Technology and Human Values

Comradeship in Crisis: Climate Change vs. the Posthuman Threat

October 24, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Artificial Intelligence, Blog2024+, Capitalism, Climate Crisis, Democracy, Emergent Tech, Environmental concerns, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Public Philosophy, Technology and Human Values, Trump 0 Comments

Could the posthuman—rather than climate catastrophe—be the unifying force that calls us to arms?

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Humanity vs. Technology (in 5 minutes)

July 31, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Aesthetics, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Biotech, Blog2024+, critical thinking, Democracy, Digital Humanities, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Internet, Justice, Labor Issues, Machine Learning, Open Source Pedagogy, Philosophy, Politics, Posthuman, Public Philosophy, Social Media, Surveillance, Teaching, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Uncanny Valley 0 Comments

Dr. Leigh M. Johnson summarizes the challenges technology poses to humanity (and the humanities) in 5-minute PowerPoint.

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Lying Artificial Intelligence

July 27, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Blog2024+, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Hotel Bar Sessions, Internet, Justice, Machine Learning, Media, Open Source Pedagogy, Philosophy, podcast, Politics, Posthuman, Social Media, SPEP, Technology, Technology and Human Values 0 Comments

Should we worry about a robot capable of lying about being a robot?

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast, Ep7: “Playest” with C. Thi Nguyen

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Artificial Intelligence, Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Television 0 Comments

  For Episode 7, I am joined by Dr. C. Thi Nguyen to talk about “Playtest” (Season 3, Episode 2), which premiered in 2013 and is the only Black Mirror episode that follows a straightforwardly “horror” format. Before getting to the Episode 7 notes, I want to announce that BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS now tweets! Please follow…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTOINS podcast, Ep8: “The Waldo Moment” with Jason Read

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Politics, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Television, Trump, Women and Gender Issues 0 Comments

For Episode 8 of the BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast, I am joined by Dr. Jason Read to talk about “The Waldo Moment” (Season 2, Episode 3 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2013 and has been, in retrospect, one of the most unfortunately prescient episodes of the series so far. This was my first…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast, Ep9: “Shut Up and Dance” with Rick Lee

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Television 14 Comments

For Episode 9, I am joined by Dr. Richard A. Lee to talk about aruveillance, trolling, forgiveness/absolution, and  “Shut Up and Dance,” (Season 3, Episode 3 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2013.  “Shut Up and Dance” is one of only a handful of Black Mirror episodes that does not include any futuristic technology, so…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 5: “San Junipero” with Michael Norton

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Artificial Intelligence, Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Emergent Tech, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Women and Gender Issues 0 Comments

For Episode 5 of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, I am joined by Dr. Michael Norton to talk about one of the most widely-beloved Black Mirror episodes, “San Junipero.” It premiered in 2016, the fourth episode of Season Three, and made a million tech-savvy queers *swoon.* Not trying to be the party-pooper podcast hostess here, but SJ…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast Ep6: “The Entire History of You” with John Cerrito

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Television 0 Comments

  For Episode 6 of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, I am joined by filmmaker John Cerrito to talk about Season 1, Episode 2 of Black Mirror entitled “The Entire History of You,” which originally premiered in 2011. Before we get to the episode notes, though, I have some exciting Black Mirror news to share! Charlie Brooker has apparently…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep4: “Striking Vipers” with Adriel M. Trott

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Public Philosophy, Race and Racism, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Television, Women and Gender Issues 0 Comments

  In Episode 4 of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, I am joined by Dr. Adriel M. Trott to discuss the first episode from the latest Season of Black Mirror, “Striking Vipers” released in 2019. Please make sure that you watch (or re-watch) “Striking Vipers” before you listen to our conversation, because all of the BLACK MIRROR…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS Ep3: “The National Anthem” with Ammon Allred

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values, Television 0 Comments

In Episode 3 of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, I am joined by one of my absolute favorite human beings, Dr. Ammon Allred, who is also quite literally the only person with whom I feel comfortable recording a conversation about Black Mirror‘s inaugural episode, “The National Anthem.” And, after having recorded said episode, I’m already having second thoughts about…

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