From Dumb to Dangerous: The AI Bubble Is Worse Than Ever

Update: 2025-09-01

Description

Are we heading toward an AI-driven utopia, or just another tech bubble waiting to burst?

Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Dr. Emily Bender and Dr. Alex Hanna.

Dr. Bender is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington where she is also the Faculty Director of the Computational Linguistics Master of Science program and affiliate faculty in the School of Computer Science and Engineering and the Information School. In 2023, she was included in the inaugural Time 100 list of the most influential people in AI. She is frequently consulted by policymakers, from municipal officials to the federal government to the United Nations, for insight into how to understand so-called AI technologies.

Dr. Hanna is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and a Lecturer in the School of Information at the University of California Berkeley. She is an outspoken critic of the tech industry, a proponent of community-based uses of technology, and a highly sought-after speaker and expert who has been featured across the media, including articles in the Washington Post, Financial Times, The Atlantic, and Time.

Dr. Bender and Dr. Hanna sit down with Geoff to discuss the realities of generative AI, big tech power, and the hidden costs of today’s AI boom. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere but how much of the hype is real, and what’s being left out of the conversation? This discussion dives into the social and ethical impacts of AI systems and why popular AI narratives often miss the mark. Dr. Bender and Dr. Hanna share their thoughts on the biggest myths about generative AI and why we need to challenge them and the importance of diversity, labor, and accountability in AI development. They’ll answer questions such as where AI is really heading and how we can imagine better, more equitable futures and what technologists should be focusing on today.

In this video:

0:00 Intro

1:45 Why language matters when we talk about “AI”

4:20 The problem with calling everything “intelligence”

7:15 How AI hype shapes public perception

10:05 Separating science from marketing spin

13:30 The myth of AGI: Why it’s a distraction

16:55 Who benefits from AI hype?

20:20 Real-world harms: Bias, surveillance & labor exploitation

24:10 How data is extracted & who pays the price

28:40 The invisible labor behind AI systems

32:15 Diversity, power, and accountability in AI