#AcademicRunPlaylist - 1/2/25

Earlier today I ran a half Hakone Ekiden return route (congrats to Aoyama Gakuin University on the win today), and while enjoying the scenery I also enjoyed listening to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was a great talk by Giovanna Massarotto on the EU's approach to tech regulation and lessons for the US at PLAMADISO – Platforms, Markets, and the Digital Society, with discussion from Wolfgang Keber and Prof. Dr. Stefan Kolev https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQkx1UuuqSc

Next was an interesting pair of talks by Shaolei Ren and Iris Stewart-Frey on water usage by AI tools and its implications at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_FSeVt9j8U

Last was "Power and Progress" by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (👋). While techno-optimists have controlled the global conversation around innovation and its effects, Acemoglu and Johnson offer a sweeping, well-researched rebuke to a number of their favorite talking points. They use historical examples to demonstrate how political, social, and economic choices fundamentally shape technological development, and at the same time illustrate why those who already have power tend to guide development towards reinforcing that power in the absence of countervailing forces. This book also shows how technological development historically doesn't often lead to better lives for the vast majority of people, with the notable blip from the 1920s to 1980. They also systematically dismantle most claimed positive effects of AI, and while I take some issue with their focus on social media that doesn't detract from an incredible book. Highly recommend https://shapingwork.mit.edu/power-and-progress/