Burning Platforms

Is the rise of AI inevitable or just the latest cycle of hype for a sector that thrives on the vibes? The author of “Resisting AI’, Professor Dan McQuillan, joins the show to argue for a more fundamental response to Big Tech.   Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: the launch of AI’s new Sora video prod...

The co-author of ‘Conspiracy Nation’ takes us on his journey into the world of anti-vaxxers, wellness influencers and sovereign citizens.   Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: The call for AI Red Lines The rise of Work Slop And Murdoch’s Tik-Tok play.   In October we will beholding a series of live sh...

The tech industry is pitching data mining and new infrastructure as the key to national prosperity. But will it deliver? And if so, for whom?   Tech Council of Australia CEO, Damian Kassabgi joins regular panelists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis for the latest episode of Burning Platforms.   The show also covers: fresh concerns...

“I’m concerned that AI and big tech – well, big tech with AI – has gone into a full-court press… particularly on the federal system...I’m concerned that without thinking it through clearly enough, policy makers won’t essentially subject the slogans to sufficient scrutiny.”   This week on Burning Platforms, we recorded our special briefing for cultural creators and those who value their work to dis...

New Federal industry and science minister Tim Ayres shares his take on industry policy, AI's opportunities and risks, and how we could steer through the latest wave of tech change. With regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton, and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civil...

Can Australia play a leading role in imagining a tech future that isn’t controlled by either the US or China? Johanna Weaver from the Tech Policy Design Institute expands on her recent essay ‘System Update - An Australian-led new deal for tech’ - https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/essay/2025/06/tech-wars   Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Sti...

The Large Language Models are powered by stolen data but there are new and innovative ways to make the thieves pay. Professor Toby Walsh explains the tech-driven resistance to Big AI from data poisoning to responsible cloud computing. With panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Editor of the Sizzle Cam Wilson, and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis we also discuss: Qantas’ big data hack Victor...

"I thought old people got scammed. And actually young people are at greater risk because they have more confidence in dealing [with things] online." This week on Burning Platforms, the team learns how the financial scam industry has become an enthusiastic early adapter of AI and how the banks are working around the clock to ensure they aren’t the ones liable for the ensuing harm.  With our regular...

"What could things have become? You could imagine if the baton had been passed from the Obama administration to a Clinton administration... an American public much more ready... for the turns in AI that we are facing now."   On this week's Burning Platforms, our panel spends some quality time with the architect of the Biden Administration’s AI executive order, Dr Alondra Nelson.   With regular pan...

  Burning Platforms struggles to make sense of white genocide, design unicorns and the all-seeing Apple Eye. E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant joins regular panellists Digital Rights Watch founder Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis for our regular dive into the world of tech and politics. Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newslet...

Good things come in threes and this week’s Burning Platforms looks at the inspiration behind the new Pope’s decision to name himself Leo, the critical changes to the Labor Government’s front bench and Mark Zuckerberg maximum number of friends.   Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis and joined by Professor Dan Angus...

With a federal election within days, Burning Platforms looks at the lack of discussion about tech and whether that is a good or bad thing.   With Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Per Capita’s Peter Lewis and special guests, Editor of The Sizzle, Cam Wilson and Dr Rys Farthing from Reset Australia.   Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the...

As the world teeters on the brink of whatever comes after globalisation we dive deep into the way AI is transforming film-making with the director of the iconic Australian film Kenny, Clay Jacobson.   Our regular panel of Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: The theory that the Trump Tariffs were cooked up by a chatbot T...

On this week's episode of Burning Platforms, the gang looks at global efforts to force Big Tech to pay their share of tax with special guest Dr Mark Zirnsak from the Tax Justice Network.   With our regular panelists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis.   Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre f...

  This week on Burning Platforms, we dive deep into a new initiative to understand the role of Trust in the relationship between society and technology with special guest, Professor Terry Flew.   With regular panelists Per Capita’s Peter Lewis,  Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine Dan Stinton, we'll also look at:  Data Centre Diplomacy will Google’s AI search eat itself? and...

Burning Platforms is back for 2025. With the tech overlords in the ascendant, particularly following the US election, we take stock of the impending inferno with our regular panel Per Capita’s Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine Dan Stinton, and special guest, fresh from the Paris AI Summit, Professor Nick Davis from UTS’ Human Technology Institute. Don't forget to...

In our final episode of 2024 we unpack the recent Senate Report into the Adoption of AI in Australia with Committee Chair Senator Tony Sheldon.   We also look at: Woolworth's industrial dispute over workplace surveillance Why Meta is building a deep sea cable to India How TikTok was gamed to deliver an election boil over in Romania   With regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea...

Burning Platforms dives deep into the common ground between national security and individual privacy with cybersecurity expert Miah Hammond-Errey, host of the Technology and Security podcast.   Also this week: * Bunnings wrapped over facial recognition * Trump’s crypto bonanza * and could the Social Media Ban have a silver lining?   Panelists: * Digital Rights Watch chair, Lizzie O’Shea,  * Health...

  The upcoming US Presidential elections will shape - and be shaped by - the Web3 community. We talk with Mark Monfort from the Aus De-Fi Association on what the moment means.   He joins our panel of Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton, digital rights advocate Kate Bower and Peter Lewis from Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.   Also this week: * The new front on chat-bot accountability * Is Emoti...

As researchers are locked out of digital platforms, we contemplate a new era of control and secrecy, with responsible tech academic Gina Neff. She joins our panel of  Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie OShea, Choice’s digital campaign lead Rafi Alam and Peter Lewis from Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square. Also this week: The Social Media Summit takeaways The eyes inside our cars And the Nobel...

Open AI's Sam Altman has launched a new product line with a new business model and a new philosophy. But do they all line up?  Lee Schofield from ‘Future is Now’ with our regular panelists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton.   We also cover ·      The fallout from 7-Eleven’s privacy breach  ·      Misinformation and disinformation laws  ·      And  Mark Zuck...

Listen to our live virtual town hall briefing to discuss the Federal Government’s much anticipated plans for privacy reform and the launch o the Privacy Now campaign - https://privacynow.org.au/ .   With: Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind Human Technology Institute director Ed Santow Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea   Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Sq...

  What can Only Fans teach us about the internet? Social media academic Emily van der Nagel takes us through her research with content creators and consumers to reveal the logic behind a very different platform.   She joins our regular panel of Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Centre of the Public Square convenor Peter Lewis.   Also this week: The arrest...

In this week's episode if Burning Platforms, the panel dives into the product liability of companion apps with consumer law academia, Jeannie Peterson. Also this week, they touch on: * the UK riots and platform responsibility * Musk’s X-rated presidential dalliance * and the People’s bid for TiKTok Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita ’s Centre of the Public Square. Don't forget to sub...

Forget intelligent machines waging war on humans, the real threat could be the amount of energy and water data processing centres are sucking up in the service of AI.   Gordon Noble from UTS’s Institute of Sustainable Futures has been crunching the numbers and it makes for alarming reading.   He joins our regular panel of Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and...