Posts in Politics
Transcript for “Catching A.I. in the Act” with Jesús Mantas
Transcript for “Catching A.I. in the Act” with Jesús Mantas

AI-generated content has exploded into people’s feeds, and with that comes greater concern over deep fakes and misinformation. As we scroll through election content this season, how can we ensure we know when something is real or fake? In this interview, IBM's Jesús Mantas addresses how his work proactively stops “fake news” and what we, as ordinary citizens, can do to spot and combat misinformation, especially AI-generated.  

Jesús Mantas is the Global Managing Partner in IBM Consulting responsible for Business Transformation Services, leading the $10B unit transforming and operating mission critical businesses with digital technology and AI. He also serves as an Independent Director and Chair of the Compensation and Management Development Committee in the Board of Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB), a leading biotechnology company focused on neuroscience. He serves as a member of the Audit Committee as well. He is also a member of the World Economic Forum AI Global Council. Prior to joining IBM, Jesús was a Partner in the High Technology practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, an adjunct professor at University of California Irvine Graduate School of Management, and an officer in the Air Force of Spain.

Thank you to Starts with Us for their collaboration on this series. Starts with Us is an organization committed to overcoming extreme political and cultural division. Check them out at startswith.us.

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Politics, Election, The Futuredon macphersonpolitics, Election, Democracy, conflict, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Fakes, Misinformation, fake news
Transcript for “Cultivating Better Dialogue Amidst Campus Division” with Dr. Pano Kanelos
Transcript for “Cultivating Better Dialogue Amidst Campus Division” with Dr. Pano Kanelos

Colleges have become a hotbed of division as students from all walks of life cross paths with each other, and academic agendas shape discourse and student life on campuses. As Gen Z casts some of their first ballots in 2024, how can they learn to have more respectful dialogue about the issues that matter most to them? In this interview, Dr. Pano Kanelos provides his perspective and ideas on how to encourage open dialogue on college campuses and educational settings.

Dr. Panayiotis (Pano) Kanelos is the Founding President of the University of Austin (UATX). Lauded by Forbes as one of higher education’s “academic entrepreneurs,” Dr. Kanelos was President of St. John’s College, Annapolis, the nation’s most storied great books liberal arts college. During his tenure, St. John’s successfully launched a historic initiative that included the most significant tuition reduction at any American college, accompanied by a $300 million campaign. He is widely acclaimed as one of the country’s most powerful advocates for liberal education and believes polarization on university campuses today reflects a “hardening” of empathy within American culture. He and the other co-founders started the school in response to their belief that college campuses were no longer a place where students and faculty could openly exchange ideas. 

Thank you to Starts with Us for their collaboration on this series. Starts with Us is an organization committed to overcoming extreme political and cultural division. Check them out at startswith.us.

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Politics, Election, The Futuredon macphersonpolitics, Election, Democracy, Education, College, Campus Protests, conflict
Transcript for “A Media Literacy Diet for Elections” with Dr. Geoffrey Baym
Transcript for “A Media Literacy Diet for Elections” with Dr. Geoffrey Baym

The blurred lines between journalism, advertising, and entertainment have contributed to a lack of media literacy in today’s audiences. So, how do we discern when we have all the facts, particularly as we gear up toward an election? In this interview, Dr. Geoffrey Baym explains the history of political content in media and how we can practice better media literacy in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

Dr. Geoffrey Baym is a professor of media studies and directs the PhD program in Media and Communication at Temple University. A former TV news producer, Dr. Baym explores the shifting styles and standards of broadcast journalism, public affairs media, and political discourse. His work particularly examines the melding of news, entertainment, politics, and popular culture. His publications include the award-winning From Cronkite to Colbert: The Evolution of Broadcast News and the edited collection News Parody and Political Satire Across the Globe.

Thank you to Starts with Us for their collaboration on this series. Starts with Us is an organization committed to overcoming extreme political and cultural division. Check them out at startswith.us.

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Politics, Election, The Futuredon macphersonpolitics, conflict, election, media, fake news, bias, Election, Democracy
Transcript for "The Value of Democracy" with Dr. Karthick Ramakrishnan
Transcript for "The Value of Democracy" with Dr. Karthick Ramakrishnan

Join our host Don MacPherson and Dr. Karthick Ramakrishnan as they discuss how democracy has enabled Americans to thrive over the last 240+ years. Dr. Ramakrishnan shares his “only in America” story, talks about how the United States, despite its challenges and problems, is a land of opportunity, and why democracy is an important reason for these opportunities.

Dr. Karthick Ramakrishnan has served in leadership roles that span academia, government, public policy, and philanthropy. He is currently a resercher at the University of California, Berkeley and director of AAPI Data, a nationally recognized publisher of demographic data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He is also Strategy Lead for the Americas at School of International Futures, and Senior Advisor at States for the Future. 

This season of the podcast is in collaboration with Starts with Us. Starts with Us is an organization committed to overcoming extreme political and cultural division. Check them out at startswith.us.

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Election, Politics, The Futuredon macphersonDemocracy, Election, Government