https://simplecast.com Policy Prompt Policy Prompt is a podcast featuring long-form interviews — going in depth to find nuances in the conversation — with leading global scholars, writers, policy makers, business leaders and technologists working at the intersection of technology, society and public policy. The focus of the podcast will be to advance constructive policy remedies for urgent global problems. 2024 The Centre for International Governance Innovation en Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:30:37 +0000 https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com Policy Prompt https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/61225e27-3eee-452e-a203-75f9d04a452b/8283da3e-b574-4e5c-81f5-e87390acb567/3000x3000/pp-wordmark-3000px.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com episodic Policy Prompt is a podcast featuring long-form interviews — going in depth to find nuances in the conversation — with leading global scholars, writers, policy makers, business leaders and technologists working at the intersection of technology, society and public policy. The focus of the podcast will be to advance constructive policy remedies for urgent global problems. The Centre for International Governance Innovation false https://feeds.simplecast.com/mLsrA4GB technology, cigi, public policy, centre for international governance innovation, tech policy The Centre for International Governance Innovation websiteupdates@cigionline.org 38b42674-e132-4cb2-a284-a76e75d3743b Necessary Friction (the fragility of today’s givens with Tim Minshall) It’s easy to forget that everything in our lives that’s not strictly natural has been manufactured. That manufacturing incorporates elements from around the world, elements that had been designed, harvested, synthesized, shipped, assembled, shipped again to meet you. This system is remarkably efficient and ridiculously cheap, but that’s come at a cost. Our highly convenient world stands on toothpick-thin struts. How can we design it better?

In this episode of Policy Prompt, Paul and Vass are joined by Tim Minshall, inaugural Dr John C Taylor Professor of Innovation at the University of Cambridge, Head of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), Head of the IfM’s Centre for Technology Management and a Fellow of Churchill Co. Together, they explore the reality of today’s manufacturing, the fragility of the supply chains we take for granted, and how a better world can be manufactured.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/necessary-friction-the-fragility-of-todays-givens-with-tim-minshall-xKe20tVJ It’s easy to forget that everything in our lives that’s not strictly natural has been manufactured. That manufacturing incorporates elements from around the world, elements that had been designed, harvested, synthesized, shipped, assembled, shipped again to meet you. This system is remarkably efficient and ridiculously cheap, but that’s come at a cost. Our highly convenient world stands on toothpick-thin struts. How can we design it better?

In this episode of Policy Prompt, Paul and Vass are joined by Tim Minshall, inaugural Dr John C Taylor Professor of Innovation at the University of Cambridge, Head of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), Head of the IfM’s Centre for Technology Management and a Fellow of Churchill Co. Together, they explore the reality of today’s manufacturing, the fragility of the supply chains we take for granted, and how a better world can be manufactured.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Necessary Friction (the fragility of today’s givens with Tim Minshall) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:50:51 Our systems are only as affordable as they are because there’s no plan B. Our systems are only as affordable as they are because there’s no plan B. false full 8 2 b7c2b503-c31d-467a-a852-ce01397e4c75 Convenience Costs (the extraction economy with Tim Wu) Today’s world is more convenient than it has ever been in history. It can take fewer than five discrete actions to have most anything delivered right to your door, and you don’t even have to get up from your chair. But in our world becoming so comfortable, so convenient, we must ask the question: What are we losing?

In this special episode, Vass is joined by Tim Wu, a preeminent legal scholar and former Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy at the United States, in a live conversation recorded at Hot Docs in Toronto, in November 2025. The discussion was anchored on Tim’s latest book, The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity (Knopf, 2025), which illuminates how we can reclaim control and create a balanced economy that works for everyone in a modern world where tech platforms have been permitted to run rampant in their own self-interest under the guise of free innovation. We regulated electricity when it became clear it would change the world; why not today’s disruptive tech?

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/convenience-costs-the-extraction-economy-with-tim-wu-ubJbGHTv Today’s world is more convenient than it has ever been in history. It can take fewer than five discrete actions to have most anything delivered right to your door, and you don’t even have to get up from your chair. But in our world becoming so comfortable, so convenient, we must ask the question: What are we losing?

In this special episode, Vass is joined by Tim Wu, a preeminent legal scholar and former Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy at the United States, in a live conversation recorded at Hot Docs in Toronto, in November 2025. The discussion was anchored on Tim’s latest book, The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity (Knopf, 2025), which illuminates how we can reclaim control and create a balanced economy that works for everyone in a modern world where tech platforms have been permitted to run rampant in their own self-interest under the guise of free innovation. We regulated electricity when it became clear it would change the world; why not today’s disruptive tech?

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Convenience Costs (the extraction economy with Tim Wu) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:39:44 Your loss of agency is their bottom line. What is your comfort worth? Your loss of agency is their bottom line. What is your comfort worth? false full 7 2 11dc9416-11ba-483a-9da3-c15bc5cf0e54 Ordinary People Rule (finding a path to true democracy with James Bacchus) Ever since the ancient Athenians first attempted a democratic approach to governance, nations worldwide have been attempting to perfect it. Some things we’ve gotten right; for instance, many nations have decided that the Athenians’ exclusion of many groups of people was not conducive to democracy, and instead have elected to include all people, not just men who owned land. But we’ve oftentimes gotten things wrong, too. How can we reinvent democracy, given what we know now?

In this episode of Policy Prompt, Paul and Vass welcome James Bacchus, a former member of the US Congress, a founding judge, twice chairman and chief judge of the Appellate Body at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the University of Central Florida, CIGI senior fellow, and much more, to discuss how a true global democracy could be formed, one that accurately represents all nations and that dutifully involves all humankind. Many of us are quite removed from the “democratic” proceedings of our nations. What if we had the right to participate?

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/ordinary-people-rule-finding-a-path-to-true-democracy-with-james-bacchus-oVc3CxFG Ever since the ancient Athenians first attempted a democratic approach to governance, nations worldwide have been attempting to perfect it. Some things we’ve gotten right; for instance, many nations have decided that the Athenians’ exclusion of many groups of people was not conducive to democracy, and instead have elected to include all people, not just men who owned land. But we’ve oftentimes gotten things wrong, too. How can we reinvent democracy, given what we know now?

In this episode of Policy Prompt, Paul and Vass welcome James Bacchus, a former member of the US Congress, a founding judge, twice chairman and chief judge of the Appellate Body at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the University of Central Florida, CIGI senior fellow, and much more, to discuss how a true global democracy could be formed, one that accurately represents all nations and that dutifully involves all humankind. Many of us are quite removed from the “democratic” proceedings of our nations. What if we had the right to participate?

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Ordinary People Rule (finding a path to true democracy with James Bacchus) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:45:39 What can ancient Greek democracy teach a fractured world? What can ancient Greek democracy teach a fractured world? false full 6 2 3b42663c-4e87-4045-b634-44bc868f9ea2 Victims, Scammers, and Scammers Who Are Victims (the dark side of the digital economy with Mark Bo and Ivan Franceschini) The playing field for modern scams is bigger than ever. Entire guarded compounds are dedicated to online and phone fraud, and the network of influence and intimidation these organizations hold grows daily, facilitated by emerging technology such as artificial intelligence and mass automation. An epicentre has emerged in East and Southeast Asia; Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, China and more are both sources and victims of organized scams. Local governments have been cracking down to an extent, but this hydra has heads at all levels of public influence — a stronger, more coordinated approach is needed to conquer this beast.

This episode features experts Mark Bo and Ivan Franceschini in conversation with Paul on the scam industry and its victims, how organized scam syndicates can start to take over local economies through corruption and human trafficking, and what most people misunderstand about how these organizations operate. Based in East and Southeast Asia for two decades, Mark is a researcher who utilizes his background in corporate and financial mapping to investigate Asia’s online gambling, fraud, and money laundering industries. Ivan, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, Asia Institute, focuses his research on globalization, labour, and the evolving dynamics of crime in the digital age, particularly on the cyber-fraud industry.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/victims-scammers-and-scammers-who-are-victims-the-dark-side-of-the-digital-economy-with-mark-bo-and-ivan-franceschini-CYEL3J26 The playing field for modern scams is bigger than ever. Entire guarded compounds are dedicated to online and phone fraud, and the network of influence and intimidation these organizations hold grows daily, facilitated by emerging technology such as artificial intelligence and mass automation. An epicentre has emerged in East and Southeast Asia; Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, China and more are both sources and victims of organized scams. Local governments have been cracking down to an extent, but this hydra has heads at all levels of public influence — a stronger, more coordinated approach is needed to conquer this beast.

This episode features experts Mark Bo and Ivan Franceschini in conversation with Paul on the scam industry and its victims, how organized scam syndicates can start to take over local economies through corruption and human trafficking, and what most people misunderstand about how these organizations operate. Based in East and Southeast Asia for two decades, Mark is a researcher who utilizes his background in corporate and financial mapping to investigate Asia’s online gambling, fraud, and money laundering industries. Ivan, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, Asia Institute, focuses his research on globalization, labour, and the evolving dynamics of crime in the digital age, particularly on the cyber-fraud industry.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Victims, Scammers, and Scammers Who Are Victims (the dark side of the digital economy with Mark Bo and Ivan Franceschini) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:55:51 The branches are growing fast, and the roots are getting deeper. How do you smother a global scamming ecosystem? The branches are growing fast, and the roots are getting deeper. How do you smother a global scamming ecosystem? false full 5 2 e78bdfc1-ab80-4357-9e1c-94698e79dd3a Decoding Brain Data (the possibilities and pitfalls of neurotech with Jared Genser) Neurotechnology is a dual-use technology transforming lives — from implantable devices that use deep brain stimulation to ease tremors from Parkinson’s disease to commercial wearables that promise more effective meditation. But without the necessary legal, ethical, and regulatory safeguards, the misuse and abuse of neurotechnology and the data it collects becomes inevitable.

In this episode, hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson speak with Jared Genser about neurotechnology, its implications for humanity, and the emerging dilemmas around neuro-rights, freedom of thought, and mental privacy. Jared is an international human rights lawyer and managing director of the law firm Perseus Strategies. He is a co-founder and general counsel to the Neurorights Foundation, and a special adviser on the Responsibility to Protect to the Organization of American States.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Tue, 9 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/decoding-brain-data-the-possibilities-and-pitfalls-of-neurotech-with-jared-genser-txmSYQlN Neurotechnology is a dual-use technology transforming lives — from implantable devices that use deep brain stimulation to ease tremors from Parkinson’s disease to commercial wearables that promise more effective meditation. But without the necessary legal, ethical, and regulatory safeguards, the misuse and abuse of neurotechnology and the data it collects becomes inevitable.

In this episode, hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson speak with Jared Genser about neurotechnology, its implications for humanity, and the emerging dilemmas around neuro-rights, freedom of thought, and mental privacy. Jared is an international human rights lawyer and managing director of the law firm Perseus Strategies. He is a co-founder and general counsel to the Neurorights Foundation, and a special adviser on the Responsibility to Protect to the Organization of American States.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Decoding Brain Data (the possibilities and pitfalls of neurotech with Jared Genser) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:04:41 Neurotechnology is here. Do we have the proper protections in place? Neurotechnology is here. Do we have the proper protections in place? false full 4 2 e7e16103-6462-4b2d-811a-199f3d2e48fe Scientists and AI: Partners in Discovery (understanding AI’s role in scientific research with Rebecca Willett) Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a profound impact on science, from data analysis to scenario simulation and predicting protein structure — its full potential is still unknown. Today, many scientists are dedicated to better understanding AI and how to integrate it into research to accelerate the pace of scientific discoveries without compromising rigour and principle. Is there a future where AI will make new scientific discoveries on its own?   

Join hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson as they speak with Rebecca Willett about the role machine learning and AI play in scientific research now and how she sees it impacting scientists in the future. Rebecca is a professor of statistics and computer science at the University of Chicago and faculty director of artificial intelligence at the University’s Data Science Institute. Her research focuses on machine learning and making sense of complex, large-scale datasets, as well as data science. Rebecca completed her PhD in electrical and computer engineering at Rice University and is a member of the Computer Science Study Group at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). 

In-Show Clips:

00:15:03: NOVA scienceNOW, "What Will the Future Be Like?": FoldIt: A Protein Puzzle Game (PBS LearningMedia, 2013)

00:15:17: Nature Video: Foldit: Biology for gamers (YouTube, August 4, 2010)

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

  • Rebecca Willet, professor of statistics and computer science at the University of Chicago and faculty director of artificial intelligence at the University’s Data Science Institute. Find her bio and works here: willett.psd.uchicago.edu/

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:30:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/scientists-and-ai-partners-in-discovery-understanding-ais-role-in-scientific-research-with-rebecca-willett-ZxnCw17E Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a profound impact on science, from data analysis to scenario simulation and predicting protein structure — its full potential is still unknown. Today, many scientists are dedicated to better understanding AI and how to integrate it into research to accelerate the pace of scientific discoveries without compromising rigour and principle. Is there a future where AI will make new scientific discoveries on its own?   

Join hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson as they speak with Rebecca Willett about the role machine learning and AI play in scientific research now and how she sees it impacting scientists in the future. Rebecca is a professor of statistics and computer science at the University of Chicago and faculty director of artificial intelligence at the University’s Data Science Institute. Her research focuses on machine learning and making sense of complex, large-scale datasets, as well as data science. Rebecca completed her PhD in electrical and computer engineering at Rice University and is a member of the Computer Science Study Group at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). 

In-Show Clips:

00:15:03: NOVA scienceNOW, "What Will the Future Be Like?": FoldIt: A Protein Puzzle Game (PBS LearningMedia, 2013)

00:15:17: Nature Video: Foldit: Biology for gamers (YouTube, August 4, 2010)

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

  • Rebecca Willet, professor of statistics and computer science at the University of Chicago and faculty director of artificial intelligence at the University’s Data Science Institute. Find her bio and works here: willett.psd.uchicago.edu/

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Scientists and AI: Partners in Discovery (understanding AI’s role in scientific research with Rebecca Willett) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:59:17 AI is transforming how scientists discover, predict and solve problems in our world. AI is transforming how scientists discover, predict and solve problems in our world. false full 3 2 8ac02795-edb6-4609-93e6-68a123e8ba66 Space Is a Human Domain (discussing governance challenges with Esther Brimmer and Jessica West) Often compared to ocean shipping lanes, Earth’s orbital layers act as channels to almost 14,000 satellites moving at around 7 km/second. These orbital pathways are becoming increasingly congested as a rapidly growing number of commercial actors enter what was once a predominantly state-run domain. Can the 1967 Outer Space Treaty hold up against this space revolution? Can international structures quickly modernize and work together to ensure all players in the space race are committed to a safe and sustainable future?

Join hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson as they speak with guests Esther Brimmer and Jessica West about a comprehensive and collaborative approach to space governance. Esther is a senior fellow at the US Council on Foreign Relations, a former US assistant secretary of state and an expert in international institutions. Jessica is a CIGI senior fellow and a senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, a Canadian peace and security research institute, where she focuses on technology, security and governance in outer space.

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

  • Jessica West, CIGI senior fellow and senior researcher at Project Ploughshares. Find her CIGI bio and works here: cigionline.org/people/jessica-west/ 
  • Esther Brimmer, James H. Binger senior fellow in global governance and former assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs. Find her Council on Foreign Relations bio and works here: cfr.org/expert/esther-brimmer

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Lynn Schellenberg, social media engagement by Isabel Neufeld, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/space-is-a-human-domain-discussing-governance-challenges-with-esther-brimmer-and-jessica-west-_9xEYrwy Often compared to ocean shipping lanes, Earth’s orbital layers act as channels to almost 14,000 satellites moving at around 7 km/second. These orbital pathways are becoming increasingly congested as a rapidly growing number of commercial actors enter what was once a predominantly state-run domain. Can the 1967 Outer Space Treaty hold up against this space revolution? Can international structures quickly modernize and work together to ensure all players in the space race are committed to a safe and sustainable future?

Join hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson as they speak with guests Esther Brimmer and Jessica West about a comprehensive and collaborative approach to space governance. Esther is a senior fellow at the US Council on Foreign Relations, a former US assistant secretary of state and an expert in international institutions. Jessica is a CIGI senior fellow and a senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, a Canadian peace and security research institute, where she focuses on technology, security and governance in outer space.

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

  • Jessica West, CIGI senior fellow and senior researcher at Project Ploughshares. Find her CIGI bio and works here: cigionline.org/people/jessica-west/ 
  • Esther Brimmer, James H. Binger senior fellow in global governance and former assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs. Find her Council on Foreign Relations bio and works here: cfr.org/expert/esther-brimmer

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Lynn Schellenberg, social media engagement by Isabel Neufeld, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io

]]> Space Is a Human Domain (discussing governance challenges with Esther Brimmer and Jessica West) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:59:33 Cooperative use of space is essential for a sustainable future on Earth. Cooperative use of space is essential for a sustainable future on Earth. false full 2 2 b6c6400b-7567-4984-8bd8-4e5b3abcdd67 The Trust Battle: Stablecoins, Crypto and the Future of Money (with Ali Abou Daya and Morva Rohani) For centuries, the power to create money was isolated to traditional issuers, who built trust over the ages. But now stablecoins are starting to pull at that monopoly, rising up in relevance as a massive innovation on infrastructure. Some jurisdictions are turning things upside down with digital asset adoption, while others are holding back, with important geopolitical implications. 

On season two’s opener, hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson welcome Ali Abou Daya and Morva Rohani to discuss the emergence and transformative nature of crypto and stablecoins. Ali is the chief executive officer of Transactix Financial, a stablecoin company, and Morva is the executive director of the Canadian Web3 Council, an industry organization that advocates for responsible public policy. Together the four consider the digitalization of traditional finance, and the challenges surrounding establishing trust and who controls what.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Lynn Schellenberg, social media engagement by Isabel Neufeld, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io. 

 

]]> Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/the-trust-battle-stablecoins-crypto-and-the-future-of-money-with-ali-abou-daya-and-morva-rohani-qBj4Zm_P For centuries, the power to create money was isolated to traditional issuers, who built trust over the ages. But now stablecoins are starting to pull at that monopoly, rising up in relevance as a massive innovation on infrastructure. Some jurisdictions are turning things upside down with digital asset adoption, while others are holding back, with important geopolitical implications. 

On season two’s opener, hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson welcome Ali Abou Daya and Morva Rohani to discuss the emergence and transformative nature of crypto and stablecoins. Ali is the chief executive officer of Transactix Financial, a stablecoin company, and Morva is the executive director of the Canadian Web3 Council, an industry organization that advocates for responsible public policy. Together the four consider the digitalization of traditional finance, and the challenges surrounding establishing trust and who controls what.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Lynn Schellenberg, social media engagement by Isabel Neufeld, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi. 

Original music by Joshua Snethlage. 

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. 

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io. 

 

]]> The Trust Battle: Stablecoins, Crypto and the Future of Money (with Ali Abou Daya and Morva Rohani) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:57:16 It’s currency policy, foreign policy and tech policy all in one conversation. It’s currency policy, foreign policy and tech policy all in one conversation. false full 1 2 fdc7b146-36ab-490d-b82c-3f978dd5fa05 From Shipping Things to Spreading Ideas (unboxing global trade with Marc Levinson) In episode 16, hosts Vass and Paul talk to Marc Levinson — economist, historian and author of The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger, published in 2016, and the follow-up, Outside the Box: How Globalization Changed from Moving Stuff to Spreading Ideas (both Princeton University Press). 

Marc brings to life a topic freighted with importance but often out of mind: how an innovation involving the shipping container, 200 years in the making, transformed economic geography and the transport of cargo around the globe. The three discuss, as well, the current challenges in figuring out the value of international trade that is unpackaged and, so far, not well accounted for — exchange in services, ideas and intangibles, of increasing significance in the global economy.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 5 May 2025 13:30:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/from-shipping-things-to-spreading-ideas-unboxing-global-trade-with-marc-levinson-u_A9hMYg In episode 16, hosts Vass and Paul talk to Marc Levinson — economist, historian and author of The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger, published in 2016, and the follow-up, Outside the Box: How Globalization Changed from Moving Stuff to Spreading Ideas (both Princeton University Press). 

Marc brings to life a topic freighted with importance but often out of mind: how an innovation involving the shipping container, 200 years in the making, transformed economic geography and the transport of cargo around the globe. The three discuss, as well, the current challenges in figuring out the value of international trade that is unpackaged and, so far, not well accounted for — exchange in services, ideas and intangibles, of increasing significance in the global economy.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> From Shipping Things to Spreading Ideas (unboxing global trade with Marc Levinson) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:56:11 Containerization and technology have transformed the docks of old into modern data hubs. Containerization and technology have transformed the docks of old into modern data hubs. false full 16 1 7d218972-3829-44e7-879c-3d37e76b5ebf Perfect Fit Content (from elevator music to your AI DJ with Liz Pelly) How do you discover music? College radio, word of mouth, serendipity — or your very own AI DJ? In 2006, Spotify’s founders discovered music as “a traffic source” for an advertising model, and have since transformed the music industry. But what are their goals or values when it comes to music and culture beyond the pursuit of profit, and what does it mean for musicians and music lovers? And why aren’t policy makers more concerned about this mega platform?

In this episode of Policy Prompt, hosts Vass and Paul welcome Liz Pelly, music and media critic, and the author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist (Atria, 2025). Together they chat about how we’ve consumed our music over the years, and how it’s been fed to us, from the “stimulus progression” of Muzak’s elevator tunes to the “mood-driven logic” of Spotify’s algorithmic curation.

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Tue, 22 Apr 2025 12:30:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/perfect-fit-content-from-elevator-music-to-your-ai-dj-with-liz-pelly-4qLcewCA How do you discover music? College radio, word of mouth, serendipity — or your very own AI DJ? In 2006, Spotify’s founders discovered music as “a traffic source” for an advertising model, and have since transformed the music industry. But what are their goals or values when it comes to music and culture beyond the pursuit of profit, and what does it mean for musicians and music lovers? And why aren’t policy makers more concerned about this mega platform?

In this episode of Policy Prompt, hosts Vass and Paul welcome Liz Pelly, music and media critic, and the author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist (Atria, 2025). Together they chat about how we’ve consumed our music over the years, and how it’s been fed to us, from the “stimulus progression” of Muzak’s elevator tunes to the “mood-driven logic” of Spotify’s algorithmic curation.

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Perfect Fit Content (from elevator music to your AI DJ with Liz Pelly) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:50:07 Music platforms have completely changed how we build our perfect playlists. Music platforms have completely changed how we build our perfect playlists. false full 15 1 d6acdbbf-8a30-4c15-a453-4991048afe3f What Does Innovation Actually Mean? (talking research, the academy and AI with Joel Blit) What does innovation actually mean, and how should we be thinking about it?

In this episode, Vass and Paul welcome Joel Blit, an expert in innovation and innovation policy. Joel is a senior fellow at CIGI, and an associate professor of economics at the University of Waterloo, where he chairs the Council for Innovation Policy and Strategy. They discuss the mix of art and science that comprises innovation, the tensions surrounding it, and the different approaches — inside and outside the academy — that Canada and other jurisdictions are experimenting with to best generate and capture commercial and societal benefits from emerging technologies, in particular artificial intelligence. 

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 7 Apr 2025 12:30:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/what-does-innovation-actually-mean-talking-research-the-academy-and-ai-with-joel-blit-wJwt9PeM What does innovation actually mean, and how should we be thinking about it?

In this episode, Vass and Paul welcome Joel Blit, an expert in innovation and innovation policy. Joel is a senior fellow at CIGI, and an associate professor of economics at the University of Waterloo, where he chairs the Council for Innovation Policy and Strategy. They discuss the mix of art and science that comprises innovation, the tensions surrounding it, and the different approaches — inside and outside the academy — that Canada and other jurisdictions are experimenting with to best generate and capture commercial and societal benefits from emerging technologies, in particular artificial intelligence. 

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> What Does Innovation Actually Mean? (talking research, the academy and AI with Joel Blit) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:56:32 As the pace of innovation accelerates, how do we take up and govern it for the good of all? As the pace of innovation accelerates, how do we take up and govern it for the good of all? false full 14 1 d46f7de9-4615-49a2-aa11-676f1cae41a1 Measuring and Visualizing AI (grounding decisions in data with Nestor Maslej) AI is going to affect us all and everyone has opinions about it. But what does the data say?

In this episode of Policy Prompt, Vass and Paul welcome Nestor Maslej from Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, where he is the research manager of the AI Index and the Global AI Vibrancy Tool. In developing tools that track the advancement of AI, Nestor hopes to make the AI space more accessible to policy makers, business leaders and the lay public. Nestor discusses the excitement and fears surrounding this fast-moving technology and the importance of quantitative data in AI myth busting. “At the Index, we really feel that to make good decisions about this tech, whether you are in a boardroom, in a Parliament, or simply sitting in your living room, you need to have access to data and you have to actually understand what is going on with this technology.”

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:30:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/measuring-and-visualizing-ai-grounding-decisions-in-data-with-nestor-maslej-QvwkOt4K AI is going to affect us all and everyone has opinions about it. But what does the data say?

In this episode of Policy Prompt, Vass and Paul welcome Nestor Maslej from Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, where he is the research manager of the AI Index and the Global AI Vibrancy Tool. In developing tools that track the advancement of AI, Nestor hopes to make the AI space more accessible to policy makers, business leaders and the lay public. Nestor discusses the excitement and fears surrounding this fast-moving technology and the importance of quantitative data in AI myth busting. “At the Index, we really feel that to make good decisions about this tech, whether you are in a boardroom, in a Parliament, or simply sitting in your living room, you need to have access to data and you have to actually understand what is going on with this technology.”

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Measuring and Visualizing AI (grounding decisions in data with Nestor Maslej) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:00:37 Technology is really a human problem more than a technical one. Technology is really a human problem more than a technical one. false full 13 1 b7f51914-d64d-4a4e-8c66-0f2f20f0421b Where Do Art History and Computer Science Meet? (drawing lessons with Amanda Wasielewski) In episode 12, artist and thinker Amanda Wasielewski joins hosts Vass and Paul to discuss the crossover and interplay between digital and capital-A art.

Amanda, an associate senior lecturer of digital humanities and associate professor (docent) of art history in the Department of Archives, Libraries, and Museums at Uppsala University in Sweden, has exhibited her artwork internationally and recently published the monograph Computational Formalism: Art History and Machine Learning (MIT Press, 2023) and co-edited Critical Digital Art History: Interface and Data Politics in the Post-Digital Era, with Anna Näslund (University of Chicago Press, 2024). Amanda brings her art historian perspective to questions of data politics, including categorization, authentication, nuances lost in automation, the need to be able to see data sets, and both the fears and artistic potential surrounding generative technologies.

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/where-do-art-history-and-computer-science-meet-drawing-lessons-with-amanda-wasielewski-qAitSIbr In episode 12, artist and thinker Amanda Wasielewski joins hosts Vass and Paul to discuss the crossover and interplay between digital and capital-A art.

Amanda, an associate senior lecturer of digital humanities and associate professor (docent) of art history in the Department of Archives, Libraries, and Museums at Uppsala University in Sweden, has exhibited her artwork internationally and recently published the monograph Computational Formalism: Art History and Machine Learning (MIT Press, 2023) and co-edited Critical Digital Art History: Interface and Data Politics in the Post-Digital Era, with Anna Näslund (University of Chicago Press, 2024). Amanda brings her art historian perspective to questions of data politics, including categorization, authentication, nuances lost in automation, the need to be able to see data sets, and both the fears and artistic potential surrounding generative technologies.

In-Show Clips:

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Where Do Art History and Computer Science Meet? (drawing lessons with Amanda Wasielewski) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:08:37 Artists and computer scientists can learn a lot from each other across their disciplinary divides. Artists and computer scientists can learn a lot from each other across their disciplinary divides. false full 12 1 1d1cb085-9106-42cd-8771-a73b1b8a8383 How to Predict the Future with Accuracy (throwing darts with Robert de Neufville) Warren Buffett once said he would rather trust his money to monkeys throwing darts than financial advisers. So how do the monkeys’ chances of hitting the target stack up against those of, say, pollsters, Magic 8 Balls or star charts? Maybe the monkeys have practised.

Meet Robert de Neufville, who is super at forecasting: someone whose predictions have proved far more accurate than regular forecasting and regularly outperform intelligence analysts’. Robert holds degrees in government and political science from Harvard and Berkeley, co-hosts the NonProphets: (Super)forecasting Podcast and has extensive experience in analyzing existential risk. Robert and hosts Vass and Paul discuss everything from Buffett’s monkeys and Moneyball to the importance of parking your biases, knowing what to research and the difference between hype and meaningful signal, to the value of expertise, new things to worry about and the need to stay skeptical.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-predict-the-future-with-accuracy-throwing-darts-with-robert-de-neufville-e9aMifsl Warren Buffett once said he would rather trust his money to monkeys throwing darts than financial advisers. So how do the monkeys’ chances of hitting the target stack up against those of, say, pollsters, Magic 8 Balls or star charts? Maybe the monkeys have practised.

Meet Robert de Neufville, who is super at forecasting: someone whose predictions have proved far more accurate than regular forecasting and regularly outperform intelligence analysts’. Robert holds degrees in government and political science from Harvard and Berkeley, co-hosts the NonProphets: (Super)forecasting Podcast and has extensive experience in analyzing existential risk. Robert and hosts Vass and Paul discuss everything from Buffett’s monkeys and Moneyball to the importance of parking your biases, knowing what to research and the difference between hype and meaningful signal, to the value of expertise, new things to worry about and the need to stay skeptical.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> How to Predict the Future with Accuracy (throwing darts with Robert de Neufville) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:03:49 Expect surprises in this brave new world. Expect surprises in this brave new world. superforecasting, cigi, paul samson, intelligence, robert de neufville, technology, vass bednar, centre for international governance innovation false full 11 1 e1213adc-171b-4bbe-8153-a1732fc743ee In Our Computational World, What Do We Know? (seeing the many worlds with Michael Richardson) Join hosts Vass and Paul for their fascinating conversation with Michael Richardson, associate professor of media and culture at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, about the ideas in his book Nonhuman Witnessing: War, Data, and Ecology after the End of the World (Duke University Press, 2024). Michael explores the ethical and political implications of witnessing in an age of profound instability, and how our ways of making knowledge and experiencing the world are being mediated in fundamental ways by nonhuman systems — from the embodiment of history, trauma and change in animals and natural landscapes, to the “immediately computational” witnessing by technologies such as surveillance cameras and artificial intelligence.

Mentioned:

  • Potawatomi scholar Kyle Whyte: https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/kyle-whyte
  • Mario Blaser and Marisol de la Cadena, editors, A World of Many Worlds (Duke University Press, 2018)
  • Future of Life Institute: “Slaughterbots are here” (https://autonomousweapons.org/)
  • “The infamous COMPAS [Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions] sentencing software”: see “Code is law: how COMPAS affects the way the judiciary handles the risk of recidivism,” by Christoph Engel, Lorenz Linhardt and Marcel Schubert, Artificial Intelligence and Law, February 2004, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10506-024-09389-8
  • Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence on Automated Decision-Making and Society: www.admscentre.org.au/

In-Show Clips:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/in-our-computational-world-what-do-we-know-seeing-the-many-worlds-with-michael-richardson-xxkQYptv Join hosts Vass and Paul for their fascinating conversation with Michael Richardson, associate professor of media and culture at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, about the ideas in his book Nonhuman Witnessing: War, Data, and Ecology after the End of the World (Duke University Press, 2024). Michael explores the ethical and political implications of witnessing in an age of profound instability, and how our ways of making knowledge and experiencing the world are being mediated in fundamental ways by nonhuman systems — from the embodiment of history, trauma and change in animals and natural landscapes, to the “immediately computational” witnessing by technologies such as surveillance cameras and artificial intelligence.

Mentioned:

  • Potawatomi scholar Kyle Whyte: https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/kyle-whyte
  • Mario Blaser and Marisol de la Cadena, editors, A World of Many Worlds (Duke University Press, 2018)
  • Future of Life Institute: “Slaughterbots are here” (https://autonomousweapons.org/)
  • “The infamous COMPAS [Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions] sentencing software”: see “Code is law: how COMPAS affects the way the judiciary handles the risk of recidivism,” by Christoph Engel, Lorenz Linhardt and Marcel Schubert, Artificial Intelligence and Law, February 2004, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10506-024-09389-8
  • Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence on Automated Decision-Making and Society: www.admscentre.org.au/

In-Show Clips:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> In Our Computational World, What Do We Know? (seeing the many worlds with Michael Richardson) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:12:50 Do only humans have the agency or perspective to observe, record and react to the world? Do only humans have the agency or perspective to observe, record and react to the world? cigi, public policy, tech policy, paul samson, data, policy prompt, computational world, michael richardson, vass bednar, centre for international governance innovation false full 10 1 5a1b0ff7-05b0-4aa5-a1ad-9b29ce4cc872 “The Empire of IP”: How Did We Get Here? (talking history of copyright with David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu) Copyright has become a tool for privatizing everything — the opposite of what it was designed to do when it was invented in the eighteenth century to protect published works. In their book Who Owns This Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs (Penguin Random House, 2024), Princeton professors David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu provide a lively account of that turnaround, to the point where “the bulk of American culture is in copyright prison,” the world’s largest companies earn their revenue from intellectual property, and creative rights to everything from wallpaper, computer code, choreography, a “vibe” or a banana costume can be disputed, claimed and monetized. Join Vass and Paul for this engaging tag team with David and Alexandre as they discuss both historical and contemporary examples of the power of copyright and where we might be headed with new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Show Notes:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/the-empire-of-ip-how-did-we-get-here-talking-history-of-copyright-with-david-bellos-and-alexandre-montagu-Y28PSU9m Copyright has become a tool for privatizing everything — the opposite of what it was designed to do when it was invented in the eighteenth century to protect published works. In their book Who Owns This Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs (Penguin Random House, 2024), Princeton professors David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu provide a lively account of that turnaround, to the point where “the bulk of American culture is in copyright prison,” the world’s largest companies earn their revenue from intellectual property, and creative rights to everything from wallpaper, computer code, choreography, a “vibe” or a banana costume can be disputed, claimed and monetized. Join Vass and Paul for this engaging tag team with David and Alexandre as they discuss both historical and contemporary examples of the power of copyright and where we might be headed with new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Show Notes:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> “The Empire of IP”: How Did We Get Here? (talking history of copyright with David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:14:30 Today copyright creep is everywhere — the “feudal domain of our day.” But it wasn’t always so. Today copyright creep is everywhere — the “feudal domain of our day.” But it wasn’t always so. cigi, public policy, david bellos, tech policy, paul samson, copyright, policy prompt, vass bednar, alexandre montagu, centre for international governance innovation false full 9 1 7df691da-754a-44e3-9e67-ba42d5ea3070 The Competition Cage Match (Vass Bednar and Denise Hearn weigh in) Join the Policy Prompt crew for a different kind of episode: recorded with a live audience at Perfect Books in Ottawa, host Paul Samson interviews Denise Hearn (resident senior fellow at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, author, applied researcher and adviser) and Vass Bednar (CIGI senior fellow, Public Policy Forum fellow and executive director of the Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program at McMaster University) to discuss “kayfabe capitalism,” and why our nation’s competition policy leaves much to be desired. Listen to learn how Canada can promote competition, encourage citizen engagement and create a more level playing field. Denise and Vass’s book, The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians, is available now from Sutherland House Press.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Show notes: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/the-competition-cage-match-vass-bednar-and-denise-hearn-weigh-in-MRlWG4Oh Join the Policy Prompt crew for a different kind of episode: recorded with a live audience at Perfect Books in Ottawa, host Paul Samson interviews Denise Hearn (resident senior fellow at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, author, applied researcher and adviser) and Vass Bednar (CIGI senior fellow, Public Policy Forum fellow and executive director of the Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program at McMaster University) to discuss “kayfabe capitalism,” and why our nation’s competition policy leaves much to be desired. Listen to learn how Canada can promote competition, encourage citizen engagement and create a more level playing field. Denise and Vass’s book, The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians, is available now from Sutherland House Press.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Show notes: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> The Competition Cage Match (Vass Bednar and Denise Hearn weigh in) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:16:44 Canadians deserve more choices when it comes to where and how they shop. What stands in the way? Canadians deserve more choices when it comes to where and how they shop. What stands in the way? denise hearn, cigi, public policy, tech policy, paul samson, policy prompt, vass bednar, centre for international governance innovation false full 8 1 fa00c2fd-36e5-4e8c-a79f-c887f229571e How Refrigeration Changed Our Palates, Our Plates and Our Planet (a taste of history with Nicola Twilley) Is refrigeration really that revolutionary? In this episode of Policy Prompt, the hosts are joined by Nicola Twilley, author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves (Penguin Press, 2024) and co-host of the award-winning Gastropod podcast. They explore the “modern marvel” of enjoying fresh foods from around the globe year-round, and the science that makes it all possible.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Show notes: 

  • The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located in Norway, is home to gene banks that are preserving more than one million seeds from around the world.
  • A remedy for rampant food waste? Nicola Twilley and co-host Cynthia Graber explore “surprise bags” in an episode of Gastropod.

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 9 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/how-refrigeration-changed-our-palates-our-plates-and-our-planet-a-taste-of-history-with-nicola-twilley-yijGcnQS Is refrigeration really that revolutionary? In this episode of Policy Prompt, the hosts are joined by Nicola Twilley, author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves (Penguin Press, 2024) and co-host of the award-winning Gastropod podcast. They explore the “modern marvel” of enjoying fresh foods from around the globe year-round, and the science that makes it all possible.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Show notes: 

  • The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located in Norway, is home to gene banks that are preserving more than one million seeds from around the world.
  • A remedy for rampant food waste? Nicola Twilley and co-host Cynthia Graber explore “surprise bags” in an episode of Gastropod.

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> How Refrigeration Changed Our Palates, Our Plates and Our Planet (a taste of history with Nicola Twilley) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:07:42 From the food on our plates to the global economy, refrigeration’s influence runs deep. How has this technology changed the way we connect with our communities, our environment and our favorite foods? From the food on our plates to the global economy, refrigeration’s influence runs deep. How has this technology changed the way we connect with our communities, our environment and our favorite foods? cigi, tech policy, paul samson, policy prompt, technology, vass bednar, nicola twilley, centre for international governance innovation false full 7 1 334c6233-0316-4f4d-8c8b-ac3a897036d7 A look at News, Memes, and Wireless Tech from More than 100 Years Ago (Heidi Tworek calls from Germany) Before Google and Meta dominated the digital landscape, the news agencies and technologies of the early twentieth century captured unprecedented influence. Join hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson in conversation with Heidi Tworek, a leading expert in international history and public policy from the University of British Columbia, as she explains the historic prevalence, power and manipulation of media and wireless technology. Her latest book, News from Germany: The Competition to Control World Communications, 1900–1945, is available from Harvard University Press.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

 

 

]]> Mon, 25 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/a-look-at-news-memes-and-wireless-tech-from-more-than-100-years-ago-heidi-tworek-calls-from-germany-kJLNeyHO Before Google and Meta dominated the digital landscape, the news agencies and technologies of the early twentieth century captured unprecedented influence. Join hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson in conversation with Heidi Tworek, a leading expert in international history and public policy from the University of British Columbia, as she explains the historic prevalence, power and manipulation of media and wireless technology. Her latest book, News from Germany: The Competition to Control World Communications, 1900–1945, is available from Harvard University Press.

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

 

 

]]> A look at News, Memes, and Wireless Tech from More than 100 Years Ago (Heidi Tworek calls from Germany) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:00:32 Unpacking how yesterday’s media and tech wielded more power and influence than today’s digital titans. Unpacking how yesterday’s media and tech wielded more power and influence than today’s digital titans. cigi, heidi tworek, tech policy, paul samson, policy prompt, technology, vass bednar false full 6 1 c9502766-08ba-4871-afde-00bca372d3b0 How Every Computer Is a Chinese Computer (twirling the cord with Thomas Mullaney)  Amid the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War, the Chinese computer emerged. Despite the complexity of formatting tens of thousands of characters for digital use, the race for ingenuity resulted in the revolutionary computing of non-Latin script and unprecedented typing speeds — feats that continue to shape the devices we use today. Join Policy Prompt hosts for a deep dive into the history of digital technology in China with Thomas S. Mullaney, American sinologist, professor at Stanford University and author of The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age (MIT Press, 2024). 

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 11 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/how-every-computer-is-a-chinese-computer-twirling-the-cord-with-thomas-mullaney-ipTRBaJn  Amid the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War, the Chinese computer emerged. Despite the complexity of formatting tens of thousands of characters for digital use, the race for ingenuity resulted in the revolutionary computing of non-Latin script and unprecedented typing speeds — feats that continue to shape the devices we use today. Join Policy Prompt hosts for a deep dive into the history of digital technology in China with Thomas S. Mullaney, American sinologist, professor at Stanford University and author of The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age (MIT Press, 2024). 

Mentioned:

Further Reading: 

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> How Every Computer Is a Chinese Computer (twirling the cord with Thomas Mullaney) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:03:32 cigi, public policy, thomas s. mullaney, tech policy, paul samson, policy prompt, vass bednar, centre for international governance innovation false full 5 1 89533a24-9e86-4623-aa98-5086b5348b44 Siri, Tell Us About Human Rights and Robot Wrongs (a conversation with Susie Alegre) In this episode, Policy Prompt hosts chat with CIGI Senior Fellow and international human rights lawyer Susie Alegre, to unpack her latest book, Human Rights, Robot Wrongs: Being Human in the Age of AI (Atlantic Books, 2024). Listen to find out if Susie has ever been fooled by artificial intelligence, what the challenges and the tensions of rights for machines are, and why there is a palpable lack of urgency around the adoption of fully autonomous weapons.

Mentioned:

Explore further: 

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 28 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/siri-tell-us-about-human-rights-and-robot-wrongs-a-conversation-with-susie-alegre-dMZdS3y2 In this episode, Policy Prompt hosts chat with CIGI Senior Fellow and international human rights lawyer Susie Alegre, to unpack her latest book, Human Rights, Robot Wrongs: Being Human in the Age of AI (Atlantic Books, 2024). Listen to find out if Susie has ever been fooled by artificial intelligence, what the challenges and the tensions of rights for machines are, and why there is a palpable lack of urgency around the adoption of fully autonomous weapons.

Mentioned:

Explore further: 

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Siri, Tell Us About Human Rights and Robot Wrongs (a conversation with Susie Alegre) The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:50:34 What happens when you gaze too long into the AI abyss? What happens when you gaze too long into the AI abyss? cigi, tech policy, paul samson, policy prompt, technology, susie alegre, vass bednar, policy, centre for international governance innovation false full 4 1 79aa4208-f9cd-4a62-94e5-13aaa758ba7e History Claps Back on Techno-Optimism, with Daron Acemoglu Do emerging technologies inherently serve the greater good? Join Policy Prompt hosts Vass and Paul in a discussion with world-renowned economist Daron Acemoglu, on his recent book Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, co-authored with Simon Johnson (PublicAffairs, 2023). Following the launch of this episode, the announcement was made that Acemoglu, Johnson and James Robinson share this year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their groundbreaking research on global inequality. The hosts and Acemoglu discuss the implications of technological prowess on the global stage, the impacts of artificial intelligence on the future of work and education, and the building blocks of techno-optimism.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Fri, 11 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/history-claps-back-on-techno-optimism-with-daron-acemoglu-KHu3PPtM Do emerging technologies inherently serve the greater good? Join Policy Prompt hosts Vass and Paul in a discussion with world-renowned economist Daron Acemoglu, on his recent book Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, co-authored with Simon Johnson (PublicAffairs, 2023). Following the launch of this episode, the announcement was made that Acemoglu, Johnson and James Robinson share this year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their groundbreaking research on global inequality. The hosts and Acemoglu discuss the implications of technological prowess on the global stage, the impacts of artificial intelligence on the future of work and education, and the building blocks of techno-optimism.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> History Claps Back on Techno-Optimism, with Daron Acemoglu The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:59:49 The relationship between technology and development is more intricate and multi-faceted than meets the eye. The relationship between technology and development is more intricate and multi-faceted than meets the eye. cigi, public policy, tech policy, paul samson, policy prompt, technology, daron acemoglu, vass bednar, centre for international governance innovation false full 3 1 3de7c207-196f-4916-88b9-1579d8645e5c A Crash Course on the “Corpocene”: The Influencer Factory, with Grant Bollmer and Katherine Guinness In this episode, the Policy Prompt hosts are joined by Grant Bollmer and Katherine Guinness, authors of The Influencer Factory: A Marxist Theory of Corporate Personhood on YouTube (Stanford University Press, 2024), to discuss the evolving landscape of influencer culture. The episode touches on the growing phenomenon of “uncancelability” among influencers, the rise of artificial intelligence–powered avatars and the impact of fluctuating platform regulations.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 30 Sep 2024 14:01:57 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/a-crash-course-on-the-corpocene-the-influencer-factory-with-grant-bollmer-and-katherine-guinness-fRAw7WJc In this episode, the Policy Prompt hosts are joined by Grant Bollmer and Katherine Guinness, authors of The Influencer Factory: A Marxist Theory of Corporate Personhood on YouTube (Stanford University Press, 2024), to discuss the evolving landscape of influencer culture. The episode touches on the growing phenomenon of “uncancelability” among influencers, the rise of artificial intelligence–powered avatars and the impact of fluctuating platform regulations.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> A Crash Course on the “Corpocene”: The Influencer Factory, with Grant Bollmer and Katherine Guinness The Centre for International Governance Innovation 01:31:44 In a conversation ranging from The Real Housewives to MrBeast, we investigate how our collective engagement through screens has contributed to the commodification of individuals and the emergence of modern opinion leaders. In a conversation ranging from The Real Housewives to MrBeast, we investigate how our collective engagement through screens has contributed to the commodification of individuals and the emergence of modern opinion leaders. cigi, public policy, tech policy, paul samson, technology, grant bollmer, vass bednar, centre for international governance innovation, katherine guinness false full 2 1 14828a3d-5bc8-424c-b537-408307cd6a0a CTRL+ALT+Revolt: The Tech Coup, with Marietje Schaake Marietje Schaake joins the hosts to discuss her book The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley (Princeton University Press, 2024). Informed by Marietje’s experience working at the forefront of tech governance, the conversation explores strategies for effective government regulation and ways citizens can counterbalance the immense power wielded by today’s tech giants, to promote a more democratic digital landscape.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:03:29 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/ctrl-alt-revolt-the-tech-coup-with-marietje-schaake-hJdsov64 Marietje Schaake joins the hosts to discuss her book The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley (Princeton University Press, 2024). Informed by Marietje’s experience working at the forefront of tech governance, the conversation explores strategies for effective government regulation and ways citizens can counterbalance the immense power wielded by today’s tech giants, to promote a more democratic digital landscape.

Mentioned:

Further Reading:

In-Show Clips:

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> CTRL+ALT+Revolt: The Tech Coup, with Marietje Schaake The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:59:45 Marietje Schaake joins the hosts to discuss her book The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley (Princeton University Press, 2024). Informed by Marietje’s experience working at the forefront of tech governance, the conversation explores strategies for effective government regulation and ways citizens can counterbalance the immense power wielded by today’s tech giants, to promote a more democratic digital landscape. Marietje Schaake joins the hosts to discuss her book The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley (Princeton University Press, 2024). Informed by Marietje’s experience working at the forefront of tech governance, the conversation explores strategies for effective government regulation and ways citizens can counterbalance the immense power wielded by today’s tech giants, to promote a more democratic digital landscape. cigi, public policy, tech policy, paul samson, marietje schaake, technology, vass bednar, centre for international governance innovation false full 1 1 d6080eb5-0407-4e35-bb60-19aca3909553 Welcome to Policy Prompt: A CIGI Podcast Welcome to Policy Prompt, a new podcast from the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). Hosted by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson, Policy Prompt will keep you abreast of the most pressing policy challenges in the digital era. Discussions with today’s thought leaders will cover the latest developments in tech and governance and their impact on communities worldwide. Join us biweekly for new episodes, available on all major podcast platforms.

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Thu, 5 Sep 2024 17:01:08 +0000 websiteupdates@cigionline.org (The Centre for International Governance Innovation) https://policy-prompt.simplecast.com/episodes/welcome-to-policy-prompt-a-cigi-podcast-FrOppYqD Welcome to Policy Prompt, a new podcast from the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). Hosted by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson, Policy Prompt will keep you abreast of the most pressing policy challenges in the digital era. Discussions with today’s thought leaders will cover the latest developments in tech and governance and their impact on communities worldwide. Join us biweekly for new episodes, available on all major podcast platforms.

Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

Be sure to follow us on social media.

Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt biweekly on major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io.

]]> Welcome to Policy Prompt: A CIGI Podcast The Centre for International Governance Innovation 00:01:23 Welcome to Policy Prompt, a new podcast from the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). Hosted by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson, Policy Prompt will keep you abreast of the most pressing policy challenges in the digital era. Discussions with today’s thought leaders will cover the latest developments in tech and governance and their impact on communities worldwide. Join us biweekly for new episodes, available on all major podcast platforms. Welcome to Policy Prompt, a new podcast from the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). Hosted by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson, Policy Prompt will keep you abreast of the most pressing policy challenges in the digital era. Discussions with today’s thought leaders will cover the latest developments in tech and governance and their impact on communities worldwide. Join us biweekly for new episodes, available on all major podcast platforms. cigi, paul samson, vass bednar, centre for international governance innovation false trailer 1