This week, The Drs discuss the growing use of AI to produce distorted and offensive depictions of important historical figures. It raises ethical questions of who is responsible for managing representations of person’s likeness and what can be done when those representations cross a line. The hosts also ponder how federalizing the National Guard for pretextual reasons such as managing crime is putting us one step closer to authoritarianism. 

Word of the Week [00:59] – Microshifting: Have you been doing this for some time and not had a name for it? Learn with us about how we manage can time more effectively and push back on U.S. work culture of 8-5.

Phase 1 [8:11] – AI Historical Distortion: OpenAI’s product Sora, an AI video generator, has recently come under criticism for allowing users to create disrespectful videos of famous historical figures, such as Dr. Martin Luther King. The videos span mildly inappropriate representations all the way to extremely offensive representations including one where Dr. King is depicted along with two other historical figures making a joke about assassinations. The King family and estate are pushing back, leading to OpenAI blocking AI depictions of Dr. King. What kind of guardrails are needed to protect the legacies of important historical figures as AI continues to evolve? And who is responsible for monitoring the usage of a person’s likeness online?

Phase 2 [26:37] – The U.S. National Guard: The last several months have seen multiple National Guard deployments in to U.S. cities. The Guard, usually under state control, has been federalized by the President and sent into Democratic cities to “manage” violent crime and to “protect” ICE officers as they abuse and abduct people from the streets and their homes. The Drs discuss the structure of the National Guard and how likely it is the average person knows its current usage is abnormal. To understand the threat to democracy, we must understand what is and is not appropriate usage of this reserve branch of the military.

Mentioned in the Show:

The Future Of Work Isn’t Remote Or Hybrid—It’s ‘Microshifting’ - Forbes

OpenAI Blocks Sora Videos Of Martin Luther King After ‘Disrespectful Depictions’ – Forbes

What does the US National Guard do? - Council on Foreign Relations

Seven Times Presidents have activated the National Guard on US Soil - History.com