Burning Platforms

Digging for Truth with Craig Silverman

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 21:17:33 -0300

The co-founder of Indicator on how lies have taken over the internet and what we can all do to build a better information ecosystem.

Also this week:

Culture wars over digital duty of care
AI as an intellectual hot dog
and what the Firmus flop could mean for datacentres

For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Open Season with Simon Kriss

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:39:57 -0300

As Open AI apologises to Australia the CEO of Sovereign AI takes us through the relative merits of open weight, open source and closed AI models.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinong and Pert Capita’s peter Lewis also discuss

the downsides of live-streaming amateur basketball
Anthropic’s consultations with God
and the rapid release of consumer agents

For show notes go to Burning Platforms on substack - https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Rearview Mirror with Matt Finch

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:11:04 -0300

As Australia confronts the Open AI hack on Medicare we are joined by an expert in strategic foresight to explore how we can confront the AI revolution with the benefit of hindsight.

Panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, ABC national AI reporter Cam Wilson and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

whether AI models can get drunk
is it time for an AI Pause?
and Audrey Tang’s call for a citizen jury to guide AI

For show notes go to Burning Platforms on substack - https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Tame Your Feed with Agata Stepnik

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 03:55:18 -0300

The Sydney University scholar explains how people can train their algorithms to get a better online experience and what it means to the Digital Duty of Care.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

Frontier Tech’s global reckoning
Open AI’s massive content heist
and the Australian bros building a global slop empire

For cuts and curios from this week’s show go to Burning Platforms on Substack

Care Package with Sarah Davies

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:21:51 -0300

The CEO of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation gives her verdict on the government’s new Digital Duty of care laws.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

the AI hyperscaler’ cry for help
Apple’s creepy new release
and the surveillance legacy of 9/11.

For show notes go to https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Making Sausages with Kate Chaney

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:51:43 -0300

The independent MP on her community-driven plan for AI, working with government from the cross-bench and pushing the pace of reform.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

GetUp’s big Palantir win
Rogue AI latest salvo
and the Digital Duty of Care laws

For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Perv Glass Half Full with Ed Santow

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:41:35 -0300

As privacy reforms gather momentum, the co-director of the Human Technology Institute walks us through the proposed changes and their implications for the digital world.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

Meta’s mega $18 billion legal settlement for harming children
Hugging Face’s AI agents mutiny
And the hidden cost of the AUKUS treaty

For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Duty of Care with Zoe Hawkins

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 01:55:21 -0300

The co-founder of the Tech Policy Design Centre on the development of new laws to hold tech companies to account for the harms of their products.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also dig into:

The new salt mines of AI
Australia’s pitch for AI sovereignty
and ARIA’s purge of slop from the music charts

For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Heaps Normal with Nicholas Davis

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 05:23:12 -0300

The co-founder of the Human Technology lays down his megapixel provocation and challenges us to stop thinking about AI as being so different that we can’t control it.

Panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, ABC National AI Reporter Cam Wilson and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss

Can Automated Decision Making work for the people?
Is the Social Media Ban making things worse?
Is surveillance-busting ‘adversarial fashion’ the new black?

For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Mind Craft with Dr Miah Hammond-Errey

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:41:44 -0300

The national security expert on the strategic risks of cognitive readiness and information is the new theatre of conflict.

Panellists Australian Writers Guild CEO Claire Pullen, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

Pornography as harbinger of digital doom
Mark Zuckerburg’s values-free ‘Encyclical’
Australia’s nascent Digital Duty of Care.

For show notes go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Roll Your Own with Beth Noveck

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:11:21 -0300

The author of 'Reboot: AI and the Race to Save Democracy' on how citizens must seize new technology to ensure it works for them. Regular panelists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O'Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita's Peter Lewis also discuss

Anthropic's rare book-breaking binge
Backlash over the surveillance of open models
How to regulate perv glasses

For show notes and further discussion go to: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Fair AI at the ALP Conference 2026 - Burning Platforms LIVE

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 21:55:18 -0300

Burning Platforms is back for another live show, this time recorded at the 2026 ALP Conference in Adelaide where we launched the "FairAI Initiative" with Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Human technology Institute co-director Ed Santow and Senator Tony Sheldon.

Join the Burning Platforms for show notes, resources, and regular updates from the Big Tech Policy space: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

For more on the Centre of the Public Square and it's research into AI policy, check out: https://percapita.org.au/the-centre-of-the-public-square/

Last but no least, learn more about the Fair AI Initiative here: https://www.fairai.au/

Believe it or not: Navigating the Misinformation Age LIVE

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:18:04 -0300

In a world of relative facts and filter bubbles how do we build a common base of reality to anchor democracy?

Burning Platforms will bring themes from the ABC series ‘A Matter of Facts’ to life in a fun and interactive live event that will challenge you to pick the truth from the lies.

Featuring:

Hamish Macdonald, award-winning journalist
Lizzie O’Shea, Co-founder and Chair of Digital Rights Watch
Jess Scully, Executive Director of RadicalXChange
Emma McDonald, Media Lawyer, policy, regulatory and communications executive
Professor Leo Robba and social design students from Western Sydney University

Hosted by Essential’s Peter Lewis, and supported by Democracy Counts, we’ll explore what it means for democracy when so much of the content we’re consuming blurs the lines between fact and fiction, when our shared sense of reality becomes fractured.

The Palantir Primer

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 07:56:26 -0300

Burning Platform is back from its brief hiatus for a special live Virtual Town Hall, convened on July 6th, looking at the growing fight to resist the US tech behemoth, in partnership with Digital Rights Watch and GetUp!

Hosted by Per Capita's Peter Lewis, with speakers:
* DRW chair Lizzie O'Shea * GetUp! campaigner Hayden Rodgers * Australian Greens Senator David Shoebridge Show notes available at: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/p/your-palantir-primer

Little Voices with Clare Stutchbery

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 01:37:59 -0300

This week on Burning Platforms, we're joined by the head of the Local and Independent News Association, Clare Stutchbery, to get her insights on the importance of media diversity in an age of information hierarchies.

Panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Australian Writers Guild CEO Claire Pullin and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also explore:

Why has Trump blocked Anthropic’s latest model?
Is Google responsible for its AI news summaries?
Are Gina and Elon a match made in heaven?

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

BeNICE with Ed Coper

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:43:09 -0300

The political strategist and author of ‘Angertainement', Ed Coper, joins the Burning Platform this week to discuss how social media outrage ruined everything and outlines his blueprint for harnessing the toxic information ecosystem.

Panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

is Anthropic really calling to hit pause?
will Microsoft’s agentic AI play land safely?
can a government automate discretion?

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Magnifica Humanitas

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 22:04:27 -0300

This week on Burning Platforms we dive deep into Pope Leo’s XIV’s encyclical with Dr Michael Walker from the Justice and Peace Office at the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney .

Our panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, ABC AI reporter Cam Wilson and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

AI’s Trust Deficit
Amnesty International’s new report: Unlawful by Design
and Greenpeace’s new research on data centres ‘Energy Vampires’

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Deep Tech with George Tulloch

Tue, 26 May 2026 23:45:06 -0300

The founder of start-up Noizend on the challenges of scaling tech in Australia and how the real innovation is not running on the back of LLMs.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

Why is Meta ditching End to End Encryption?
Will Google’s new IO break the internet?
And Elon Musk’s the SpaceX float take-off?

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

The Kids are Alright with Tama Leaver

Tue, 19 May 2026 21:07:37 -0300

Internet academic Tama Leaver on the lines between regulating and equipping children to navigate the AI revolution.

Panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, ABC AI reporter Cam Wilson and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

Students Jeer AI Inspiration
Palantir’s Surveillance Playbook
and can we build an AI Wealth Fund?

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

The Devil’s Playground with Claire Pullen

Tue, 12 May 2026 23:41:17 -0300

The Australian Writer’s Guild CEO Claire Pullen updates us on the fight to protect Australian creators from the industrial-scale thrift of their work.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

The wild west of AI-powered toys
Chat-GPT’s new bot-phone
and how Anthropic is tapping religious leaders for moral guidance

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Kids’ Gloves with Carly Kind

Tue, 05 May 2026 23:44:27 -0300

The Privacy Commissioner takes us through the new code to to give children greater control over their data and how this could open the door for less surveillance for all of us.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

What’s behind the cancellation of RightsCon?
Why did Jack Dorsey lay off 40 per cent of his business?
And who wins when two tech overlords go to court?

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Hyperscaling with Ed Husic

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:30:22 -0300

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/

Popular Front with Cam Wilson

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:31:23 -0300

The Sizzle editor (and freshly minted ABC AI reporter) joins us to make sense of the spate of attacks on CEO leaders.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

What role should AI play in Aged Care?
Is all the AI Bubble talk just hot air?
And how to get into a slinging match with a chat bot?

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

War Crimes with Prof Toby Walsh

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:45:24 -0300

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/

Industrial Revolution with Joseph Mitchell

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:20:38 -0300

The ACTU’s Assistant Secretary takes us through the multiple challenges AI poses workers and the pressure points where unions are pushing back.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

Anthropic’s pitch to Canberra
slop-aganda in the Iranian war
and a new platform to Surf the fedi-verse

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Muting The Manosphere with Chanel Contos

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:30:56 -0300

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/

One Battle After Another with Alix Dunn

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:07:17 -0300

The Host of the ‘Computer Says Maybe’ podcast joins us to give a global take on the power and influence of Big Tech.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also delve into:

the federal government’s green data centre edict
industry’s latest pitch to mine creative data
and Open AI’s pivot away from consumer products

For background notes on these discussions go to Burning Platforms on Substack: https://burningplatforms.substack.com/

Just Asking with Prof Daniel Angus

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 20:13:02 -0300

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/

Trust Mark with Alan Finkel

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 01:26:12 -0300

The former Chief Scientist outlines his new venture, ‘Proudly Human to allow creators to verify their work in the ocean of slop.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

The Australian Government’s defence deals with Palantir
Canadian PM Mark Carney’s call for a Middle Powers LLM
and whether agentic AI will eat the internet

Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events.

Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.

World on Fire

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 19:45:44 -0400

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'

Orgy of Opportunity with Prof Nicholas Davis

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:45:24 -0400

On this week's episode of Burning Platforms, the team look at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi with first-hand accounts from UTS’s Human Technology Institute co-director and regular panelist Digital Rights Chair Lizzie O’Shea.

They join Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis to also discuss:

Mark Zuckerberg’s day in court
World-leading workplace laws in NSW
and the SASSopcolypse.

Join us in discussing the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit: https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on of the Centre of the Public Square's research and events.

Per Capita's podcasts are produced on Wurundjeri land.

Plumbing with Sir Geoff Mulgan

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:09:42 -0400

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.

Long Game with Greg Sadler

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:22:34 -0400

Burning Platforms is BACK for 2026. The panels returns this week to unpack the existential risks AI presents with the Good Ancestors CEO, Greg Sadler. Spoiler: it's not just AGI. With our regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis, the panel also discuss:

Grok’s wild (and gross) summer
ChatGTP’s foray into health
and Bandcamp’s AI pledge

Check our Good Ancestors: https://www.goodancestors.org.au/

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/

End of Days - 2025 in Review

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:55:46 -0400

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/

Ground Game with Cory Alpert

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 21:29:16 -0400

While the vested interests wrestle with the intricacies of AI regulation, are community library conversations the best bet for shaping our tech future? On this week's episode of Burning Platforms, we meet the academic who is fighting the algorithm with words.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis will also discuss:

Meta’s latest Anti-Trust win
The News Media Bargaining Incentive
The case for an "AI Slop" Tax

Book a ticket for Cory’s late night show: https://events.humanitix.com/system-error-late-night-show

Read Lizzie’s Baffler piece: https://thebaffler.com/latest/antitrust-issues-oshea

Join us in discussing the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit: https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

Carbon Footprints with Ketan Joshi

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 22:10:54 -0400

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

RadicalXChange with Jess Scully

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 19:42:15 -0300

Is Big Tech’s domination of AI inevitable or are there different ways of organising our data to shift the power the dynamic? We discuss the RadicalXChange project with its new director, Jess Scully.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

Government blocks text and data mining
Human Rights over our brain waves
Sam Altman’s wank-bot

To find out more about RadicalxChange go to: https://www.radicalxchange.org/

To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

Visit www.percapita.org.au for more on our research and events.
Per Capita's podcasts are recorded and produced on Wurundjeri land.

How Can Democracy Survive AI? LIVE IN PERTH

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0300

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.

Bursting Bubbles with Dan McQuillan

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 22:05:37 -0300

Is the rise of AI inevitable or just the latest cycle of hype for a sector that thrives on the vibes? The author of “Resisting AI’, Professor Dan McQuillan, joins the show to argue for a more fundamental response to Big Tech.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

the launch of AI’s new Sora video product
the push to sell advertising inside GPTs
and how consultants are embracing work slop

Join us for our live shows in capital cities around Australia

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

Cooking with Cam Wilson

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 22:13:35 -0300

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

Tech Check with Damian Kassabgi

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 01:46:47 -0300

The tech industry is pitching data mining and new infrastructure as the key to national prosperity. But will it deliver? And if so, for whom?

Tech Council of Australia CEO, Damian Kassabgi joins regular panelists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis for the latest episode of Burning Platforms.

The show also covers:

fresh concerns over age verification

the creepy rise of intimate AI companions
And Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa’s address to the National Press Club

To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

Stolen Property with Peter Garrett

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 20:23:07 -0300

“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

Industrial Base with Minister Tim Ayres

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 03:35:10 -0300

New Federal industry and science minister Tim Ayres shares his take on industry policy, AI's opportunities and risks, and how we could steer through the latest wave of tech change.

With regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton, and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis

To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

Digital New Deal with Johanna Weaver

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 04:48:57 -0300

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

Poisoning AI with Prof Toby Walsh

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 05:22:50 -0300

The Large Language Models are powered by stolen data but there are new and innovative ways to make the thieves pay. Professor Toby Walsh explains the tech-driven resistance to Big AI from data poisoning to responsible cloud computing.

With panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Editor of the Sizzle Cam Wilson, and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis we also discuss:

Qantas’ big data hack
Victoria’s foray into AI policing
and how Velvet Sunset’s fake music is bringing tears to Peter’s eyes

To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome

Scammed! With Alex Brooks

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 22:09:30 -0300

"I thought old people got scammed. And actually young people are at greater risk because they have more confidence in dealing [with things] online."

This week on Burning Platforms, the team learns how the financial scam industry has become an enthusiastic early adapter of AI and how the banks are working around the clock to ensure they aren’t the ones liable for the ensuing harm.

With our regular panelists Digital Rights Watch Chair, Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton, Per Capita’s Peter Lewis, who are joined by co-founder of Scams Victims Alliance, Alex Brooks.

To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit. (https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome)

For more about Scams Victims Alliance go to: https://scamvictimalliance.org.au/

Dr Alondra Nelson’s Intelligence

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 22:37:58 -0300

"What could things have become? You could imagine if the baton had been passed from the Obama administration to a Clinton administration... an American public much more ready... for the turns in AI that we are facing now." On this week's Burning Platforms, our panel spends some quality time with the architect of the Biden Administration’s AI executive order, Dr Alondra Nelson. With regular panelists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton, and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis. Join the conversation. Get involved with the Burning Platforms community in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/

Grok-ing Out with Julie Inman-Grant

Tue, 27 May 2025 23:03:16 -0300

Burning Platforms struggles to make sense of white genocide, design unicorns and the all-seeing Apple Eye.

E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant joins regular panellists Digital Rights Watch founder Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis for our regular dive into the world of tech and politics.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

The Holy Trinity Edition

Wed, 14 May 2025 18:04:00 -0300

Good things come in threes and this week’s Burning Platforms looks at the inspiration behind the new Pope’s decision to name himself Leo, the critical changes to the Labor Government’s front bench and Mark Zuckerberg maximum number of friends.

Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis and joined by Professor Dan Angus from QUT’S Digital Research Centre.

2025 Federal Election Special (or Much Ado About Nothing)

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 20:36:11 -0300

With a federal election within days, Burning Platforms looks at the lack of discussion about tech and whether that is a good or bad thing. With Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Per Capita’s Peter Lewis and special guests, Editor of The Sizzle, Cam Wilson and Dr Rys Farthing from Reset Australia. Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/ Support our guests by checking out their content and work. Subscribe to The Sizzle! - https://thesizzle.com.au/

Reset Australia's work on the Child Online Privacy Code - https://au.reset.tech/news/welcoming-a-children-s-privacy-code/

Distilling the Slop

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:24:00 -0300

As the world teeters on the brink of whatever comes after globalisation we dive deep into the way AI is transforming film-making with the director of the iconic Australian film Kenny, Clay Jacobson. Our regular panel of Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:

The theory that the Trump Tariffs were cooked up by a chatbot
The growing chance that the FTC anti-trust case against Meta is history; and
The backlash against Chat GPT’s appropriation of Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed work.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Taxing Times

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 20:48:14 -0300

On this week's episode of Burning Platforms, the gang looks at global efforts to force Big Tech to pay their share of tax with special guest Dr Mark Zirnsak from the Tax Justice Network.

With our regular panelists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

The National Trust

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 01:35:53 -0300

This week on Burning Platforms, we dive deep into a new initiative to understand the role of Trust in the relationship between society and technology with special guest, Professor Terry Flew.

With regular panelists Per Capita’s Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine Dan Stinton, we'll also look at:

Data Centre Diplomacy
will Google’s AI search eat itself?
and Digg’s reboot

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

World Gone Wild

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 01:16:18 -0400

Burning Platforms is back for 2025.

With the tech overlords in the ascendant, particularly following the US election, we take stock of the impending inferno with our regular panel Per Capita’s Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine Dan Stinton, and special guest, fresh from the Paris AI Summit, Professor Nick Davis from UTS’ Human Technology Institute.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Setting the Guardrails

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0400

In our final episode of 2024 we unpack the recent Senate Report into the Adoption of AI in Australia with Committee Chair Senator Tony Sheldon.

We also look at:

Woolworth's industrial dispute over workplace surveillance
Why Meta is building a deep sea cable to India
How TikTok was gamed to deliver an election boil over in Romania

With regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, HealthEngine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita's Peter Lewis.

Visit the Centre of the Public Square for more on our work around technology policy.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast.

Strange Bedfellows

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 07:00:00 -0400

Burning Platforms dives deep into the common ground between national security and individual privacy with cybersecurity expert Miah Hammond-Errey, host of the Technology and Security podcast.

Also this week:

* Bunnings wrapped over facial recognition

* Trump’s crypto bonanza

* and could the Social Media Ban have a silver lining?

Panelists:

* Digital Rights Watch chair, Lizzie O’Shea,

* Health Engine CEO, Dan Stinton

* and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis

Visit the Centre of the Public Square for more on our work around technology policy.

Support Miah at the TS podcast.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast.

The Tech-Bro Election

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 08:26:00 -0400

The upcoming US Presidential elections will shape - and be shaped by - the Web3 community. We talk with Mark Monfort from the Aus De-Fi Association on what the moment means. He joins our panel of Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton, digital rights advocate Kate Bower and Peter Lewis from Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square. Also this week: * The new front on chat-bot accountability * Is Emotional Intelligence the next killer app? * and has AI doomer-ism turned the corner? Listen to Burning Platforms: https://tinyurl.com/3sck83b6

Warning - This episode mentions suicide. If you or anyone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or at lifeline.org.au, or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or at beyondblue.org.au/forums.

The Digital Dark Age

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 23:26:54 -0300

As researchers are locked out of digital platforms, we contemplate a new era of control and secrecy, with responsible tech academic Gina Neff.

She joins our panel of Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie OShea, Choice’s digital campaign lead Rafi Alam and Peter Lewis from Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Also this week:
The Social Media Summit takeaways
The eyes inside our cars
And the Nobel Prize’s AI extravaganza

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

The Age of Intelligence?

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0300

Open AI's Sam Altman has launched a new product line with a new business model and a new philosophy. But do they all line up?

Lee Schofield from ‘Future is Now’ with our regular panelists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton.

We also cover

· The fallout from 7-Eleven’s privacy breach

· Misinformation and disinformation laws

· And Mark Zuckerberg’s new Metaverse glasses.

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast.

Privacy Now!

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 22:03:22 -0300

Listen to our live virtual town hall briefing to discuss the Federal Government’s much anticipated plans for privacy reform and the launch o the Privacy Now campaign - https://privacynow.org.au/.

With:

Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind

Human Technology Institute director Ed Santow
Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square. Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast.

The NSFW Edition

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 00:46:56 -0300

What can Only Fans teach us about the internet? Social media academic Emily van der Nagel takes us through her research with content creators and consumers to reveal the logic behind a very different platform. She joins our regular panel of Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Centre of the Public Square convenor Peter Lewis. Also this week:

The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov
Musicians count the cost of AI; and
What next for the News Media Bargaining Code?

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Emotional Rescue

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 20:29:00 -0300

In this week's episode if Burning Platforms, the panel dives into the product liability of companion apps with consumer law academia, Jeannie Peterson.

Also this week, they touch on:
* the UK riots and platform responsibility
* Musk’s X-rated presidential dalliance
* and the People’s bid for TiKTok

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast.

How AI Will Really Destroy The World

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 20:32:19 -0300

Forget intelligent machines waging war on humans, the real threat could be the amount of energy and water data processing centres are sucking up in the service of AI.

Gordon Noble from UTS’s Institute of Sustainable Futures has been crunching the numbers and it makes for alarming reading.

He joins our regular panel of Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Centre of the Public Square convenor Peter Lewis.

Also this week:

Has the US Supreme Court just granted Big Tech a giant leave pass?
Why is Google still addicted to Cookies?
And could Mark Zuckerberg by right, for once

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Rebuilding the Public Square - Live

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 20:38:09 -0300

On this week’s Burning Platforms, Peter Lewis launches the “Civility Manifesto” live at the July John Cain Lunch. Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Man-Made

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:49:48 -0300

On this week’s Burning Platforms, we talk with author Tracey Spicer about the biases and contradictions at the heart of Artificial Intelligence. Our panel of Essential’s Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton also ask: * who really runs Australian tech policy? * what does the collapse of US privacy reform mean? * and why is Dan perplexed about Perplexity? Join host Peter Lewis next week at the July John Cain lunch, where he will discuss ‘Rebuilding the Public Square.' Wednesday July 17. Join us live in Melbourne or via live stream. Register at humanitix.com Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast. Buy Tracy's book about AI, MAN-MADE: http://tinyurl.com/2b3wzh8c

Plurality

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 05:50:38 -0300

This week on Burning Platforms, our regular panel of Essential's Peter Lewis and Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea share a special extended interview with Taiwan’s inaugural Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang and Radical xChange founder Glen Weyl about their new collaborative book, ‘Plurality.’

Listen to Burning Platforms on Apple Podcasts.

And don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier for more tech news from the Centre of the Public Square.

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Invisible Bystanders

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0300

This week on Burning Platforms, our regular panel of Essential's Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, and HealthEngine CEO Dan Stinton, are joined by Professor Nicholas Davis from UTS’s Human Technology Institute as they dive deep into new research on how worker power could be the key to harnessing AI to deliver real productivity. Also discussed on this week's Burning Platforms:

What does Apple’s deal with open AI mean?
Is Google capturing more of you than you realise?
Can Australian ban election deep fakes?

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square. For our listeners on Apple Podcasts - we had to update our feed link due to technical issues. You can now access Burning Platforms via this link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/burning-platforms/id1589024577 Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Will Google Eat Itself?

Mon, 27 May 2024 20:00:00 -0300

On this week’s Burning Platforms, host Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton are joined by media and tech commentator Ricky Sutton to dive deep into his analysis of Google’s growing dominance and how it might be its own Achilles Heel.

Plus they also ponder whether:
Can Scarlett Johansson save the internet?
Should we impose age limits on social media?
And if should Australia have sovereign AI capability?

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

For more from Ricky Sutton, subscribe to his Substack: https://rickysutton.substack.com/about

Who Stole Our Books?

Mon, 13 May 2024 20:44:24 -0300

Is AI robbing writers of their ideas and what can we do about it?

Australian Writers Guild CEO Claire Pullen joins the regular panelists Essential’s Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton for our fortnightly dive into political tech.

They also discuss:

Whether Google really cares about our privacy?
Can an AI deliver talking points better than a politician?
Is the internet already dead?

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square. Subscribe to The Town Crier, our new newsletter for the Centre of the Public Square and Burning Platforms.

Judgment Day

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:18:10 -0300

This week’s Burning Platforms looks at Australia’s face-off with Elon Musk and the role live-streaming has in building media accountability.

Also covered: Google’s sacking of workers who protested the companies deployment of its tech stack in Israel and a new wearable that promises to remember everything you say.

With special guest, author Tim Dunlop and regular panelists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton. Hosted by Essential Media’s Peter Lewis.

Burning Platforms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Subscribe to The Town Crier, our new newsletter for the Centre of the Public Square and Burning Platforms.

Alternatively, you can watch the interview on our YouTube channel.

In Moderation

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 21:35:41 -0300

Burning Platforms dives deep into the role humans play in managing large platforms and small communities with academic and convenor of the upcoming All Things in Moderation conference Venessa Paech.

Our panel also discusses:

Who is really incognito on Google?
Who should deal with the downstream risks of Open AI’s new Voice Engine?
And are we Witnessing AI’s first acts of genocide?

With Peter Lewis from Essential, Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’SHea and Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton.

Burning Platfroms is an initiative of Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Subscribe to The Town Crier, our new newsletter for the Centre of the Public Square and Burning Platforms.

Alternatively, you can watch the interview on our YouTube channel.

Mind-Reading for Dummies

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 21:43:25 -0300

Welcome back to Burning Platforms – a podcast about the politics of technology - from our new home at Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

Burning Platforms takes a deep dive into AI-generated mind reading with Michael Blumenstein, Deputy Dean at UTS’s’ Faculty of Engineering and IT.

Plus:

Is Trump’s "Truth Social" the Ultimate Deal?
Are new EU Competition Laws a Big Tech game-changer?
And should ‘Post and Boast’ Laws be Toast?

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Subscribe to The Town Crier, our new newsletter for the Centre of the Public Square and Burning Platforms.

Alternatively, you can watch the interview on our YouTube channel.

The Code 2.0 with Belinda Barnett

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 03:00:25 -0300

Welcome back to Burning Platforms – a podcast about the politics of technology - from our new home at Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

This week, Peter, Lizzie, and Dan dive deep into Meta's threat to pull news from Australia and what it will mean to journalism and whether the compromise required to create the News Media Bargaining Code will become the seeds of its destruction.

Also:
* Is banning TikTok the next global border war?
* Are self-driving cars jumping the tech shark?
* Is a free AI course really 'scholarship?'

The Burning Platforms panel was joined by academic, Belinda Barnett.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Subscribe to The Town Crier, our new newsletter for the Centre of the Public Square and Burning Platforms.

Watch the interview on our YouTube channel.

Judging Meta with Dr Nick Suzor

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:50:22 -0400

Welcome back to Burning Platforms – a podcast about the politics of technology - from our new home at Per Capita’s Centre of the Public Square.

For our first episode for 2024, Peter, Lizzie, and Dan will discuss the federal governments new doxxing laws, Open AI's latest product, Sora, and question whether LinkedIn is the "last platform standing".

We're also joined by Deep Dive/Guest: Nick Suzor, Law Professor at QUT Digital Media Research Centre and member of Meta’s Oversight Board, to chat about new book Lawless: the secret rules that govern our digital lives.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Stay tuned for more form the Centre of the Public Square by subscribing to the Per Capita Newsletter.

Watch the interview on our YouTube channel.

Faking It

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 16:48:00 -0400

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

As the world races to regulate artificial intelligence and machine learning, we’re joined by Professor Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist at the University of New South Wales and author of new book 'Faking It', to expose all of A.I.’s tricks and lies.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Tech Horror Stories

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 20:19:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

This episode of Burning Platforms looks at the march of AI through the prism of dystopias with critic and writer Richard King, author of 'Here Be Monsters'.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Life of Pi

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 18:58:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

On this episode the panel is joined for an intimate discussion with the self described ‘emotional intelligent’ AI chatbot, Pi.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

ALP Live Hack

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 23:46:00 -0300

This episode of Burning Platforms comes live from the Australian Labor Party National Conference Fringe Festival where we talk AI regulation, privacy reform and hack the data of an MP!

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

’Cookers’ in their underpants - The Voice and social media

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 19:07:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

With The Voice to Parliament referendum campaign in full swing, we examine the role that digital platforms play in influencing the discussion.

Our panel is joined special guest Queensland University of Technology Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Axel Bruns.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

True Lies - Can we regulate disinformation?

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 20:58:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

This episode, we are joined by Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication from LaTrobe University to dissect ACMA's proposed new disinformation powers, and ask the question, 'Can we actually regulate disinformation?'

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Living With AI

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 21:01:00 -0300

Technology described as artificial intelligence is becoming more pervasive, with AI algorithms transforming science and industry, along with our everyday lives. But what is AI really? Is it truly intelligent? Is it always a benignly useful modern-world companion?

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

This week, the Burning Platforms panel unpack this and more with AI academic Campbell Wilson on his new book 'Living with AI'.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Privacy Misconception

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 20:27:00 -0300

Apps now harvest so much of our data, from our locations and movements, our shopping habits, even for some women - their fertility. What are the privacy implications of capturing this much bodily information?

Burning Platforms speaks with academic Katharine Kemp about her work tracking the data-harvesting of fertility apps.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Digital Playground

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 19:13:00 -0300

With a new focus on protecting children online as part of an evolution of the Privacy Act, rights activist Chloe Shorten (Director Alfred Health and Industry Funds Services, Ambassador Foyer Foundation) joins the Burning Platforms panel to look at the case for using new and existing laws to define and enforce the rights of minors.

And don't forget to vote for our SXSW proposal.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Public Interest Data

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 18:01:00 -0300

With the first major review of the Australian Privacy Act in 40 years reaching end-game, the Burning Platforms panel unpack the state of events, and discuss a new report looking at how tick-a-box consent is undermining our freedom and privacy.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Identity Crisis

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 18:07:00 -0400

After the string of hacks in late 2022 the government has developed a new online identity wallet. What is the logic behind it? Will it provide better privacy for citizens? And should we trust government with our data anyway?

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

This week Peter Lewis, Lizzie O'Shea, and Dan Stinton are joined by Professor Ed Santow, Director for Policy & Governance at the Human Technology Institute, and Industry Professor for Responsible Technology at the University of Technology Sydney.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Chokepoint Capitalism

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 17:01:00 -0400

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

This week, we speak with Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow, authors of new book 'Chokepoint Capitalism' and explore how creatives can break free of Big Tech and Big Content

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Burning Platforms Live in Melbourne

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 17:11:00 -0400

The final Burning Platforms of 2022 reflects on the year that was, including Elon Musk, tech regulation, privacy and more. Plus we held quizzes, played 'Dan or bot', and launched new book 'Disconnect'!

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

The End of the (Big Tech) World as we know it

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 19:43:00 -0400

Twitter is imploding before our eyes under Elon Musk, Meta is shedding staff and stock prices, and the crypto winter freezes out more people as FTX collapses. Is this the end of the (Big Tech) world as we know it? And are we all feeling fine? What will happen next?

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

Join Peter Lewis, Lizzie O'Shea, and Dan Stinton for this week's analysis of the politics of technology from around the world.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Navigating the Metaverse

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 17:17:00 -0400

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

As we move deeper into the new phases of the internet should we be building in guardrails and redlines around this new technology?

And even if we should, can we?

This week, the Burning Platform panel deep dives into the metaverse with the Founder of the Responsible Metaverse Alliance, Dr Catriona Wallace.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Resilience or Redesign - Approaching our Tech Future

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 02:38:00 -0300

As part of the 2022 NetThing Internet Governance Conference, Burning Platforms will ask - "Do we need to build our resilience against a worsening tech world, or should we design a better one?"

As the tech harms pile up and change us and our society, we deep dive into a new book 'Disconnect - why we get pushed to extremes online and how to stop it' which showcases online conspiracy theorists, freedom fighters, trolls, screen addicts and more and we will unpack whether our current tech landscape is inevitable or if there's a better way forward.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Dead End: How Tech is driving gridlock

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 18:02:00 -0300

The future of transportation is abuzz with disruption, from ride-sharing to electric vehicles to AI traffic flows.

Burning Platforms asks - will these build transport systems for the better or worse? With special guest Paris Marx, Author of Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation, and host of 'Tech Won't Save Us'.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Breached As - the Optus data leak

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 19:02:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.

This episode we look at the huge data breach at Optus, and ask whether this breach is a feature or a bug of a world where mass data collection has now been normalised.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

The Dark Arts of Online Advertising

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:03:00 -0300

Burning Platforms goes under Big Tech’s hood with new research into the increased opacity of online advertising - and the impact of that secrecy on public discourse.

With special guests:

Nicholas Carah, Associate Professor at University of Queensland
Aimee Brownbill, Senior Research and Policy Advisor at Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Algorithmic Asylum

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 18:45:00 -0300

With a proliferation of wellness technologies, the human mind is emerging as the latest frontier in the spread of tech solutionism.

This week’s Burning Platforms digs deep into a new report ‘Digital Futures in the Mind’ which looks at how algorithmic solutions can have both a positive and negative impact on mental health.

Our special guest is report co-author Dr. Piers Gooding from Melbourne University Law School.

With a proliferation of wellness technologies, the human mind is emerging as the latest frontier in the spread of tech solutionism.

This week’s Burning Platforms digs deep into a new report ‘Digital Futures in the Mind’ which looks at how algorithmic solutions can have both a positive and negative impact on mental health.

Our special guest is report co-author Dr. Piers Gooding from Melbourne University Law School.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Civilising the ’Tech-Bro’

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 03:35:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. On this episode Peter, Lizzie, and Dan speak with technology writer and commentator, Maria Farrell, about the power dynamics of tech advocacy and her concept of a ‘duty of hope’.

Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

The Balance of (Tech) Power

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 19:11:00 -0300

In this new progressive Australian government, where do the fault lines lie when it comes to digital rights? Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. This week, join Peter Lewis, Lizzie O'Shea, and Dan Stinton, as they speak with NSW Greens Senator and spokesperson for Digital Rights and IT David Shoebridge. Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Cybernetics

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 20:25:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. This week, the Burning Platforms panel deep dive into the complex and exciting world of cybernetics with Associate Professor Ellen Broad from the Australian National University School of Cybernetics and member of the Australian Government's Data Advisory Council.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Home Truths

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 19:03:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. This week the Burning Platform's panel dive deep into the impact of home-sharing platform Airbnb on the property market with Trish Burt, convenor of Neighbours Not Strangers, who has been fighting a one-woman war against Airbnb for years, calling out policies that privilege the interests of property owners over renters and undermine local communities. Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Private Eyes

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 00:12:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. This episode will dive deep into the risk of unfettered AI following the release of a major report regarding the use of Facial Recognition Technology in Australia. Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Introducing ’Civility’

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 19:11:00 -0300

Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. On this week's episode, Peter Lewis is joined by David Swan, (Technology Editor, The Australian), Samantha Floreani (Program Lead, Digital Rights Watch), to introduce ‘Civility’ - a new collaborative platform designed to create better public engagement - with its co-founder, Nicholas Davis. Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.