Dispatch: Shannon Edwards Podcast; Media Ignores the Disabled needs of AI
Why the Media ignores AI’s Potential for the Disabled and the inaugural podcast
Hello Friends,
How was your week? It’s been super busy for me.
So this week I launched the first episode of my podcast interview series starting with you’ll find details and links to this below.
My article this week has focussed on the lack of diverse perspectives in AI in the media, in particular the way the needs of the disabled in relation to AI are routinely ignored.
This is something I feel very strongly about and means a lot to me. More on that below.
Got any thoughts or feelings that come up for you about this weeks content? Join me & others to discuss them in the new subscriber chat, i’d love to hear from you.
Finally, my ongoing invite for podcast collaborators
I’ve been thrilled by the responses from my subscribers already who’d like to be interviewed in a podcast episode about how they see AI impacting them and society.
You can see this weeks episode by below.
Next week, you’ll meet my episode 2 guest
Would you like to be a guest in a future episode?
I’m not looking for AI experts (thats me!) I am looking for people from different walks of life and professions, who have been thinking about AI could impact their profession or personal life in some way.
If this might be you, I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas, please feel free to direct message me using the button below.
Have a great week,
Take care,
Pranath
The Forgotten: The Media’s Deafening Silence on AI’s Role in Disabled Support
Why the Media Shouldn't Ignore AI’s Potential for Disabled Needs
The media often fails to adequately cover the impact of AI on people with disabilities, despite the significant potential for AI to improve the lives of the disabled. A recent IPSOS poll found that trust in traditional media has been declining globally, with many criticising the media for biased reporting, inaccuracies, and prioritising speed over accuracy.
The article argues that the media systematically ignores the needs and perspectives of the disabled when it comes to reporting on AI. Over 1 billion people globally identify as having a disability, yet they are vastly underrepresented in media coverage. This lack of diverse perspectives on AI creates "false expectations and perceptions that are hard to overturn," according to a report by the UK's Royal Society.
The article highlights several examples of how AI is being used to assist those with disabilities, such as a humanoid robot integrated with ChatGPT to help individuals with autism. However, I argue that these types of promising AI innovations are being overlooked by the media, which seem more focused for example on dystopian AI narratives.
I call on journalists and media organisations to examine their conscience & coverage - and include a wider range of perspectives on AI, especially when it comes to the needs and experiences of people with disabilities. Failing to do so, I believe, harms our society & contributes to the ongoing decline in public trust in the media.
Episode #1: Shannon Edwards; Tech Revolutions; AI Ethics & Diversity
A veteran of several tech disruptions shares her view of recent history, and we discuss what this latest AI revolution might hold in store for the future.
In this podcast episode I chat with Shannon Edwards: Writer, marketing strategist, media spokesperson & entrepreneur.
In this wide-ranging conversation
a veteran of the tech industry and marketing innovator, shares her unique perspective on AI's societal impact. As someone who witnessed the early days of the internet boom, from the UK to the USA, Shannon draws parallels between that transformative period and today's AI revolution.Shannon emphasises the importance of critical thinking and independent inquiry in navigating the AI era. She calls for people from all walks of life to engage in open dialogue and challenge assumptions, rather than passively consuming narratives shaped by commercial interests or media sensationalism. Shannon also believes the diversity of human experiences is vital for developing AI technologies that truly benefit society.
Our discussion also delves into the implications of AI for the creative industries. Shannon and I question the notion of artistic exceptionalism, arguing that creativity has always involved synthesising and building upon existing works. As AI tools become more sophisticated, we discuss a shift towards viewing creativity as a collaborative, interconnected process that could potentially include AI as another strand in the web of influence.
Watch the Full Podcast Episode.
We also discuss various issues such as AI ethics, diversity, how AI might disrupt various industries, dangers, and opportunities the AI revolution is bringing to many aspects of society and us as human beings.
Episode #1: Shannon Edwards; Tech Revolutions; AI Ethics & Diversity
Explore My Complete Back-Catalog of Articles
I’ve written extensively about how AI is impacting society and humanity, now and in the future. I’ve also worked with AI as an AI Researcher, Data Scientist and an AI Consultant.
Regular readers will know that my passion and writing is focussed here on helping you understand in plain english, no geek - how AI is impacting different parts of society, different professions, from a human perspective, that is also technically informed.
I want to help you better understand the changes that AI has brought us already, what is yet to come, and how this could impact you.
Topics my articles have covered so far include:
How AI is impacting employment and the world of work
Where & why AI is disrupting different creative industries
What insights AI gives us into the nature of creativity and consciousness
Why AI is disrupting our legal systems and our sense of agency & ownership
How AI is impacting relationships: human & AI, and why
AI Regulation - Why we need it, what works, what doesn’t work
How different cultures are responding to AI
The potential for AI to revolutionise education
The effect of AI on mental health, does it make it worse, or could it help us?
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What’s your perspective on the issues raised this week?
I’d love to know what you think whatever that is, join us in the community chat to discuss this week’s issues with myself & others.
This was very informative! I hadn’t thought of AI’s positive impacts on disabled folks — thanks for shedding light on this 💡