Roundtable: AI, Accessibility, and Staying Human in a Precarious Tech World

In this roundtable, the hosts and guests, Miriam, Geoff, and Hidde, dig into the messy overlap between mental health and technology. We talk about the real human consequences of modern tooling, from the ethics of AI and how it’s changing labor, to the ongoing fight for web accessibility and the moral obligations designers and engineers carry. The conversation ranges from personal stories about precarious work and layoffs to concrete acts of care, mutual aid, community organizing, and practices that help when cynicism or nihilism creeps in. Expect candid takes, practical coping strategies, and debate about whether the systems we build are designed to help or to extract. Pull up a chair if you care about ethics, accessibility, and how to keep people, not just products, at the center of engineering. Take care of yourself while listening. We touch on sensitive topics as part of this podcast. Those topics can include mental illness, depression, suicide ideation, death, and related mental health and mental illness topics. We understand that these subjects can be sensitive and may be triggering for some individuals. We encourage you to prioritize your well-being and mental health while listening. If you feel overwhelmed or need support, please get in touch with a mental health professional or a helpline in your country. Remember, you are not alone, and there is help available. Follow the link to find the help you need. Help Others Find The Podcast * Rate and review on Spotify * Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit schalkneethling.substack.com