Ep. 9 - "Practicing" a Profession in the AI Age, Disappearing AI Apps, & Right to Repair

In this episode of the Future Tech & Policy (FTP) Podcast, the panel discusses a recent court case in Oregon where a judge ordered an attorney pay attorney fees because of their use of an AI to write briefs, leading us to ask questions about what it means to practice a profession in the AI age. We also unpack the flash-in-the-pan Sora app by OpenAI and discuss what happens when your favorite AI app changes or goes away, as well as the right to repair debate and latest news in that space.Links to articles discussed- Oregon Lawyer Ordered to Pay Attorney Fees for Use of AI (Law360)https://www.law360.com/articles/2469645/oregon-lawyer-ordered-to-pay-attorney-fees-for-use-of-ai- OpenAI announces plans to shut down its Sora video generator (Ars Technica)https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/openai-plans-to-shut-down-sora-just-15-months-after-its-launch/- John Deere Is Paying Farmers $99 Million for Allegedly Monopolizing Repair (Wired)https://www.wired.com/story/john-deere-is-paying-farmers-99-million-for-allegedly-monopolizing-repair/Panelists- Alvin Chin, Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicagohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alvinchin/ - Zachary McDowell, Associate Professor, Communication, University of Illinois Chicagohttps://comm.uic.edu/profiles/zachary-mcdowell/- Jeremy Riel (Host), Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago & IGPA Science and Technology Working Group Co-Leadhttps://education.uic.edu/profiles/riel-jeremy/- GUEST: Caroline Sinders, Critical Designer & Human Rights Researcherhttps://carolinesinders.com/- Ken Suh, Adjunct Professor, UIC and UIUC Law, University of Illinoishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kensuhAbout The FTP PodcastThe FTP podcast brings together a panel of interdisciplinary faculty experts across the University of Illinois System to discuss trends and news from recent weeks in tech and policy while looking toward the future. Produced by the Science and Technology Working Group, Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA), University of Illinois System.https://igpa.uillinois.eduAll opinions expressed on the FTP Podcast are those of the individual panelists and not the opinions of the University of Illinois System, The Institute of Government and Public Affairs, or the three UI universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, or Springfield.