Season 3, Episode 7: Questions anyone using AI needs to ask themselves (Featuring John Otwell and Kevin Wong)

This week, we’re back at it with another wide-ranging conversation on AI and its effects in our lives. John Otwell returns to the pod, and he’s joined by Kevin Wong, a seasoned educator and an old friend from Peace Corps. Together, they bring different perspectives to the discussion, balancing curiosity and skepticism as we unpack what more AI integration means for education, society, and how we navigate change. We begin with the sensational, push past the hubbub, and focus our chat on how AI is already radically changing the workplace and classrooms, and more broadly how people interact with one another. Our chat goes more philosophical as we explore wider implications of living with constantly evolving technologies in our lives. How do we maintain agency when systems can anticipate our needs and influence our choices? This question isn’t just abstract—it should be at the forefront of every kitchen table in the world right now. It’s the bread and butter of our chat, and it’s a conversation you don’t want to miss. We love to hear from our audience. Shoot us a message through substack, or send us an email: [email protected] Timestamps: 1:00 Is AI Different from other forms of tech? 6:14 A real-life case of Chat GPT going off the rails8:50 AI’s security flaws18:00 The silver bullet?23:00 AI produced work vs. human produced work33:00 What can AI never replace? 38:00 Can we retrain and fix AI? 41:00 Is AI just a compulsive liar? 45:00 Where does the AI path ultimately lead to? The small bot in the corner is from freepik.com and was created by upklyak This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com/subscribe