PODCAST · technology
Tech Mirror
by TPDi
How do we ensure technology makes our lives better? Tech Mirror is the podcast of the Tech Policy Design Institute. We explore how technolgy is shaping our lives, and how we - the humans- can shape technolgy back.
Episodes
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Putting AI to Work for Australians
“I wanted to make a difference, and I wasn’t getting that fulfilment in the private sector anymore,” says Lee Hickin. After decades at some of the world’s largest technology companies, including Amazon, Microsoft and IBM, Lee wanted to shift the impact of his work away from corporate goals…
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OnlyFans
OnlyFans is often immediately recognised as an adult content platform. Yet, according to digital culture scholar Dr. Emily van der Nagel, the company sidesteps embracing the kinds of explicit material that define it. What does this mean for the creators who make their living on the platform, and...
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AI’s Diversity Problem
Many believe that Artificial Intelligence will soon be embedded in nearly every aspect of the modern world. But how diverse are the people shaping this technology? In this episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna Weaver is joined by Dr. Gemma Killen and Professor Rashina Hoda to explore how a lack of...
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Can Industrial AI Rebuild Australia's Economy?
Is Australia getting AI strategy right? Following the PM’s “AI In Australia’s Interests” speech on 15 July, much of the conversation has focused on data centres and ‘national standards’. But according to industrial AI leader Cori Stewart, that's not where Australia's biggest opportunity lies. In...
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Building Matilda
What would it take for Australia to build its own AI future? The Australian Prime Minister made a landmark speech on 15 July declaring that his government would shape Artificial Intelligence rather than be shaped by it. Just days before the speech, Australian AI company Maincode beta launched...
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Human Choice and the Ethics of AI
In a world of AI, what does it mean to be human? In this episode of Tech Mirror, host Johanna Weaver speaks with one of Australia’s foremost ethicists, Simon Longstaff, from the Ethics Centre. Together, they make the case for ethics in the wider AI discourse. They discuss why Simon urges...
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AI Agency & Mythos 5
With countries and tech stakeholders rapidly moving to claim AI in their interest, such as the US government’s move to restrict non-citizens' access to platforms like Claude, what does it mean for Australians to have control over their technological future? AI is becoming closely linked to...
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Worker Futures & Digital Dignity
The nature of work and jobs is being reshaped by artificial intelligence. Is it the building block to a worker utopia, or a more bleak, disruptive reality? In this episode of Tech Mirror, host Johanna Weaver sits down with Joseph Mitchell from the Australian Council of Trade Unions to unpack the...
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Good Tech
Prepare to meet some amazing individuals who are using technology for social justice. This episode was recorded live at the Technology for Social Justice conference - Australia’s premier not-for-profit technology capability building, upskilling, networking and awards event, celebrating and...
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Earning trust
This episode marks the launch of TIPD's new research around AI, trust and regulation on 5 May in Parramatta. It begins with Johanna speaking with the Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy, Dr Andrew Charlton, followed by his keynote where he sets out the Government’s...
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Privacy + kids online
Johanna discusses Australia’s draft Children’s Online Privacy Code with Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind and Director of the Code Taskforce Kate Bower. They discuss how the proposed privacy code will work and how it will shape and benefit young people’s privacy in the future, with the potential…
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How progress ends
Johanna looks at whether the past can give us clues about the future with Carl Benedikt Frey, Dieter Schwarz Associate Professor of AI & Work at the Oxford Internet Institute and writer of How Progress Ends: Technology, Innovation, and the Fate of Nations. They talk about whether progress will…
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China + Tech
In the next deep dive into tech and geopolitics, Johanna Weaver sits down with Tim Coghlan, an Australia global tech and China economy analyst living in Beijing.They talk about geostrategic competition, from the perspective of China. Tim talks about how China has embraced AI, even down to the...
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Tech + Trump
In the first episode in a deep dive into tech and geopolitics, Johanna Weaver sits down with Martijn Rasser, Vice-President of Technology Leadership at the US Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP). The pair talk about strategic technology competition between the US & China, and what this…
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India AI Action Summit
In this episode Johanna Weaver catches up with Jess Wilson, CEO of Good Things; David Masters, Head of Global Public Policy at Atlassian; Lizzie O’Shea, Chair of Digital Rights Watch; Nick Davis, Co-Director at the UTS Human Technology Institute; and Meredith Hodgman, Head of Strategy from the…
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2026 Preview
To start off our new season of Tech Mirror, Johanna Weaver is join by her co-founder at the Tech Policy Design Institute, Zoe Hawkins, and the pair look forward into 2026 and take a punt on predicting the hot tech policy topics for the year. Will Australia use its position as a middle power…
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Part 5: Next Steps - Australia vs Social Media
This is the final episode of TPDi’s 5-part Tech Mirror mini-series, Australia vs Social Media: Inside the world-first online safety experiment. In this episode, we turn our attention to the future, looking at policy priorities for the Government going forward, including privacy law reform, a...
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Part 4: Implementation - Australia vs Social Media
This is episode 4 of TPDi’s 5-part Tech Mirror mini-series, Australia vs Social Media: Inside the world-first online safety experiment. In this episode, we do a deep dive into the practicalities of implementing the Social Media Minimum Age legislation. What is likely to happen on 10th December…
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Part 3: The Law - Australia vs Social Media
This is episode 3 of a 5-part Tech Mirror mini-series, Australia vs Social Media: Inside the world-first online safety experiment. In this episode, we make sense of the Social Media Minimum Age legislation, explaining the limits of the law and what it actually requires of social media companies,...
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Part 2: The Politics - Australia vs Social Media
This is episode 2 of a special 5-part Tech Mirror mini-series, Australia vs Social Media: Inside the world-first online safety experiment. In this episode, we discuss how the issue of social media harms and the idea of a minimum age restriction became such a political hot topic in the lead up to...
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Part 1: The Harms - Australia vs Social Media
In this 5-part Tech Mirror mini-series, Australia vs Social Media, we’re exploring Australia's world first online safety experiment. Across five episodes, we’ll unpack the new social media minimum age restriction law, examine the harms it seeks to prevent, consider the controversy surrounding its...
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Australia vs Social Media
When Australia passed its world-first law setting a minimum age for social media, the headlines were global - but the experts were divided. In this Tech Mirror mini-series, we unpack the harms the law seeks to prevent, trace how young people’s use of social media became a flashpoint in the…
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Liability Is Not A Dirty Word, with Casey Mock from the Centre for Human Technology
Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the Center for Humane Technology, Casey Mock joins Johanna for a discussion on incentives for building safer and more humane technology. Casey and Johanna discuss designing platforms for people and not just profit, how to realign incentives in tech using...
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Country, Kin and Technology
Angie Abdilla, Professor and the ANU School of Cybernetics, founder of Old Ways, New, and co-author of the Indigenous Protocols for Artificial Intelligence, joins Johanna for an exploration of Indigenous Knowledge and the lessons we can all draw from it. Angie and Johanna talk about the value of...
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Plurality: A Vision of the Future of Democracy and Society
Taiwan’s inaugural Digital Minister, Audrey Tang, and author and founder of RadicalxChange Glen Weyl, join Johanna for an in-depth conversation on utilising technology to reduce division,improve governance, and regulate and the speed of innovation Audrey and Glen share their inspiring stories of...
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Cyber Power: Alliances and Accountability
Brendan Dowling Australia's Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology is Johanna's guest for this episode of Tech Mirror. Join them as they unravel the complexities of cyber diplomacy and Australia’s role in shaping tech policy on the global stage. The pair explore the intricacies of...
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Privacy: We Can Have Our Cake And Eat It Too
Carly Kind assumed her role as Privacy Commissioner in February this year. In this episode of Tech Mirror, Commissioner Kind and Johanna traverse: what motivated Carly to accept the role (hint: it’s an exciting time in privacy in Australia) how the reinstated role of Privacy Commissioner works...
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Getting Under the Hood of Social Media with Frances Haugen
Frances Haugen came to the world’s attention in 2021 as a whistle-blower, after filing a series of complaints about Facebook (now Meta) with the U.S. Federal Government about the harms caused by their business practices. She now works to champion accountability, transparency, and driving social...
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TPDC's Brand New Education Program!
We’re excited to announce that the Tech Mirror Podcast will be returning to its regular scheduling very soon - we’re cooking up a great season with an all-star line-up of guests, so stay tuned! In the interim, here’s a quick update on what TPDC has been doing for the past few months. In…
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War Has Rules (yes, even in cyberspace)
This is a special episode of Tech Mirror on the imperative to protect civilians from digital threats during war. Johanna is in conversation with Dr. Cordula Droege, Chief Legal Officer and Head of the legal division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Dr. Tilman…
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Privacy: Move Fast and Regulate It
Curious about the future of privacy in Australia? Join us as we delve into the world of privacy regulation in Australia. Our expert panel shares their thoughts on the Government’s response to the Privacy Act Review Report. It’s a follow-up to episode #22 ‘Privacy is Not Dead’. Returning guest…
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Beyond the Pause: Australia’s AI Opportunity – Part 1
Ever wish you could sit down with a real-deal AI technologist and ask them what’s on earth is going on? In this double-episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna chats with Bill Simpson Young and Tiberio Cataneo, CEO and Chief Scientist at Gradient Institute. This independent, non-profit research institute...
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Beyond the Pause: Australia’s AI Opportunity – Part 2
Ever wish you could sit down with a real-deal AI technologist and ask them what’s on earth is going on? In this double-episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna chats with Bill Simpson Young and Tiberio Cataneo, CEO and Chief Scientist at Gradient Institute. This independent, non-profit research institute...
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Regulating Digital Empires
In this joint episode of Tech Mirror and the National Security Podcast, Anu Bradford and Johanna Weaver join Jennifer Jackett to discuss the global impact of technological advances, the challenges and opportunities they bring, and the evolving landscape of tech regulation. Anu Bradford is a Henry...
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Internet Governance is Sexy
Recorded on location in the margins of NetThing and the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Forum. Johanna, and guest co-host Tanvi Nair, canvass how the internet actually works, and what the internet of the future might look like, with a stella line up of guests, including: Jordan Carter, Head of...
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The Social and Moral Imperative to Act
Johanna speaks with Alice Dawkins, Executive Director of Reset.Tech Australia, an independent, non-partisan policy initiative wrestling with questions about online harms & safety, digital information markets, democracy and tech accountability. In a wide-ranging conversation, the pair discuss…
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Everything is Content Moderation
Johanna speaks with Evelyn Douek, assistant Professor at Stanford Law School (and former corporate lawyer in Australia), about the public and private regulation of speech online. The pair discusses: the private and public regulation of speech online why 'everything is content moderation' and what...
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Man-Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the future
In this episode Johanna speaks with author and journalist Tracey Spicer about her new book, Man-made: how the bias of the past is being built into the future. The book explores the history of discrimination in technology and the importance of diversity and inclusion in today's tech ecosystem....
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Keeping Pace: The Case for Digital Regulation
In this episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna is in conversation with Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Chair of the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission), one of Australia’s lead regulators in the area of technology and digital platforms. In a wide-ranging conversation the pair discuss: the ACCC’s...
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Shutdowns and spyware: Human Rights in the Digital Era
Johanna speaks with Brett Solomon, co-founder and Executive Director of Access Now, about the state of digital rights in 2023. The pair discuss critical issues including internet shutdowns, the growth of the surveillance industry, and Australia’s role in defending human rights in the digital era....
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Tech & Democracy: Brain Surgery in a Taxi
In this episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna speaks to Nitin Pai, co-founder and director of the Takshashila Institution, an independent think tank and school of public policy based in Bengaluru. In a thought-provoking conversation, the pair discuss the complex relationship between the tech industry…
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Digital Identify: Waking Sleeping Gorillas
In this episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna speaks to Amit Singh, a member of the expert panel appointed by the Australian Federal Government to oversee an independent audit of the government digital services platform, myGov. The conversation covers the history, present and future of the Australian...
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BONUS EPISODE: Cracking the Code: IWD 2023
The theme of IWD this year is Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future. In this episode Johanna interviews leading women in tech policy in the margins of the Raisina Conference in India. Prepare to be inspired as they share their career journeys, examples of how tech is driving...
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Privacy is Not Dead
In this episode, Johanna brings together a group of Australian privacy experts to discuss the Federal Government’s Privacy Act Review and to share their perspectives on the reforms that have been proposed and what might happen next. Hot topics included the meaning and importance of privacy in the...
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Converge
Dr Catherine Ball, businesswoman, futurist, and ‘dame of drones’ sits down with Johanna Weaver in the studio to discuss her new book ‘Converge’, which takes readers on a (mostly) optimistic journey through technological breakthroughs that will shape our future. Catherine reflects on life...
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Security by Design or Disaster?
Professor Lee Bygrave, Director of the Norwegian Research Centre for Computers and Law in the University of Oslo, joins Johanna in the studio to discuss security by design. The pair discuss the importance and challenges of translating “by design” mantras from legal concepts to engineering…
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NetThing 2022
This week we are bringing you a discussion that we recorded as part of NetThing 2022 – Australia’s Internet Governance Community Forum. Johanna was joined by Kate Pounder, CEO of the Tech Council of Australia, and Richard Windeyer, Deputy Secretary at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport,...
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Conditions of Possibility
In this episode Johanna sits down with Professor Elanor Huntington FTSE, Executive Director of Digital, National Facilities & Collections at CSIRO, and Professor of Quantum Cybernetics at ANU. The pair canvass exactly what a quantum cybernetician does, Australia’s conditions of possibility, the...
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Public Technology and Public Policy
In this episode Johanna sits down with Sharad Sharma, a distinguished evangelist of public interest technology in India. Sharad co-founded the non-profit think tank iSPIRT in 2013 and has held senior leadership positions across tech companies in India and the US. The pair discuss digital public...
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Diversity in Tech
In this episode, Johanna interviews Luli Adeyemo, Director of TechDiversity and Founder of marketing firm Best Case Scenario. Prompted by Luli’s piece in InnovationAus calling for a wider review of diversity in tech than announced recently by the Australian government, the pair canvass why...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
How do we ensure technology makes our lives better? Tech Mirror is the podcast of the Tech Policy Design Institute. We explore how technolgy is shaping our lives, and how we - the humans- can shape technolgy back.
HOSTED BY
TPDi
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Tech Mirror have?
Tech Mirror currently has 66 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Tech Mirror about?
How do we ensure technology makes our lives better? Tech Mirror is the podcast of the Tech Policy Design Institute. We explore how technolgy is shaping our lives, and how we - the humans- can shape technolgy back.
How often does Tech Mirror release new episodes?
Tech Mirror has 66 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Tech Mirror?
You can listen to Tech Mirror on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Tech Mirror?
Tech Mirror is created and hosted by TPDi.
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