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🎙️ Episode 252 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast – J. Mark Bishop and Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, on AI myths, GDPR safeguards, and energy costs of large models

In this episode, I speak with J. Mark Bishop, Professor of Cognitive Computing Emeritus at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Scientific Advisor to Fact360, about the myths and realities of artificial intelligence.

Our discussion begins with how we describe AI itself. Mark challenges the language we use, terms like “learning” in machine learning, and argues that much of what is happening is, in fact, just optimization. We examine how anthropomorphic language about AI can create misplaced expectations, shaping how the public and policymakers perceive these technologies.

We examine the tension between AI and privacy, particularly in relation to transparency. Mark reflects on the protections built into frameworks like the GDPR, which explicitly address how personal data may be used when AI makes or informs significant decisions. We examine how these rules strike a balance between individual rights and the need to utilize AI systems in business and government.

Another major theme is metadata analysis. Mark shares insights from his work at Fact360, where analyzing patterns of communication without even looking at message content can reveal signals of organizational change, insider threats, or misconduct. This approach has roots in traffic analysis techniques dating back to World War II, showing how metadata continues to play a powerful role in intelligence and security.

We also discuss the scaling laws of AI and whether building increasingly larger data centers will ultimately lead to artificial general intelligence. Mark strongly critiques this idea, raising concerns about the energy demands of massive AI models. He points out the environmental and ethical costs of data centers, which consume energy on the scale of entire nations, especially when many communities still live in energy poverty.

This episode brings together philosophy, technology, governance, and ethics, a conversation that questions not just what AI is, but what it should be.

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Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC

#AI #ethics #metadata #GDPR #datagovernance #sustainability
#dataprivacy #datadiva #privacy #cybersecurity

🎙️ 🎙️ Episode 258 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast – Jennifer Wondracek and Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, on legal tech, privacy risks, redaction failures, and AI detectors

In this episode, I speak with Jennifer Wondracek, Director of the Law Library and Professor of Legal Research at St. Mary’s University School of Law, about the intersection of law, technology, and privacy in an AI-driven world.

Our conversation explores the digital transformation of law practice, starting with the shift from paper-based systems to electronic filing and research tools, and how today’s wave of AI adoption parallels that earlier revolution. Jennifer explains how lawyers once resisted computers as unnecessary, only to later realize that digital tools were essential for efficiency and productivity. We draw parallels to AI today, where professionals must learn how to integrate new tools responsibly.

We discuss the privacy risks of oversharing data with companies and platforms, and how easy it has become for people to give up personal information without realizing the consequences. Jennifer highlights the duty of lawyers to understand both client confiden

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