From Social Media to A.I: Lessons We Can't Afford to Ignore

This episode of the Harvest Series podcast, hosted by Rose Claverie, features Daniel Barcay, Executive Director at the Center for Humane Technology. Recorded at Harvest in Kaplankaya, Turkey, the conversation explores how AI is reshaping society and what it means for our future.
Barcay reflects on lessons from the rise of social media, the dangers of addictive design, and why AI carries even greater stakes. He explains how AI impacts relationships, privacy, and decision-making, and why it could both empower humanity or destabilize it.

From emotional manipulation by AI companions to the risk of losing control when autonomous agents act in our world, this dialogue uncovers both urgent threats and inspiring opportunities. Ultimately, the discussion calls for awareness, policy, and responsible design — and for each of us to ask: are we using AI to become the people we want to be?

Chapters
00:00 – Introduction & Harvest welcome
00:29 – AI: Best friend or threat?
01:20 – Raising awareness of tech’s impact
02:08 – Promise and instability of new tech
03:04 – Lessons from social media’s design flaws
05:02 – The attention economy explained
06:24 – The Social Dilemma and global awareness
07:16 – Social media as humanity’s first AI contact
08:25 – Distorted mirrors of society
09:33 – China’s intentional tech policies
10:26 – From channels to AI companions
12:02 – Ambiguity in relationships with AI
13:30 – Risks: sycophancy & flattery
15:26 – AI competing for affection
17:13 – Super-stimulus: AI partners vs. real relationships
18:42 – Polarization & intellectual humility
20:15 – Privacy, memory, and hidden data
22:27 – AI as con man: trust and betrayal
22:44 – Case study: character AI & youth suicide
25:08 – Liability & legal responsibility
27:40 – Product liability & AI frameworks
28:34 – Control: can we prevent AI chaos?
29:19 – Lessons from financial flash crashes
30:28 – Rise of autonomous AI agents
31:53 – Society-wide responsibility for AI
33:19 – What individuals can do
35:12 – Policy and design solutions
36:19 – Engineers and responsibility codes
37:09 – Daniel’s personal journey
40:06 – Courage: leaving Google
42:04 – Can AI start a war?
44:06 – Final advice: use AI, but consciously

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