The Technically Human Podcast

It's a podcast takeover! In this series of episodes, I give my mic over to the next generation of humanists and technologists at Cal Poly who represent the future of ethical technology. Over the next hour, we will hear from the Summer 2020 “Technically Human” class. They have worked together to present to you their thinking about some of the most important and urgent issue in ethical technology. I...

It's a podcast takeover! In this series of episodes, I give my mic over to the next generation of humanists and technologists at Cal Poly who represent the future of ethical technology. Over the next hour, we will hear from the Summer 2020 “Technically Human” class. They have worked together to present to you their thinking about some of the most important and urgent issue in ethical technology. I...

In this episode of “Technically Human,” I sit down with Dex Torricke-Hunter. We talk about Dex’s movement from working in the United Nations to working with some of the biggest names in tech, we talk about the global implications of social media driven connectivity, and we discuss whether we should really “move fast and break things.” Dex Hunter-Torricke is head of communications for the Oversight...

In this episode of "Technically Human," I speak to author George Estreich about the intersection of biotechnology and disability. We discuss the ways in which biotechnology is changing the nature of "the human," the ways in which technology defines and determines our understanding of disability, and George talks about what it means to write about disability and technology at the intersection of th...

In this episode of Technically Human, I talk to Ketan Anjaria, the founder of HireClub, a social network that enlists media platforms and leverages network connections to help job seekers find jobs. Anchored in SF, in the heart of the tech industry, Ketan outlines the logic behind hiring, discusses the gaps between academic and practical preparation, and explains how tech industry's hiring practic...

Welcome back to Season 2 of the "Technically Human" podcast! In the first episode of this season, I talk to Dr. Morgan Ames about the concept of utopia and Silicon Valley's moral vision. We discuss the ideas and frictions at the heart of Silicon Valley's growth, we talk about the inequalities at the heart of technological culture, and Morgan describes how Silicon Valley became THE Valley.   Dr. Am...

In this episode, I speak with three Cal Poly undergraduates from my class on ethical tech. We discuss their vision for ethical technology, we talk about their concerns about the present and future of human values and tech, and they tell me about their quarter of distant learning, and what it has meant for them to live in the time of COVID. Erin Jeffs, Nick Bell, and Geoff Sanhueza are undergraduat...

In this episode of "Technically Human," I speak with Carl Zimmer, who reports from the frontiers of biology, where scientists are expanding our understanding of life. Drawing from his experience hosting the popular podcast "What is Life?" Carl explains the meaning of life to me, and he talks about what it means to write about it. We talk about the challenges of writing and reading about science, a...

In this episode of "Technically Human," I speak to Professor De Kai at Hong Kong University. De Kai is one of eight members of Google's AI Ethics Council and is listed as one of Hong Kong's 100 most influential figures. We debate whether laptops and lapdogs have souls, De Kai tells us why President Obama is retweeting his recent work on mask simulations in the context of the coronavirus epidemic,...

In this episode, I speak with Professor Arthur L. Caplan, the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor at the NYU School of Medicine in New York City and the founding head of NYU’s Division of Medical Ethics.  We talk about brain death, moral worth, the ethics of the non-human, and the concept of the "self" as humans increasingly turn our bodies and biology over to technological interv...

In this episode of "Technically Human," I speak with Chris Ategeka, the CEO of UCOT, the Center for the Unintended Consequences of Technology. Chris talks about what led him to build UCOT, what drives unethical tech, and how the destructive consequences in technological culture and products may be less unintended than willfully ignored. Chris and I talk about the relationship between diversity in...

In this episode of "Technically Human," I talk to author Dave Eggers about his novel The Circle. We discuss the growth of digital tracking, the evolution of Silicon Valley culture, and the idea that people under surveillance are not free. Dave discusses the role and of and possibilities for art, literature, and satire in creating change, and he tells me why he is optimistic about the next generati...

In this episode, I speak to Aaron Samuels, the COO of Blavity, one of the largest digital communities for Black Millennials. We talk about the importance of diversifying perspectives in and outside of the tech sphere, the importance of narrative in establishing identity, and how Aaron negotiates the boundaries between multiple identities--Black/Jewish, Humanist/Technologist, and Digital/Embodied e...

In this episode of Technically Human, I speak with Dr. Matthew Harsh, an associate professor of science, technology, and society studies at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. We talk about Matt's vision for creating a new curriculum for ethical technology on college campuses, the importance of addressing deep issues of social equity in tech, and Matt tells me why he's opti...

In this episode of Technically Human, I speak with Dr. Ryan Jenkins, an associate professor of philosophy and a senior fellow at the Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. We talk about the value of philosophy, we debate deontological vs consequentialist ethics, and Ryan answers the age-old question of whether Google is making us stupid. 

In this episode, I speak with Kevin Adler and Jessica Donig from Miracle Messages, an SF based organization that uses online social media platforms to help people experiencing homelessness connect with their loved ones.