Designing for Dignity: Privacy, AI Ethics, and Democracy with Dr. Carissa Véliz

What’s at stake when our personal data becomes a tool of power? In this episode, Dr. Carissa Véliz explores how privacy shapes democracy, technology, and our day-to-day lives—asking what ethical guardrails are needed as AI and digital surveillance expand. Topics Covered: The primal importance of privacyPersonal data as a toxic asset Privacy as a collective good Examples of data re-identification risks Power dynamics in data and surveillance AI ethics and governance Differences in global AI policy Links between privacy, surveillance, and democracy Social media’s impact on discourse Practical tips for digital privacy Hopeful trends among younger generations Essential AI guardrails Policy change to ban personal data trade Connect with Dr. Carissa VélizWebsiteLinkedIn Episode Chapters 00:00:05 – Introduction to Tech Humanist Show 00:00:15 – Identifying individuals by phone data 00:00:34 – Dr. Carissa Véliz’s background and book 00:01:46 – International perspectives on privacy 00:02:30 – Privacy as collective and ecological harm 00:05:02 – Netflix data science competition example 00:07:26 – Risks of genetic and location data 00:08:50 – Uniqueness of phone data and battery patterns 00:09:49 – Privacy as power and societal vulnerability 00:13:37 – Knowledge asymmetry and profiling 00:14:07 – Ethical concerns in AI 00:16:45 – Digitizing the analog world and surveillance 00:17:22 – AI as a barrier to knowledge 00:20:57 – Exceptions in algorithms and human judgment 00:21:29 – Global differences in AI governance 00:23:32 – Privacy, surveillance, and democracy 00:24:55 – Social media’s influence on democracy 00:26:40 – Digital fatigue and detox trends 00:27:49 – Practical steps to protect privacy 00:30:07 – Optimism from young people 00:31:04 – Ethical AI guardrails 00:32:04 – Banning the trade in personal data 00:32:56 – Closing remarks and optimism