Burning Platforms

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:

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

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/ 

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

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.

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!

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/

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/

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/

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?

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/