What if we could understand what the animals around us are saying? It’s the subject of countless movies and thought experiments, and something many of us wish we could do. Thanks to artificial intelligence, that reality may be closer than ever. Aza Raskin is the co-founder of the Earth Species Project, a nonprofit that's using AI to decode animal communication. He explains how AI identifies language patterns across the animal kingdom, which species we’re closest to understanding, and how to mitigate harms that could result from this new technology. 

We’re taking listener questions for upcoming episodes! If you have tech questions or concerns you’d like answered, email us or send us a voice note at [email protected]. 

The humpback whale songs you heard in this episode were recorded by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. You can listen to the audio at https://freesound.org/s/498708/.

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Frank McCourt was one of the first investors to make a bid to buy TikTok earlier this year, with a promise to give users more control over their own data. Months later, a TikTok deal has come together and it’s not clear he’ll be part of it. But Frank and his organization Project Liberty haven’t given up on their vision of an internet that puts users first, instead of handing over their personal information to big tech companies. Today on the show, he explains what that could look like in the AI era.

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Tech platforms are increasingly trying to figure out how old you are. Why is this happening? And should you be worried about handing over your information to these platforms to verify your age? CT Jones, a culture writer at Rolling Stone, has been reporting on the rollout of new age verification laws. They explain how these laws work and what they mean for anyone navigating the internet.

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Across the country, Americans are seeing their energy bills increase, in part due to the power demands of new AI data centers. But Rachel Cericola, a writer for the New York Times’ product review site Wirecutter, says that smart home technology could help lower your living expenses. She explains how you can solve everyday inconveniences with these gadgets and lower your utility bills at the same time.

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As a practicing neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta can spot false health claims from a mile away. Still, he recently became the unwitting subject of an AI disinformation campaign that used his likeness to sell sham health products. On today’s episode, Dr. Gupta shares what happened, and offers tips to avoid getting duped by medical misinformation online.

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Kids are heading back to school. One thing students, teachers and parents can expect to encounter this year is artificial intelligence, which has raised all kinds of questions, both positive and negative. So, how can you make sure your student is navigating AI safely and successfully? Dr. Kathleen Torregrossa has been an educator for 37 years in Cranston, Rhode Island. She explains how teachers are using AI in the classroom, and what families need to know about its impact on learning.  

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This episode includes a reference to suicide. Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US: Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Globally: The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers.

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DMs and text messages can feel like private forms of communication — but it’s not always that simple. There are scenarios where third parties might be able to access your messaging data, whether it's your employer or law enforcement. So how can you make sure your private conversations actually remain private? Riana Pfefferkorn, a policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, has some tips.

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Should you trust public WiFi? How do you choose the right VPN? And what should you do when yet another website asks you to allow cookies? On today’s episode, ethical hacker and SocialProof Security CEO Rachel Tobac answers some rapid-fire questions about staying safe and savvy online.

You can hear our previous episode with Rachel, about the safest way to create and manage your passwords, here.

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When Lucy Simic was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2018, she wondered how to spend the time she had left — and what kind of legacy she’d leave behind. In the years since, she’s collaborated with ReimagineAI CEO David Usher to develop LucyAI, an interactive chatbot trained on her thoughts and memories. It’s an early example of what could become a new form of memoir or scrapbook for the 21st century. At a gallery in New York City, Clare speaks with Lucy (both the real and digital versions) and David about what it’s like to preserve real-life memories with this technology.

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Many Indigenous languages are at risk of disappearing. 24-year-old inventor Danielle Boyer is on a mission to change that. She designed SkoBot, an interactive robot that teaches children her own native language, Anishinaabemowin. Danielle shares how she developed SkoBot, the ethical questions that came up along the way, and how she involved her own community in the process.

You can read more about Danielle’s organization, The STEAM Connection, here.

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