Johanna Pirker, computer science professor and researcher, joins The Generalists Podcast to discuss her work in games, VR education, and AI ethics. We explore her early days with DOS and Prince of Persia, the evolution of computer science education, and her groundbreaking VR projects.

She also breaks down the real dangers and potentials of AI beyond the hypecovering bias, transparency, and how artists and devs can navigate this new landscape. If you're into game dev, VR, AI, or just the future of tech this one’s for you.

Johanna’s Links:

Website: https://jpirker.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannapirker/

Maroon: https://maroon.tugraz.at/

Timestamps:

04:28 – Early tech access & naysayers

08:17 – How computer science education has (and hasn’t) evolved

16:25 – The real danger of AI hype without understanding

28:40 – VR labs & making physics accessible to all

36:30 – AI: replacement fear vs. creative tool reality

52:11 – Using local AI to learn open-source tools

56:32 – Final thoughts: AI’s risks and potential

#ComputerScience #AIethics #GameDev