Best Deliberative Democracy Podcasts (2025)

1
Hannah Gais on the Far-Right Rallies and Social Media Presence 1:20:34

17d ago1:20:34

1:20:34

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Hannah Gais on the far-right rallies and social media presence on platforms like Telegram and X. Hannah explores the events of the Unite the Right rally, the storming of the capital on January 6th, the far-right in the wake of the first and second Trump presidencies, and the dan…

1
JARON LANIER on Tech, Music, Creativity & Who Owns the Future - Highlights 13:29

1M ago13:29

13:29

“What I meant when I said there is no AI is that I don't think we serve ourselves well when we put our own technology up as if it were a new God that we created. I think we confuse ourselves too easily. This goes back to Alan Turing, the main founder of computer science, who had this idea of the Turing test. In the test, you can't tell whether the …

1
AI, Virtual Reality & Dawn of the New Everything w/ JARON LANIER, VR Pioneer, Musician, Author 49:13

1M ago49:13

49:13

“AI is obviously the dominant topic in tech lately, and I think occasionally there's AI that's nonsense, and occasionally there's AI that's great. I love finding new proteins for medicine and so on. I don't think we serve ourselves well when we put our own technology up as if it were a new God that we created. I think we're really getting a little …

1
How Can AI-moderated Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy? JAMES FISHKIN - Highlights 14:02

1M ago14:02

14:02

“The three ills of democracy that I propose to address with this method, which we've perfected over the last several decades. Democracy is supposed to make some connection with the "will of the people." But how can we estimate the will of the people when everyone is trying to manipulate it?” James S. Fishkin holds the Janet M. Peck Chair in Interna…

1
How can we meet the Climate Accords thru Environmental Credit Solutions? with BILL FLEDERBACH 50:50

1M ago50:50

50:50

How can we meet the Paris Climate Accords through Environmental Credit Solutions? Bill Flederbach is the President & CEO of ClimeCo and is a respected leader in the global environmental commodities market. Following his favorite motto, “To make a difference each day and always do the next right thing,” Bill has created scalable Greenhouse Gas reduc…

1
Eileen Hunt on Mary Shelley's "The Last Man" 1:18:54

2M ago1:18:54

1:18:54

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Eileen Hunt on her latest book, The First Last Man: Mary Shelley and the Postapocalyptic Imagination (2024), which focuses primarily on Mary Shelley's 1826 novel, The Last Man, the first major modern pandemic novel. Hunt explains the tragic life events that motivated Mary Shelle…

1
How Can AI be Part of Bringing Deliberative Democracy to the Masses? w/ JAMES S. FISHKIN 49:08

2M ago49:08

49:08

“Deliberative democracy is itself, when properly done, a kind of democracy that can speak to the interests of a community. And we need that all over the world.” James S. Fishkin holds the Janet M. Peck Chair in International Communication at Stanford University where he is Professor of Communication, Professor of Political Science (by courtesy), Se…

1
The Imagination Emporium with Fmr. VP of Innovation & Creativity at Disney DUNCAN WARDLE 28:19

2M ago28:19

28:19

How can we free our minds to cultivate curiosity, innovation, and creativity in our daily lives? In this age of AI, where creative tasks are increasingly being performed for us, what is intelligence? And what is the future of education? Duncan Wardle was Vice President of Innovation and Creativity at Disney and has helped organizations like Apple, …

1
The Hidden Humans Behind Artificial Intelligence & the Sociopathology of Elon Musk 59:27

2M ago59:27

59:27

In this episode on Speaking Out of Place podcast Professor David Palumbo-Liu talks with Sarah T. Roberts about the hidden humans behind Artificial Intelligence, which is reliant on executives and business managers to direct AI to promote their brand and low-level, out-sourced, and poorly paid content managers to slog through masses of images, words…

1
Roos Slegers on the Uncanny Valley, Freud, and Cyborg Science Fiction 1:31:59

2M ago1:31:59

1:31:59

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins chats with Roos Slegers on the uncanny valley, Freud, and cyborg science fiction. They explore the uncanny valley and Freud’s concept of the uncanny, connecting them to ETA Hoffmann’s “The Sandman”, Donna Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto”, and contemporary AI debates. While Mori’s uncanny valle…

1
Art, Technology & Society with Author T.C. BOYLE 11:35

3M ago11:35

11:35

“What I have done in my career is just try to assess who we are, what we are, why we are here, and how come we, as animals, are able to walk around and wear pants and dresses and talk on the internet, while the other animals are not. It's been my obsession since I was young. I think if I hadn't become a novelist, I might have been happy to be a nat…

1
On Regulating the Attention Market & Prevent Algorithmic Emotional Governance w/ FABIEN GANDON & FRANCK MICHEL 11:34

3M ago11:34

11:34

“The fact that technologies are being used and combined to capture our attention is concerning. This is currently being done with no limitations and no regulations. That's the main problem. Attention is a very private resource. No one should be allowed to extract it from us by exploiting what we know about the human mind and how it functions, inclu…

1
PAY ATTENTION: A Call to Regulate the Attention Market & Prevent Algorithmic Emotional Governance 1:00:38

3M ago1:00:38

1:00:38

AI competes for our attention because our attention has been commodified. As our entire lives revolve more and more around the attention economy, what can we do to restore our autonomy, reclaim our privacy, and reconnect with the real world. Computer scientist Fabien Gandon and research engineer Franck Michel are experts in AI, the Web, and knowled…

1
Kris Rose on Deliberative Democracy and Meta's Community Forums 1:12:33

3M ago1:12:33

1:12:33

Season 3 is here! On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, host Kristen Collins interview Kris Rose on deliberative democracy and Meta's community forums. Kris discusses Meta’s efforts to incorporate public input into decision-making through the Oversight Board and Community Forums. The Oversight Board, an independent body with binding authority over…

1
Are We Witnessing the Decline of the American Empire? RICHARD D. WOLFF - Highlights 11:54

3M ago11:54

11:54

“The position of the United States in the world, economically and politically, is the weakest it has been in my lifetime. I was born in the middle of the 20th century, so I have watched the rise of the American empire and the success of American capitalism in the second half of the 20th century. However, over the last 20 years, I have watched that …

1
Understanding Capitalism with RICHARD D. WOLFF - Co-founder of Democracy at Work 47:33

3M ago47:33

47:33

When capitalism stops serving the needs of the people, what can we do to create a fairer more equitable society? What can we learn from China's success and economic growth? Are we witnessing the decline of the American Empire and what comes next? Richard D. Wolff is the co-founder of Democracy at Work and host of their nationally syndicated show Ec…

1
Who Defends the Defenders? UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders MICHEL FORST 12:44

4M ago12:44

12:44

“My mandate focuses on the protection of those trying to protect the planet. Protection of defenders is my main topic. When I'm speaking to states or companies, it's always related to cases of defenders facing threats, attacks, or penalization by companies or governments, like the recent case of Paul Watson (founder of Sea Shepherd) in Denmark… Whe…

1
AI & The Limits to Growth w/ Co-President of The Club of Rome PAUL SHRIVASTAVA 15:08

4M ago15:08

15:08

“I think AI is sort of inevitable in some ways. It is not very intelligent right now; it is probably closer to artificial stupidity, but it's a question of time before it becomes smarter and smarter. We need to tackle the right to use question and the value question now as it is developing. It can amplify both the positive possibilities as well as …

1
Elon Musk, Putin's Russia, Murdoch's Fox News: How Billionaires Shape Our World with DARRYL CUNNINGHAM 42:02

5M ago42:02

42:02

What influence do billionaires have on politics, journalism, and the technology that shapes our lives? What drives people to seek absolute power, and how can we hold them accountable? Darryl Cunningham is a cartoonist and author of Science Tales, Psychiatric Tales, The Age of Selfishness, and Billionaires: The Lives of the Rich and Powerful. Cunni…

1
Sir Joh made me do it: Margo Kingston’s Whistleblower speech after her #SaveBulgaForest arrest 27:56

5M ago27:56

27:56

WHISTLEBLOWERS AUSTRALIA IS an advocacy and support group for people who buck the system to tell the truth, scary. WA’s Cynthia Kardell asked me to speak at its annual conference after reading my Saturday Paper piece last month on my arrest. I met Peter Fox and Jeff Morris when I happened to sit at the […] Author information Margo Kingston Co-publi…

1
AI, Technology, Art & Culture - Artists, Philosophers, Economists & Scientists discuss the Future 11:06

5M ago11:06

11:06

How can we shape technology’s impact on society? How do social media algorithms influence our democratic processes and personal well-being? Can AI truly emulate human creativity? And how will its pursuit of perfection change the art we create? Daniel Susskind (Economist · Oxford & King’s College London · Author of Growth: A Reckoning · A World With…

1
Photographer & Musician JULIAN LENNON on AI, Art, Empathy & Creativity 19:21

6M ago19:21

19:21

“I think a lot of joy comes from helping others. One of the things that I've been really focusing on is finding that balance in life, what’s real and what’s true and what makes you happy. How can you help other people feel the same and have a happier life? I think whatever that takes. So if that's charity, if that's photography, if that's documenta…

1
PODCAST: After our arrests, Susie Russell on the #SaveBulgaForest latest 52:39

6M ago52:39

52:39

Current episode Featured image by, Amber Trax. Previous episode Save Bulga Forest archive: https://nofibs.com.au/?s=%23savebulgaforest Author information Margo Kingston Co-publisher and editor-in-chief at No Fibs Margo Kingston is a retired Australian journalist and climate change activist. She is best known for her stint as Phillip Adams’ ‘Canberr…

1
Connecting with the Earth: Changemakers, Scientists, Writers & Educators on Regenerating Earth’s Ecosystems 11:38

6M ago11:38

11:38

How and when will we transition to a clean energy future? How have wetlands become both crucial carbon sinks and colossal methane emitters in a warming world? What lessons can we learn from non-human animals about living in greater harmony with nature? Richard Black (Author of The Future of Energy · Fmr. BBC Environment Correspondent · Director of …

1
AI & The Pathway to Flow with Neuroscientist, Fmr. Dancer DR. JULIA CHRISTENSEN 16:52

6M ago16:52

16:52

“So, syncopation is now the big thing. It will induce people to groove and to like your music more. So let's have a lot of syncopation inside your music and you'll sell a lot. By chasing superficial beauty, which is what AI gives us at the moment, it aims for perfect outcomes. Not that anything these models produce is perfect, because how do you ev…

1
PODCAST: Ken Henry’s plan to protect NSW State Forests from logging #SaveBulgaForest 45:36

7M ago45:36

45:36

Ken Henry and I reside in Comboyne, the village on the Comboyne Plateau north of the Bulga Plateau. Ken’s father was a logger and he grew up in Taree before becoming Treasury Secretary for Peter Costello and Paul Keating and chairman of the NAB. Ken, his wife Naomi and I joined citizen scientists in the […] Author information Margo Kingston Co-publ…

1
Tech, The Future of Energy & Navigating Our Environmental Future 12:31

7M ago12:31

12:31

Have we entered what Earth scientists call a “termination event,” and what can we do to avoid the worst outcomes? How can we look beyond GDP and develop new metrics that balance growth with human flourishing and environmental well-being? How can the 15-minute city model revolutionize urban living, enhance health, and reduce our carbon footprint? Eu…

1
Social Media, Democracy & Economic Inequality w/ Philosopher ARASH ABIZADEH 10:24

7M ago10:24

10:24

How is economic inequality undermining our democratic systems? In what ways is social media reshaping political landscapes and democracy? Can we design political institutions that adapt to rapid social and technological changes while remaining stable? How is journalism critical for the health of our democracies? Arash Abizadeh is the R.B. Angus Pro…

1
AI, Technological Progress & the Growth Dilemma w/ Economist DANIEL SUSSKIND - Highlights 13:06

7M ago13:06

13:06

“The running theme in all of my work has been technology. The first book that I co-authored with my dad was published in 2015. The second book I wrote was A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond, published in 2020, just before the pandemic began. My new book Growth: A Reckoning is about growth, but also technological…

1
Growth: A Reckoning with Economist DANIEL SUSSKIND 56:48

7M ago56:48

56:48

How can we look beyond GDP and develop new metrics that balance growth with human flourishing and environmental well-being? How can we be more engaged global citizens? In this age of AI, what does it really mean to be human? And how are our technologies transforming us? Daniel Susskind is a Research Professor in Economics at King's College London a…

1
The Human Smart City: Balancing Ecology & Economy with CARLOS MORENO - Highlights 14:22

7M ago14:22

14:22

“This is the difference between a technological smart city and a real human smart city towards a 15-minute city as the expression of a human-centered urban approach. This is our challenge for the next decades and our target, to humanize our cities. The Olympic Games in Paris have shown the world that it is possible to recreate, to regenerate a real…

1
The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time & Our Planet with CARLOS MORENO 38:28

7M ago38:28

38:28

How can the 15-minute city model revolutionize urban living, enhance wellbeing, and reduce our carbon footprint? Online shopping is turning cities into ghost towns. We can now buy anything anywhere anytime. How can we learn to stop scrolling and start strolling and create more livable, sustainable communities we are happy to call home. Carlos Moren…

1
Neuroscience, AI & The Future of Humanity - DR. BEN SHOFTY - Highlights 17:34

8M ago17:34

17:34

“I'm one of the people who believe that anything that we as human beings can imagine will eventually happen. So, if somebody has raised the question possibility of having brain implants that augment the brain and generate additional functions, I feel like it will eventually happen. There are a lot of private companies, like Elon Musk's Neuralink an…

1
The Neuroscience of Creativity with DR. BEN SHOFTY 49:09

8M ago49:09

49:09

Where do creative thoughts come from? How can we harness our stream of consciousness and spontaneity to express ourselves? How are mind-wandering, meditation, and the arts good for our creativity and physical and mental well-being? Dr. Ben Shofty is a functional neurosurgeon affiliated with the University of Utah. He graduated from the Tel-Aviv Uni…

1
PODCAST: Dyson seeks to hoover up a funding fair go for #WannonVotes 41:40

8M ago41:40

41:40

Comedian and former Triple J Breakfast host, Alex Dyson is contesting the federal seat of Wannon for the third time and his support has been growing since his first run in 2019. Author information Wayne Jansson Chief reporter & photographer at No Fibs Wayne Jansson is an Australian citizen journalist and photographer. He covered the seat of Indi du…

1
What is good design? How AI is Shaping Our World? - SCOTT DOORLEY & CARISSA CARTER - Co-authors of Assembling Tomorrow - Highlights 21:08

8M ago21:08

21:08

“The way we understand the world and how the world actually works is just not mapped perfectly. That kind of leads to problems because we don't know exactly what we're doing in the world. We can't see all the repercussions of the things we create until later on. One silver lining about the technologies we're creating is that technologies like AI co…

1
Can Design Save the World? - SCOTT DOORLEY & CARISSA CARTER - Co-authors of Assembling Tomorrow - Directors of Stanford’s d.School 57:06

8M ago57:06

57:06

How can we design and adapt for the uncertainties of the 21st century? How do emotions shape our decisions and the way we design the world around us? Scott Doorley is the Creative Director at Stanford's d. school and co author of Make Space. He teaches design communication and his work has been featured in museums and architecture and urbanism and …

1
AI, Tech & The Future of Museums - STEPHEN REILY, Founding Director of Remuseum on Transforming Cultural Spaces 16:06

8M ago16:06

16:06

“The opportunity is that we have never had a public that is more passionate and obsessed with visual imagery. If the owners of the best original imagery in the world can't figure out how to take advantage of the fact that the world has now become obsessed with these treasures that we have to offer as museums, then shame on us. This is the opportuni…

1
AI, Curiosity, Cognition & Creativity with Neuroscientist DR. JACQUELINE GOTTLIEB 21:47

8M ago21:47

21:47

“We have an onslaught of information the moment we open our eyes. We evolved to deal with an onslaught of information, and we are masters at focusing and ignoring vast amounts of information. Now, AI in this digital age is a relatively new stream of information, which is man-made, so we make it more salient. So, yes, it's harder to ignore it, but p…

1
AI, Populism & Consumer Society with Historian FRANK TRENTMANN 15:50

9M ago15:50

15:50

“The bridge between Out of the Darkness and my previous work, which looked at the transformation of consumer culture in the world, is morality. One thing that became clear in writing Empire of Things was that there's virtually no time or place in history where consumption isn't heavily moralized. Our lifestyle is treated as a mirror of our virtue a…

1
The SDGs & UN Summit of the Future - Highlights - GUILLAUME LAFORTUNE 15:09

9M ago15:09

15:09

“The SDSN has been set up to mobilize research and science for the Sustainable Development Goals. Each year, we aim to provide a fair and accurate assessment of countries' progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The development goals were adopted back in 2015 by all UN member states, marking the first time in human history that we have a …

1
How Can We Unite 193 Countries for a Sustainable Future? - GUILLAUME LAFORTUNE - VP, UN SDSN, Paris 1:12:09

9M ago1:12:09

1:12:09

How can we get 193 countries to move in the same direction for a better tomorrow? In today's podcast, we talk with Guillaume Lafortune, Vice President and Head of the Paris Office of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the largest global network of scientists and practitioners dedicated to implementing the Sustainable Developme…

1
How Do Utopian Visions Shape Our Reality & Future? - Highlights - S. D. CHROSTOWSKA 20:46

10M ago20:46

20:46

“There’s the existing AI and the dream of artificial general intelligence that is aligned with our values and will make our lives better. Certainly, the techno-utopian dream is that it will lead us towards utopia. It is the means of organizing human collectivities, human societies, in a way that would reconcile all the variables, all the things tha…

1
Utopia in the Age of Survival with S. D. CHROSTOWSKA 44:50

10M ago44:50

44:50

As Surrealism turns 100, what can it teach us about the importance of dreaming and creating a better society? Will we wake up from the consumerist dream sold to us by capitalism and how would that change our ideas of utopia? S. D. Chrostowska is professor of humanities at York University, Canada. She is the author of several books, among them Permi…

1
AI’s Role in Society, Culture & Climate with CHARLIE HERTZOG YOUNG 7:02

10M ago7:02

7:02

The planet’s well-being unites us all, from ecosystems to societies, global systems to individual health. How is planetary health linked to mental health? Charlie Hertzog Young is a researcher, writer and award-winning activist. He identifies as a “proudly mad bipolar double amputee” and has worked for the New Economics Foundation, the Royal Societ…

1
How and when will we transition to a clean energy future? - Highlights - RICHARD BLACK 13:02

10M ago13:02

13:02

“The fact is you've got a lot of industrial and political muscle now coming behind clean energy, especially from China, which is the leading country deploying wind energy, the leading country deploying solar, and the leading manufacturer and user of electric vehicles by miles. As one recent report put it, ‘We have petrostates in the world. China is…

1
The Future of Energy - RICHARD BLACK - Director, Policy & Strategy, Ember - Fmr. BBC Environment Correspondent 56:02

10M ago56:02

56:02

How and when will we transition to a clean energy future? How will the transition empower individuals and transform global power dynamics? How did China become the world’s first electrostate, leading the drive for renewable energy, and what can we learn from this? Richard Black spent 15 years as a science and environment correspondent for the BBC W…

1
DIANE VON FÜRSTENBERG: Woman in Charge & How AI Will Change Storytelling w/ Oscar-winning Director SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY 10:29

10M ago10:29

10:29

“I think it's very early for us to see how AI is going to impact us all, especially documentary filmmakers. And so I embrace technology, and I encourage everyone as filmmakers to do so. We're looking at how AI is facilitating filmmakers to tell stories, create more visual worlds. I think that right now we're in the play phase of AI, where there's a…

1
Is AI capable of creating a protest song that disrupts oppression & inspires social change? - JAKE FERGUSON, ANTHONY JOSEPH & JERMAIN JACKMAN 14:58

10M ago14:58

14:58

“There's something raw about The Architecture of Oppression, both part one and part two. There's a raw realness and authenticity in those songs that AI can't create. There's a lived experience that AI won't understand, and there's a feeling in those songs. And it's not just in the words from the spoken word artists, if it's not in the instruments t…

1
Does AI-generated Perfection Detach Us from Reality, Life & Human Connection? - Highlights - HENRY AJDER 12:09

11M ago12:09

12:09

“Having worked in this space for seven years, really since the inception of DeepFakes in late 2017, for some time, it was possible with just a few hours a day to really be on top of the key kind of technical developments. It's now truly global. AI-generated media have really exploded, particularly the last 18 months, but they've been bubbling under…

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