Metaviews to the Future

Jesse Hirsh welcomes Cameron Cowan to Metaviews for an engaging discussion that traverses the complexities of contemporary politics, media, and the future of AI. The conversation kicks off with an exploration of current events, including the legal troubles surrounding Rudy Giuliani, which highlights the often ironic and convoluted nature of political alliances and consequences. Cowan shares his in...

The future of storytelling is being revolutionized by the accessibility of generative AI tools, allowing anyone to become a creator without the traditional barriers of entry. Host Jesse Hirsh welcomes Erich Archer, a seasoned public broadcaster and media innovator, to explore how technology intersects with creativity and public media. Archer shares his journey from commercial television to communi...

Jesse Hirsh engages in an enlightening conversation with Leighton Campbell about the importance of happiness and the concept of a "happiness equation." Leighton emphasizes that happiness is not just a fleeting emotion but a dynamic state that individuals can actively influence. He argues that we have a moral obligation to maintain our happiness not only for ourselves but also for those around us,...

In this episode of Metaviews, host Jesse Hirsh dives into the transformative world of composting with special guest Tim Steckel, a passionate advocate and practitioner of soil health and sustainable waste management. Together, they explore the science, art, and philosophy of composting, shedding light on how simple practices can yield profound environmental and economic benefits. Tim shares action...

Join Jesse Hirsh as he engages in a fascinating conversation with David Fingrut, delving into the vibrant history of the media collective and its impact on Toronto's cultural landscape in the 1990s. They explore how this unique social network fostered collaboration among diverse individuals, bridging various political ideologies while promoting creative projects that challenged mainstream narrativ...

Roni Robbins, an award-winning author and seasoned journalist, joins Jesse Hirsh on Metaviews to discuss her novel, "Hands of Gold," which delves into her family's remarkable history and the enduring themes of survival and resilience. The conversation highlights the profound impact of personal stories shaped by trauma and triumph, particularly in the context of the Holocaust and the challenges fac...

Jim Marshall introduces the revolutionary concept of Septemics, a philosophical science that categorizes human phenomena into a hierarchy of seven levels. With a background as a polymathic intellectual, Jim shares insights from his extensive studies spanning psychology, philosophy, and various other disciplines, emphasizing the importance of synthesis in understanding complex human experiences. He...

Hey friends! We're back! Episode 16: Resurgence After a long hiatus, Metaviews to the Future returns with a renewed sense of purpose. In this special episode, we reflect on the journey of Metaviews so far—its origins, milestones, and the critical conversations that have defined our work. This moment of resurgence marks the beginning of a new chapter, as we double down on our mission to envision a...

The pandemic has transformed work and learning, and this will be particularly evident as we emerge into a post-pandemic world. One person’s disruption is another person’s opportunity. Similarly some organizations have responded with incredible resilience, and are experiencing unprecedented growth and success. Historically great crises and catastrophes are followed by renaissances and periods of in...

As a futurist and social designer, Andriana Lagoudes builds inclusive systems for sidelined people to unlearn their shame. Andriana does this by navigating and researching through complex political problems to design new code based on people’s best case scenario. In this episode of Metaviews, Andriana joins host Jesse Hirsh to talk about the politics of the future, the politics of care, and why we...

Vasiliki Bednar from Regs2Riches.com joins Jesse Hirsh to talk about the problems arising from copy and paste public policy. This is what happens when policy makers copy other jurisdictions blindly, rather than engage in a policy process that adapts to the needs of jurisdiction. Obviously policy makers can and should learn from each other and best practices, yet often the process is the purpose, a...

Business_Daddy is the name of a twitch user, artist, community organizer, chef, and brilliant intellectual. Their efforts to create community on twitch are both inspirational, but also controversial. In this tale of algorithmic injustice, we explore how on social media, you're often presumed guilty, without the opportunity to prove your innocence. https://twitter.com/hotdoghalo

Alberto Cottica from the Science Fiction Economics Lab joins Jesse Hirsh to talk about Sociopathic Innovation and using science fiction to imagine alternate economic systems. Alberto's essay on sociopathic innovation: https://edgeryders.eu/t/sociopathic-innovation-how-we-are-investing-most-in-the-most-evil-technologies-long/15979 The science fiction economics lab: https://scifieconomics.world/

Jesse Hirsh speaks with Reuben Christian about his work exploring the intersections of our culture while getting people together to experience joy. He argues we need more emotional literacy to better appreciate our shared humanity. If more people could meet themselves, perhaps we'd focus more on our presence, rather than our future. https://www.instagram.com/reubenchristian1/

Vasiliki Bednar leads us on a discussion on the potential of public platforrms. We have come to rightfully resent the propaganda of the gig economy that assures us platform companies are equitable when they tend to be exploitative. But they don’t have to be predatory. Other jurisdictions are experimenting with  worker-owned platform co-operatives . It’s not too hard to imagine public sector p...

The pandemic has empowered professionals to pursue a balance between life and work, leading many to move out of major cities to find refuge in rural communities. What does this shift mean for the future of work and the role of super cities? How should government policies support rural economic development while also investing in cities as economic engines? Is the Internet transforming where we wor...

Chad Thiele is the founder of the AI Content Dojo, a group exploring the rise of GPT-3 powered automating writing and copy editing tools. We spoke with him about the emerging industry forming around APIs like GPT-3 and other automated media tools.

Murley Herrle-Fanning joins us to discuss NFTs, crypto art, and virtual real estate. As per usual, the reporting on this technology driven phenomena is misleading at best, entirely wrong at worst. Although I’m not convinced that this is a technology story per se, but rather an investing, or scam story. In so far as the Art world is a combination of the two. For example the figures cited in NFT sto...

This is the recording of a Metaviews salon we conducted in February 2021, with Vasiliki Bednar and Greg Majster. It was in response to a paper published that featured the following: We are inspired by renewed calls to  Defund the Police  in the United States, which have reinvigorated vital debate regarding the funding of police departments, who is actually served by them, and what forms...

Transparency is becoming an easy go to as a solution to almost any problem of the algorithmic era. Given the phrase “black box society” this is understandable, as so much of our world is opaque or secretive, that there is a natural desire for more access and scrutiny. Yet in this rush to champion transparency, are we using a broad brush when greater nuance is necessary? For example, personal priva...

A Metaviews salon from January 2021 on the topic of responsible innovation. What is it, and why should we be encouraging it? Led by Vasiliki Bednar, this salon looks at how the pandemic provides an opportunity for innovation.

Competition law is increasingly in the news as antitrust and regulatory actions come for Big Tech. In this salon from January 2021, we discuss competition law in general, and particularly in Canada. Robin Shaban from Vivic Research led this discussion.

Paris Marx is a writer, researcher, and host of the podcast "Tech Won't Save Us". We had him on the show to talk about the political economy of innovative technology policies.