The Future is Now

AI technologies are really human issues. Sylvester Johnson (Virginia Tech) says we humans must decide for ourselves how to live in a world where intelligent machines and algorithmic systems are deciding issues of medicine, electricity, prison sentences and who is eligible for public assistance. Also: Google uses computer vision algorithms to filter out unwanted pornographic images from our search results. Alex Monea (George Mason University) explains how this filter is sometimes applied overbroadly, censoring LGBTQIA+ discourse and sex education. Later in the show: When the Food and Drug Administration approved the production and sale of genetically modified salmon in 2015, some consumers were alarmed by the prospect of consuming “Frankenfish.” But are all genetically modified foods dangerous? Eric Hallerman (Virginia Tech) makes the case for accepting some of them. And: What if there was an app that worked like GoogleMaps, but for marine animals? Sara Maxwell (University of Washington-Bothell) is using satellite tracking to help fisheries avoid catching animals like whales, turtles, and sharks while they’re hunting for other fish.