Data Revolution: Exploring AI and Digital Transformation

In this episode of the Data Revolution podcast, I speak with Dr. Tama Leaver about the evolving role of data and AI in society, particularly focusing on children's interaction with generative AI, the implications for privacy and consent, and the challenges of educating young people in a rapidly changing technological landscape. We discuss the biases inherent in AI tools, the importance of critical engagement with technology, and the need for a more nuanced understanding of privacy in the digital age. Our conversation emphasises the agency individuals have in shaping the future of AI and the importance of equipping the next generation with the skills to navigate this complex environment.TakeawaysChildren are using generative AI without parental knowledge.Generative AI tools can amplify existing biases.Education systems are rushing to adopt AI without proper context.Privacy frameworks are struggling to keep up with AI advancements.The convenience of AI often overshadows privacy concerns.Visual social media is heavily influenced by AI limitations.AI tools are still in their infancy and often produce errors.The future of AI should prioritise human agency and ethics.Parents need to engage with their children's use of AI tools.Critical thinking is essential for navigating AI-generated content.Articles discussedLeaver, T., & Srdarov, S. (2025). Generative AI and children’s digital futures: New research challenges. Journal of Children and Media, 19(1), 65–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2024.2438679 [Free to access Preprint: https://zenodo.org/records/14741236 ]Srdarov, S., & Leaver, T. (2024). Generative AI Glitches: The Artificial Everything. M/C Journal, 27(6), https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.3123 [Open Access]Leaver, T. & Srdarov, S. (2023), ChatGPT Isn't Magic: The Hype and Hypocrisy of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Rhetoric, M/C Journal, 26(5), https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.3004 [Open Access]

Welcome to season 3! My guest for this episode is Dr David Bray He has been thinking deeply about AI for many years. We had a wideranging chat about AI, cybersecurity, new AI’s, state actor attacks and the ongoing greyzone war, the need to use data to maintain free societies, and the importance of working locally and building community.Some things that we touched on were the need to secure our hardware and data supply lines, the need for human agency – data as a kind of human voice. David is a big advocate for data rights to be managed via existing contract law, which seems like a good idea to me.https://datarevolution.tech/2025/02/david-bray/

This time my guest is my friend Ross Dawson. He is always on the cutting edge of new stuff, as you would imagine for a futurist. We had an amazing chat about his current passion for cognitive AI and how it is going to change the world of work. I loved his ideas for humanity working together with AI."Ross Dawson is a world-renowned keynote speaker, strategy advisor, and entrepreneur he inspires with powerful, practical insights into the future and how to seize today’s opportunities."

Had a great chat with Kobi Leins about some good feedback on the Australian Governments Microsoft Copilot pilot (full story here: Australian Government trial of Microsoft 365 Copilot). We also had a wide-ranging chat about the upcoming training deficit all organisations have in respect of AI, the recent changes in the federal AI space.Links to stuff we mentioned:https://www.digital.gov.au/initiatives/copilot-trial/microsoft-365-copilot-evaluation-report-fullhttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/copilots-earliest-users-teach-us-about-generative-ai-at-workhttps://www.industry.gov.au/news/four-new-centres-help-australian-businesses-adopt-aihttps://substack.com/home/post/p-151681219

My guest for this episode is Lynn Gribble. She is an Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney Business School who is passionate about embracing new technology to help in the education process. Lynn has been at the forefront of new technology in education, from pioneering voice feedback to innovating with technology for grading and feedback. She is multi-awarded and a though leader in her field, even presenting to a Parliamentary inquiry on the impacts of Artificial Intelligence in education. Lynn is also a cat lover, ice skater, and YouTuber and an all around nice human being.We chatted about how we need to start rethinking everything now, including how we assess students in the age of AI. I am definitey asking Lynn back on the podcast as we only covered a small fraction of the stuff I wanted to chat about

This time my guest is the intriguing Quinn Dombrowski, whom I have been keeping an eye on via social media for ages due to their Textile Makerspace project and general all-round niceness and humanity. We had a fascinating chat about some non-traditional approaches to data visualisation. You can even study data visualization with Quinn at Stanford.

This time my guest is Mark Nicholls. He is CEO of the Information Professionals Group , who help businesses to leverage digital technology to achieve their business objectives. We had an excellent chat about all of the IT good practices that still need to be done to ensure that good clean data can drive our business processes.A bit about Mark:“With experience across almost every industry, Mark Nicholls brings more than 30 years of accumulated knowledge to each and every project, leading technology transformation within organisations across Australia. A member of the Australian Information Industry Association Board, Mark is at the forefront of technology transformation. Known for his ability to engage people at every level, he is adept at honing in on client priorities and finding the right formula to help organisations grow their way.https://www.informpros.com.au/about/our-team/mark-nicholls/