Paths of Curiosity in an AI World

Q2 - Power, Law, and Civic Life: When Algorithms Govern Your Life with Clarence Okoh, JD

Paths of Curiosity in an AI World Exploring tomorrow’s careers through the lens of AI Follow us: @pathsofcuriosity Website: https://pathsofcuriosity.com/ Youtube: youtube.com/@PathsofCuriosity X: https://x.com/PathsCuriosity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paths-of-curiosity-in-an-ai-world-2117803aa/

Q2 - Power, Law, and Civic Life: When Algorithms Govern Your Life with Ramesh Srinivasan, PhD, MS

Paths of Curiosity in an AI World Every time you open TikTok or YouTube, a system you didn't choose has already decided what you're going to believe today. And the people who built it? They're not thinking about you. In this episode, we continue our AI, Power, Law, and Civic Life miniseries with Dr. Ramesh Srinivasan, Professor at UCLA and founder of the Digital Cultures Lab, whose research on algorithms, power, and democracy has taken him to nearly 80 countries and into conversations with the White House, the European Union, and governments across four continents. Together, we explore: * Why no algorithm is neutral — and what it actually means when a platform claims to just show you "what you like" * How the same platform can present two students sitting next to each other with completely different versions of reality * What people in Afghanistan, Egypt, and rural India told him they actually want from technology — and why Silicon Valley isn't listening * The bait and switch at the heart of the data economy: why these platforms would be worth nothing without your data, and why you've never been paid a cent for it * How algorithmic fragmentation is fueling nativism and authoritarianism across the globe * What transparency, accountability, and democratic governance of AI would actually look like — and why social media proves what happens when we skip that step Dr. Srinivasan also shares his own non-linear path from college radio DJ to Stanford engineer to globally recognized scholar and activist, and why the most important thing he ever learned was to stay true to who he is as a human being first. This conversation will change how you think about every feed, every recommendation, and every platform that claims to know you. Because in a world where algorithms decide what's real, the question isn't just what you're being shown — it's who decided you should see it, and why. Paths of Curiosity in an AI World Exploring tomorrow's careers through the lens of AI Paths of Curiosity in an AI World Exploring tomorrow’s careers through the lens of AI Follow us: @pathsofcuriosity Website: https://pathsofcuriosity.com/ Youtube: youtube.com/@PathsofCuriosity X: https://x.com/PathsCuriosity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paths-of-curiosity-in-an-ai-world-2117803aa/

Q2 - Power, Law, and Civic Life: When Algorithms Govern Your Life with Maura Grossman, JD, PhD

Paths of Curiosity in an AI World What if the video used to convict someone never actually happened? That's not science fiction. With today's deepfake technology, it could happen in any courtroom - and soon! In this episode, we continue our AI, Power, Law, and Civic Life miniseries with Dr. Maura Grossman, Research Professor of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo and Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, whose work at the intersection of AI, law, and evidence has made her one of the most sought-after experts in courtrooms on both sides of the border. Together, we explore: * Why deepfakes have changed evidence manipulation from a skilled crime to something anyone can do in five minutes for free * The nightmare scenario: what happens when fabricated audio or video shows up in family court, and no one can tell it's fake * How Dr. Grossman is building a deepfake detection tool specifically designed for the justice system — and why explainability is non-negotiable * Why "black box" AI has no place in a courtroom where someone's freedom is on the line * What metadata, physics, and shadows can reveal about whether a video is real * Whether juries will ever be able to trust video evidence again — and how soon that moment of no return might arrive Dr. Grossman also shares her remarkable non-linear path from clinical psychologist to elite litigator to computer science professor, and why the best career advice she ever received was to stop being a generalist. This conversation will change how you look at every video you've ever trusted. Because in a world where anyone can fabricate a confession, a threat, or a crime — the real question isn't just whether the evidence is real. It's whether we'll ever be able to know. Paths of Curiosity in an AI World Exploring tomorrow’s careers through the lens of AI Follow us: @pathsofcuriosity Website: https://pathsofcuriosity.com/ Youtube: youtube.com/@PathsofCuriosity X: https://x.com/PathsCuriosity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paths-of-curiosity-in-an-ai-world-2117803aa/

Q2 - Power, Law, and Civic Life: When Algorithms Govern Your Life with Veena Dubal, JD, PhD

AI, Wages, and the Algorithm That Knows How Desperate You Are Paths of Curiosity in an AI World What if the app deciding how much to pay you already knows how little you're willing to accept? For millions of gig workers, that's not a hypothetical. That is your typical day.  In this episode, we continue our AI, Power, Law, and Civic Life miniseries with Dr. Veena Dubal, Professor of Law and Anthropology at UC Irvine, whose research on algorithmic labor control has been cited by the California Supreme Court and covered by the New York Times, NPR, and CNN. TechCrunch called her an unlikely star in the tech world — and once you hear what she's uncovered, you'll understand why. Together, we explore: * How gig companies legally stripped millions of workers of basic protections by classifying them as independent contractors * What algorithmic wage discrimination actually means — and why two drivers doing the same ride can be paid completely different amounts * The desperation score: what it is, why workers believe it exists, and why there's nothing stopping companies from using one * How gamification and intentional psychological design keep workers accepting bad offers * Why the "supply and demand" defense doesn't hold up — and what these platforms are really doing * What it will take for algorithmic wage discrimination to finally become illegal Dr. Dubal also shares her journey from public interest law to becoming one of the most recognized critics of Silicon Valley's labor practices, and why writing — real, effortful writing — may be the most important skill you can build in an AI-shaped world. This conversation will change how you look at every app that pays people on the other side. Because in a world where algorithms set your wages behind a black box, the real question isn't just whether the system is fair — it's whether anyone is allowed to ask. Paths of Curiosity in an AI World Exploring tomorrow’s careers through the lens of AI Follow us: @pathsofcuriosity Website: https://pathsofcuriosity.com/ Youtube: youtube.com/@PathsofCuriosity X: https://x.com/PathsCuriosity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paths-of-curiosity-in-an-ai-world-2117803aa/

Q2 - Power, Law, and Civic Life: When Algorithms Govern Your Life with Nathan Wessler, JD

AI, Surveillance, and Your Rights: The Case That Changed Privacy Forever Paths of Curiosity in an AI World What if the government could track everywhere you’ve been, everyone you’ve contacted, and everything you’ve searched, without ever asking permission? For years, that was dangerously close to reality. In this episode, we launch our AI, Power, Law, and Civic Life miniseries with Nathan Freed Wessler, Deputy Director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, who took this question all the way to the Supreme Court and won. He argued Carpenter v. United States, a landmark case that established a critical rule for the digital age: law enforcement must get a warrant before accessing your cell phone location history. But that victory is just one piece of a much larger story. Together, we explore: *  How AI-powered surveillance is transforming what governments can know about you  *  Why your phone is one of the most powerful tracking devices ever created  *  The hidden world of data brokers buying and selling your location information  *  How facial recognition can lead to wrongful arrests, especially for people of color  *  Why “I have nothing to hide” misses the point entirely  *  What’s at stake for your future if privacy laws don’t keep up with technology  Nathan also shares his journey from political organizing to arguing before the Supreme Court, and why the most important career decisions often can’t be planned. This conversation will change how you think about your phone, your data, and your rights. Because in a world where surveillance is becoming effortless, the real question is not just who is watching — but when they’re allowed to. Paths of Curiosity in an AI World Exploring tomorrow’s careers through the lens of AI Follow us: @pathsofcuriosity Website: https://pathsofcuriosity.com/ Youtube: youtube.com/@PathsofCuriosity X: https://x.com/PathsCuriosity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paths-of-curiosity-in-an-ai-world-2117803aa/