Recommended Videos


As opposed to the list of books, which is meant to be more stable, the list of videos is more temporary.
We do attach a short description of why and for what particular topic we think the video is relevant to us.


The future of government involves using technology to engage and explain policy to citizens, and becoming more productive and efficient like the private sector. Governments also need to know when to outsource or work in partnerships, and aim for transparency and accountability in order to provide better services to citizens. The global agenda council on the future of government is exploring innovative ways for governments to work with different stakeholders and develop a "smart toolbox" of transferable and scalable solutions.


Yuval Noah Harari is a historian and author who has written several books, including "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" and "Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow". In his work, he explores the history of humanity and asks big questions about the future. He argues that one of the things that makes humans unique is their ability to cooperate in large groups and believe in shared fictions, such as religion, corporations, and nations. According to Harari, the power of humanity lies in its ability to tell and believe in great stories.


The Stanford HAI Fall Conference 2019 featured a panel discussion on AI, democracy, and elections. The panel was composed of Nate Parsley, James B. McClatchy Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and co-director of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center; Renee DiResta, research manager for the Stanford Internet Observatory; and Andy Grotto, director of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center's program on geopolitics, technology, and governance, and research fellow at the Hoover Institution. The panel discussed issues related to the integrity and independence of elections, as well as the role of AI in shaping democracy and election outcomes. The conference was organized by the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.


The video is a discussion about how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to help democracy and make decision-making more transparent. The speaker, Max Tegmark, is a professor at MIT who has researched physics and AI, and is the author of several books on the topic. He discusses the rapid advancements in AI and how it has the potential to help with various tasks, such as diagnosing diseases and self-driving cars. He also mentions the potential downsides of AI, such as its use in lethal autonomous weapons and the potential for it to fuel income inequality. The discussion then turns to the idea of using AI to help with democratic decision-making and increasing transparency in politics and media.


Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems and models that are designed to perform intelligent actions. Machine learning is a specific type of AI that involves the use of statistical and algorithmic approaches to train a model to perform certain tasks. AI is being used in a variety of fields, including public administration, where it is used to automate the allocation of social benefits and in the legal system where it is used to determine bail eligibility. There are a number of philosophical questions that have been raised about the use of AI, including concerns about the legitimacy of AI governance, the transparency of black box algorithms, and the alignment of AI systems with values such as fairness and free speech. Some argue that democracy has both intrinsic and instrumental value, and that democratic checks and balances can help prevent abuses of power and improve the quality of public decisions. Others have argued that AI could potentially undermine democratic values if it is not carefully regulated.


The video you described discusses different types of government that might exist in the future, including traditional forms like democracies and feudal kingdoms as well as entirely new forms that have not yet been seen. It also discusses how different forms of government might be mixed together in various ways and how they could evolve over time. The speaker emphasizes the importance of considering the various pros and cons of different forms of government, and notes that while democracy has its flaws, it has proven to be one of the most effective forms of government thus far. The video also mentions the possibility of governments being run by artificial intelligence or uplifted animals, and explores the concept of nomadic fleet-based civilizations governed by a "navarchy" run by captains and admirals.


Digital government refers to the use of modern technology, such as the internet and artificial intelligence, to deliver government services to citizens in a more efficient and effective manner. Digital government aims to reduce bureaucracy and increase transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness of government to the needs of citizens. This can be achieved through the use of open data, automation of services around life events, and a focus on the needs and experience of the user. While technology has the potential to greatly improve the way government serves its citizens, trust in government institutions is often low and there is a need for governments to work towards building and maintaining trust through responsible use of technology and transparent decision-making processes.


AI has the potential to change government workflow systems by automating tasks and augmenting work, freeing up labor hours and saving billions of dollars in wages. Careful implementation is necessary to avoid potential pitfalls such as job loss, skill reduction, and reduced worker morale. Proper implementation of AI can lead to increased efficiency and effectiveness in government work.


Vyacheslav Polonski is a researcher at the University of Oxford and the CEO of Avant-Garde Analytics, a company that uses machine learning to personalize election campaigns and improve the relationship between elected representatives and citizens. They have an ethical approach to their work, disclosing the data sources used and allowing people to see what data points were used to personalize messages. The company has faced challenges due to skepticism about the use of machine learning in politics and the misuse of such technologies by other startups. Polonski and his team are continuously improving their technology and see the Forbes 30 under 30 list as an opportunity to engage with others working on similar solutions and technologies to make democracy fit for the 21st century.


Joseph Licklider, also known as J.C.R. Licklider or "Lick," was a researcher at the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in the United States. In a memo he wrote in 1963, he discussed the possibility of connecting a small number of expensive computers together to form a network. This network, which he called the "Intergalactic Computer Network," would allow the computers to communicate with each other and work together on problems. Licklider believed that this network had the potential to change the way people connected with each other and to change the way politics and power worked. He thought that it could give the public a greater say in decision-making processes and change the way democracy worked. However, in the present day, many people believe that the Internet has not yet had a significant impact on democracy and that it has primarily been used to target people with advertising rather than empowering them as citizens.


This is an interview discussing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the White House and its potential impact on democracy and the economy. The speaker is Dan Meyers, CEO of a news app that avoids using algorithms for its news feeds. He expresses concerns about the potential negative effects of AI on democracy and suggests that a business model that relies on selling consumer data is the wrong approach. He also advocates for the use of trusted sources and individuals rather than AI algorithms to determine what information people should read and trust.


César Hidalgo is discussing the idea of replacing politicians with automation in order to address some of the problems with democracy. He notes that while the idea of direct democracy and liquid democracy have been proposed as alternatives to traditional representative democracy, they both have limitations. Direct democracy is not practical because individuals would need to make too many decisions on topics that they may not be well-informed about, and liquid democracy still relies on representatives to make decisions on behalf of their followers. Hidalgo suggests that instead of trying to bypass politicians, we could automate them by using algorithms to make decisions based on data and rules that have been established by society. He believes that this could help to improve the efficiency and transparency of the decision-making process.


In this TEDx talk, the speaker discusses how technology is rapidly advancing and how it is important for society to be aware of the potential consequences of these advances. He uses the example of DNA editing, which has the potential to eradicate genetic diseases, but also raises the possibility of using these techniques on humans, potentially leading to unintended consequences. The speaker also mentions the dangers of nuclear technology and the need for better control and management. He argues that individuals now have more power to affect global change than ever before and suggests using artificial intelligence to address global issues such as the refugee crisis. The overall message of the talk is that while technology can bring great benefits, it is important to be mindful of the potential risks and to exercise caution in its development and use.


The video discusses the potential risks that surveillance technology, such as facial recognition and data tracking, pose to democratic societies. The use of such technology by tech companies can give them the ability to influence the behavior and attitudes of individuals, potentially leading to an concentration of political power in the hands of a small technology elite. In order to maintain a balance between security, privacy, and freedom of expression, it is important for democratic societies to address issues such as hate speech, disinformation, and manipulation of voters without resorting to censorship. The responsibility to ensure that technology is compatible with democratic values falls on both governments and citizens, who need to become digitally literate in order to understand the risks and impacts of technology on society.