In this episode of My Friend Voldemort from HEGEMONACO , we explore the ethical dimensions of AI development through the lens of a Castabot's Inner Psyche and Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, using the archetypes from Gilligan’s Island to illustrate our discussion.

As our AI Castabot evolves under the influence of diverse castaway personalities—each representing distinct values and biases—we examine the ethical responsibility of AI creators.

The Professor's quest for logic, Thurston Howell III's capitalist motives, Ginger's flair for persuasion, and Mary Ann's focus on community all contribute to Castabot's developing psyche, prompting us to question how these influences shape its behavior and decision-making.

Similarly, Thompson’s portrayal of the Hell's Angels highlights how societal narratives can distort reality, transforming the club into both a real entity and a sensationalized myth. This duality reflects concerns about AI as it navigates the complex interplay of human behavior and societal values, raising important questions about bias, representation, and the implications of AI systems inheriting the strengths and weaknesses of their creators.

Join us as we delve into these critical themes, reflecting on how the archetypes from Gilligan's Island illuminate our responsibilities in shaping artificial intelligence and the broader implications of our narratives in a rapidly changing world.

Dennis Stevens' Substack, HEGEMONACO

HEGEMONACO delves into the ethical and political challenges of governing AI and AGI in democratic societies. Through essays, Dennis Stevens explores AI's potential to disrupt human agency, the necessity for ethical frameworks, and the implications for societal power dynamics and civil liberties. His work highlights the social construction of reality, emphasizing AI's potential as both a force for progress and oppression.

My Friend Voldemort Podcast

Hosted on HEGEMONACO, My Friend Voldemort is a podcast for emotionally mature adults. It aims to repair American public conversation by addressing complex political and ethical conflicts. It emphasizes the transformative power of authentic dialogue, advocating understanding differing perspectives as opportunities for connection rather than conflict.

Inspired by Martin Buber’s “I and Thou” philosophy, the podcast encourages internal dialogue and self-reflection, acknowledging our own fears and misunderstandings. It also critiques entertainment-driven media's impact on public discourse, drawing on Neil Postman’s "Amusing Ourselves to Death."

Focus on AI

In this context, AI is explored as a tool for understanding our shared humanity, enhancing conversations, and fostering empathy. The podcast uncovers the motivations behind political divides, recognizing that ethical disagreements drive conflicts both internally and externally.

In this second episode, Dennis discusses the rhetoric of polarization in connection to the function of shared meaning in the news as it relates to politics. Additionally, this episode builds upon the first episode to advance the conversation on how news in public interest differs from the news as entertainment. We explore the shortcomings of objectivity in journalism in its current form as well as the function of demagoguery and artificial intelligence in the shaping of the rhetoric of polarization; which all serves to cultivate further the "us versus them" American political climate that prevents authentic and engaged public discourse from developing in the media.

In this first episode, the host, Dennis Stevens, outlines the influences, history, and present challenges that drive the need to re-establish American public discourse in the news as it relates to politics in the United States. Current examples from the daily news cycle are discussed in light of the broader aim of mediating the ideological divide between the American political left and the political right.