Burning Platforms

The Labor MP and former Industry Minister on how the power of the global tech giants and why tech sovereignty is non-negotiable. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into: Who is enabling the Nudify apps? Is there a world beyond the US AI stack? And what on earth is Palintir CEO Alex Karp smoking? For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

On this week's Burning Platforms, Australia’s leading AI scientist, Prof Toby Walsh, takes us through the failing efforts to place limits around the automation of military conflict. Regular panelists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: Sam Altman’s moments of truth Anthropic’s Maven’s Vuln-pocalypse and the AI Bubble's Overton Window For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

The founder of Teach Us Consent on her campaign to give young people control over their social media feeds. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Per Capita’s Peter Lewis and Cam Wilson from The Sizzle also delve into: The release of a new privacy code for children Anthropic’s push into Australia and Bernie Sanders' new bill for a moratorium on data centres For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

The Director of QUT’S Digital Media Research Centre outlines how different chatbots take users down different wormholes when they research conspiracy theories. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea and The Sizzle’s Cam Wilson also dig into: How AI is creating new modes of death and destruction in Iran Why Pornhub is pulling out of Australia and Atlassian’s ironic jobs purge For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

The Burning Platforms panel kick around the carcass of this week when the White House went to war with AI, bosses found new ways to snoop on workers, and the market was moved by a bit of fan fiction. Per Capita’s Peter Lewis joins Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and The Sizzle’s Cam Wilson try to make sense of the madness. And some reading to get you warmed up: Casey Newton - What is OpenAI going to do when the truth comes out?HTI - ‘Surveillance Creep’ Citrini - The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis Dan Kagan-Kans - The Left is missing Out on AI Brian Merchant - ‘Actually the Left is Winning the AI Debate'

Governments may campaign in poetry and govern in prose, but what about the engineering that keeps our democracy flowing? The pioneer of public innovation and Professor of Collective Intelligence at University College London, Sir Geoff Mulgan, believes it’s time to get the boring bits right. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: Anthropic CEO Dario Ameida’s summer essay - https://darioamodei.com/essay/the-adolescence-of-technology Should universities accept Big Tech dollars - https://www.science.org/content/article/nearly-third-social-media-research-has-undisclosed-ties-industry-preprint-claims and South Korea’s new AI Basic Act - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/29/south-korea-world-first-ai-regulation-laws. If you want to hear more from Sir Geoff he will be speaking in Sydney on Feburary 25 https://anzsog.edu.au/events-connection/events/what-next-for-public-innovation-with-geoff-mulgan Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events. Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.

As 2025 crashes out we survey the highs and lows of the year in tech with long-time platform burner Human Technology Institute co-director Ed Santow. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis discuss: the Government’s AI Plan the Social Media Ban and what to read over summer Join us in discussing the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit: https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome Help the Centre of the Public Square fund its research into AI and responsible technology - donate to Per Capita today: https://percapita.org.au/donate/

How much energy will AI really burn? Climate writer and activist Ketan Joshi joins Burning Platforms to chat AI and Climate: what we know, what we don’t know and what data centres have to do with yogurt tubs. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: Meta’s sloppy business model Apple’s arranged AI marriage with Google The Federal Government’s AI mission To find out more about Ketan’s work, go to: https://ketanjoshi.co/blog/ To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

AI is transforming our world at rapid speed, raising urgent questions about who benefits, who loses, and how we keep control of the future. Panellists from the Burning Platforms podcast and guests, explore the promises and pitfalls of AI - and what’s at stake for all Australians. Panellists include: Lizzie O’Shea: Human Rights Lawyer & Chairperson, Digital Rights Watch Peter Lewis: Executive Director, Essential Media & Fellow, Per Capita Dan Stinton: CEO and Managing Director, Healthengine Rikki Hendon: Secretary of Unions WA Kate Chaney MP: Federal Member for Curtin While the boosters of AI are rushing to transform the world, citizens are being left in the slipstream, with little chance to influence how this new technology takes shape. AI systems are built by harvesting the ideas and creations of others, often without consent, and are already eroding jobs and reshaping culture on the promise of future productivity. As the Luddites taught us, the way we adopt technology will be critical to whether it improves people’s lives or cuts a swathe through jobs for the benefit of the few. Many Australians perceive more risk than upside in this new technology, so why is it being pushed so hard, with so few guardrails or controls in place? This event is hosted by Digital Rights Watch with support from The Minderoo Foundation.

The co-author of ‘Conspiracy Nation’ takes us on his journey into the world of anti-vaxxers, wellness influencers and sovereign citizens. Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss: The call for AI Red Lines The rise of Work Slop And Murdoch’s Tik-Tok play. In October we will beholding a series of live shows in capital cities and would love you to come along. Adelaide: https://shorturl.at/ojQRX Perth: events.humanitix.com/democracy-perth Brisbane: events.humanitix.com/democracy-brisbane Sydney: events.humanitix.com/democracy-sydney Melbourne: events.humanitix.com/democracy-melbourne To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

“I’m concerned that AI and big tech – well, big tech with AI – has gone into a full-court press… particularly on the federal system...I’m concerned that without thinking it through clearly enough, policy makers won’t essentially subject the slogans to sufficient scrutiny.” This week on Burning Platforms, we recorded our special briefing for cultural creators and those who value their work to discuss Big Tech’s push to mine our culture. Our panel discusses: How AI large language models have been built on the theft of the work of musicians, writers journalists and artists. What the productivity Commission’s proposal to give AI companies a ‘right to mine data’ will do to Australian performers How creatives and citizens can resist the attacks from AI Featuring: AI expert and author Professor Toby Walsh Midnight Oil front man Peter Garrett Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea Australian Writers Guild CEO Claire Pullen To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

Can Australia play a leading role in imagining a tech future that isn’t controlled by either the US or China?Johanna Weaver from the Tech Policy Design Institute expands on her recent essay ‘System Update - An Australian-led new deal for tech’ - https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/essay/2025/06/tech-wars Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis will also discuss: what the new Federal Parliament means for tech how Cloudflare could rewrite the game in copyright and the rise of Satanic Chat Bots To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome