unpacking the Potential of Large Language Models
In this episode of Utopias, Dystopias and Today's Technology, host Johannes talks to data scientist Alan Tominey about ChatGPT, GPT-3, GPT-4, Meta's Galactica and other large language models. They discuss Noam Chomsky's critique of these mode...
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Season 1
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1:44:13
AI Ethics and Democracy: Debating Algorithm-Mediated Direct Democracy and the Democratization of AI
In a stimulating conversation about the intersection of democracy and AI, AI ethicist Dorothea Baur and host Johannes discuss the term "democratization of AI" and its disingenuous use by "technology evangelists." They explored the use o...
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Season 1
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1:07:54
Digital Twins for Refugees
In this episode of Utopias, Dystopias and Today's Technology, host Johannes talks with Richard Thickpenny about his groundbreaking work with digital twins for refugees. By enabling refugees to take control of their own data and monetize it thro...
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Season 1
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1:08:57
Diving Deep into Deepfakes: excuse me, that’s my face!
At times chilling, at times inspiring, guest Rajendra Shroff leads host Johannes deep into the world of deepfakes and their potential for both political manipulation and artistic expression. They discuss the devastating case of journalist Rana ...
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1:28:34
Revolutionizing the Internet: The Movement of Web3 and the Fight for User Control.
Experience the conversation between host Johannes and Yasmin Al-Douri about the web3 movement and the challenges it faces. They discussed Tim Berners-Lee's critique of blockchain and the potential privacy concerns it poses and they speculated a...
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Season 1
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1:20:58
The Challenge of Ethical AI: A Virtue Ethics Perspective
The rapid speed of technological innovation and the slow speed of ethical learning make it challenging to ensure that AI and other technologies align with sound moral values. Powerful tech leaders, who design these systems, may not fully unders...
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1:15:46
The Future of Money: Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
Join the discussion with Johannes Castner and Flávio Azevedo as they delve into the world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Flávio, a founder in the industry, shares his perspectives on the role of central banks and the current monetary syste...
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1:20:58
Empowering the Next Generation: The Key to Building a Technological Utopia
In this conversation, Nigerian educator, Mr. Amara Sesay imparts his insight on the significance of cooperation within the tech community. He holds that the ultimate goal of creating a technology-based utopia can only be achieved through the cu...
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Season 1
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43:34
The Metaverse, with Ashish Kumar Singh
Greetings, fellow inquirers. Host Johannes and Ashish Kumar Singh invite you to embark upon an excursion into the digital realm of the Metaverse. With them, you shall explore its paradoxical aspects, both, in terms of skepticism and...
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Season 1
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48:38
Techno Womanism
This is a conversation between Shamika Klassen and host, Johannes Castner, about Shamika's original concept Techno Womanism, what influenced her to create the concept and many other related ideas, such as identity. Shamika's paper on ...
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Season 1
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1:01:24
The Sharing Economy, the Peer-to-Peer Economy and the Collaborative Economy
This is the first full length episode of Utopias, Dystopias and Today's Technology. Our guest is Somil Gupta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/somilguptaai/The topic is, as the title suggests, about the terms "Sharing Economy", "Pe...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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56:23