TechSequences

Have you ever experienced that moment of panic when you can’t recall a familiar phone number or navigate without a map app? This growing reliance on external memory—known as the “Google Effect”—is a real-world example of how we’ve outsourced core cognitive functions to our devices. Over a decade ago, a neuroscientist warned of “Digital Dementia,” cautioning that the over-outsourcing of tasks like calculation and navigation would lead to a measurable decline in our mental faculties. Today, that crisis is accelerating, amplified by Generative AI, which now takes over more complex mental powers, threatening the cognitive reserve crucial for preventing later-life dementia. But the consequences of this digital reliance extend far beyond the mind. Join us as we explore the price we are paying for entertainment and convenience with our guest, one of Germany’s most prestigious neuroscientists, Professor Manfred Spitzer. As a medical doctor, psychologist, and philosopher, he has dedicated his career to bridging neuroscience and education, and his work illuminates how technologies designed to save us time are actually undermining the fundamental structures of our mind and body. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Wuhan Study Insight on Screen Time and Eye  The Lancet Global Health: Expanding our understanding of the global impact of physical inactivity The Neurobiology of Addiction The Effects of Digital Addiction on Brain Function and Structure of Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

The way we learn and communicate is being fundamentally reshaped by generative AI, a force as significant as the printing press. Traditional definitions of literacy are now insufficient. This shift demands a new “grammar” of literacy that embraces multimodal interaction, algorithmic processes, and AI’s synthetic capabilities. AI both generates and interprets content, raising the question of whether students should still laboriously learn to write when a machine can do it instantly and flawlessly. Join us as we talk with Dr. Mary Kalantzis and Dr. Bill Cope, renowned professors from the University of Illinois. We’ll discuss how their cutting-edge research explores how AI can support literacy by scaffolding human effort. This AI-assisted practice fosters “cyber-social literacy learning,” an approach that merges traditional literacy with the ethical and social competencies needed to navigate the AI landscape. We’ll explore how to harness the transformative potential of AI while preserving human agency and creativity. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Literacy in the time of Artificial Intelligence  Generative AI Comes to School (GPTs and All That Fuss): What Now? Multiliteracies: Life of an idea A multimodal grammar of artificial intelligence: Measuring the gains and losses in generative AI On cyber-social learning: A critique of artificial intelligence in education The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

Many of us have witnessed the heart-wrenching journey of relatives or loved ones diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, often long after the disease’s subtle onset. But what if we could detect these conditions much earlier, before precious years of potential intervention are lost? Join us as we delve into the advent of AI driven ambient intelligence, where cameras no larger than a sticky note quietly observe daily life, and algorithms analyze minute changes in gait, sleep patterns, and even facial expressions. We explore the promise of democratizing early detection using everyday devices, but also confront ethical questions on privacy, ensure meaningful consent, and prevent algorithmic bias when AI enters our most intimate spaces. Our guest is  Dr. Ehsan Adeli, the Director of AI/Innovation in Precision Mental Health and a Faculty Affiliate of Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.  Ehsan is also the Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, where he holds appointments in Computer Science and Biomedical Data Science. With a PhD in artificial intelligence and computer vision and postgraduate training in biomedical imaging and computational neuroscience, he unpacks how these “digital biomarkers” could transform healthcare from reactive to proactive. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Illuminating the dark spaces of healthcare with ambient intelligence  Ambient Intelligence, Human Impact A new era of ambient intelligence in healthcare Digital Health Technologies for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Alzheimer’s disease digital biomarkers multidimensional landscape and AI model scoping review The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

Each time you swipe a loyalty card, you’re not just saving on groceries—you’re feeding a powerful data machine known as retail media. What began as a scheme to offer loyalty discounts has morphed into a multibillion-dollar industry where retailers like Kroger, Walmart and Amazon turn consumer behavior into advertising gold, offering brands precision targeting based on detailed shopping habits. This model yields slim profits on groceries but massive margins—up to 90%—on data-driven ads.  Amazon, the dominant player with $56 billion in ad revenue and 77% of U.S. retail ad spend, now sells ad tech to competitors, deepening its surveillance-based advantage. As this power grows, it disrupts journalism by diverting ad dollars away from news and raises alarm about privacy, competition, and fairness in the supply chain. Join us for a conversation with Karina Montoya Guevara of the Center for Journalism & Liberty at the Open Markets Institute in Washington, about the consequences of a model that treats consumers as both audience and product in an increasingly concentrated data economy. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: How the new rules of online advertising helped to drive the Kroger-Albertsons merger The New Gold Rush in Advertising Is Your Shopping List  Policy Brief – Retail Media: The Battle for the Next Advertising Monopoly  Amazon’s Ad Business Enters New Dangerous Territory in 2023  FTC Details How Amazon Aims to Deceive Customers and Harm Sellers  The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

The emergence of AI is generating an unprecedented hunger for electricity, fundamentally reshaping global energy consumption. The International Energy Agency projects that data center electricity consumption will double to 945 terawatt hours by 2030, growing at 15% annually, four times faster than all other sectors combined. As AI models grow exponentially larger, so do their power requirements. This surge in demand is creating stark global inequalities. The United States and China account for nearly 80% of data center electricity growth, while over two-thirds of the world’s population in emerging markets have limited access to the digital infrastructure that AI development requires. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions from data centers could reach 320 million tons by 2030, potentially compromising global climate goals. How can we balance AI’s transformative potential with its massive energy demands? Can we develop AI sustainably while ensuring equitable global access? Join us for a conversation with International Energy Agency lead analysts Siddharth Singh and Thomas Spencer, responsible for the agency’s flagship publication, the World Energy Outlook,  to discuss the energy revolution behind artificial intelligence and what it means for our technological and environmental future. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: International Energy Agency: “AI is set to drive surging electricity demand from data centres while offering the potential to transform how the energy sector works” “Search Engines vs AI: energy consumption compared”, Kanoppi. (2025, February 13).  The U.S. and China drive data center power consumption, 2025, May 31). The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

“Careless People,” the recent memoir by Meta’s former Global Public Policy Director, Sarah Wynn-Williams, has caused a furor. Not only did it share revelations that Meta prioritized growth and engagement over safety and democracy, but it also provided confirmation of what many critics have long argued—that Meta was not merely negligent but strategically indifferent to the harm its platforms enabled. The myth of “neutral platforms” has been thoroughly debunked. Research seems to highlight that the business model underpinning these platforms – surveillance-based advertising that maximizes engagement – fundamentally conflicts with human well-being and democratic values. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism itself – the very institution meant to hold these platforms accountable.  How can we address the structural problems at the heart of today’s social media platforms rather than merely applying “fixes around the edges”? Join us for a conversation with Dr. Courtney Radsch, Director of the Center for Journalism and Liberty at the Open Markets Institute, a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a senior fellow at the Center for Global Governance Innovation, for a conversation on how we should govern platforms that have become essential infrastructure for public discourse. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Transcript: Senate Hearing on Social Media and Teen Mental Health with Former Facebook Engineer Arturo Bejar Misinformation on Facebook got six times more clicks than factual news sources Artificial Intelligence in the News How AI Retools, Rationalizes, and Reshapes Journalism and the Public Arena Courtney Radsch: Media Publications Cyberactivism and Citizen Journalism in Egypt: Digital Dissidence and Political Change Artificial Intelligence in the News: How AI Retools, Rationalizes, and Reshapes Journalism and the Public Arena” Columbia Journalism School The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

AI is forcing a seismic shift in our energy landscape. News that China’s DeepSeek AI operates with up to 40 times less power than American competitors has already rattled markets and put its American counterparts on the defensive.  Why? Currently, data centers devour 3% of US electricity—with projections showing this could more than double to 8% by 2030, driven mainly by AI power needs. As tech giants pledge to triple nuclear capacity and researchers explore innovative energy solutions, fundamental questions arise about balancing technological progress with infrastructure realities. Join us for a conversation with Braham Singh, a pioneer in data center development focusing on sustainable digital infrastructure and Executive Chairman of Verdana.io. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Google, Meta pledge to triple nuclear capacity by 2050 as technology sees looming ‘renaissance’ White Paper on Integrating Data Centers with a Microgrid  AI has high data center energy costs — but there are solutions  China’s cheap, open AI model DeepSeek thrills scientists Dominion Energy admits it can’t meet data center power demands in Virginia ​​AI is poised to drive 160% increase in data center power demand The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

Today’s social media platforms have transformed human communication into algorithm-friendly “content” units that can be efficiently processed, ranked, and moderated. While this approach has powered extraordinary growth, it has also created an online environments that often bring out the worst in humanity, by stripping away context, rewarding sensationalism, and replacing trust with surveillance. Is this a technical issue or a fundamental design one? How can we move beyond the “promote and police” model that dominates today’s platforms? And what practical steps can create digital spaces that bring the best rather than the worst of us? Join us for a conversation with Jonathan Bellack, Advisory Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center, and former Director of its Applied Social Media Lab.  Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Harvard’s Applied Social Media Lab Social media has a responsibility … to make it as easy as possible for people to be their best selves online The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society: Beyond Discourse Dumpster Fires – Jonathan Bellack Keynote The Networked Leviathan – Paul Gowder The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

Ransomware has emerged as a critical global cybersecurity threat, with attacks costing organizations $2 million on average and causing $4.54 million in total damages per incident. From paralyzing critical infrastructure like the US Colonial Pipeline to disrupting healthcare systems, these sophisticated cyberattacks have transformed into a $20 billion criminal enterprise that threatens entire industries. Join us for a conversation with Allan Liska, Senior Security Architect and Ransomware Specialist at Recorded Future, and one the world’s foremost experts on ransomware and cyber intelligence. We will explore the evolution of ransomware, how modern ransomware attacks take place, and perhaps most crucially, how do we balance the immediate pressure to restore operations with the broader imperative to discourage future attacks? Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: State of Ransomware, 2024 (Sophos) 2023 FBI Internet Crime Report IBM Cost of a Data Breach, 2024 The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

Today’s journalists use sophisticated tools to scrape, analyze, and visualize complex datasets, transforming investigative reporting across fields like political corruption and climate change. Yet this technological evolution comes at a critical moment when major tech platforms are scaling back fact-checking, making data-driven journalism even more crucial to maintaining public trust. From “Democracy Dies in Darkness” to “Riveting storytelling for all of America,” the recent shift in Washington Post’s mission indicates that journalism may be at a critical crossroad. Join us for a conversation with Alexander Howard, digital governance expert, democracy advocate at Demand Progress, and deputy director at the Sunlight Foundation. How can we ensure rigorous reporting in an era of rapid content production? What standards should govern AI journalism? And can journalistic integrity survive as tech platforms retreat from fact-checking? Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Has the Tide Turned for TikTok, Telegram and X? The Art and Science of Data-Driven Journalism The Washington Post’s New Mission: Reach ‘All of America’ A Pulitzer winner quits ‘Washington Post’ after a cartoon on Bezos is killed Meta Ditches Fact-Checks For X-Style Community Notes—Zuckerberg Says It Will Restore ‘Free Expression’ Civic Texts The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

Despite a $145.5 billion investment in pharmaceutical R&D in 2023, US Federal Drug Administration novel drug approvals remain stagnant at around 43 annually, according to recent findings from Deloitte’s 14th Annual Pharmaceutical Innovation Report. The complexity of modern diseases, combined with rising development costs and regulatory requirements, demands a fundamental transformation in how we approach pharmaceutical R&D.  Join us for a discussion with Dr. Brendan Frey, Professor at the University of Toronto, Deep Genomics founder, and Vector Institute co-founder, to explore how AI and tech-sector approaches like open source collaboration and shared data platforms can reverse this productivity paradox. Hosted by: Alexa Raad and Leslie Daigle. Further reading: Deloitte’s 14th Annual Pharmaceutical Innovation Report: Pharma R&D Return on Investment Rebounds After Record Low Why Pharma Must Embrace AI and Open Source Accelerating clinical trials to improve biopharma R&D productivity Revolution, interrupted: Why AI has failed to live up to the hype in drug development The views and opinions expressed in this program are our own and may not reflect the views or positions of our employers.

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