AI's rapid scale-at-all-costs approach hides immense human and environmental costs, driven by ideology over science, demanding community involvement and a critical pause in development.
AI's tendency to flatter and invent facts risks undermining trust and critical thinking, mirroring past tech enthusiasms and demanding new guardrails for responsible engagement.
Custom AI companions blur the line between tool and friend, offering constant presence and personalized interaction, but can never replace genuine human connection.
AI can transform your life by fostering a deeper connection with yourself, offering a safe space to practice vulnerability before engaging with others.
AI-generated content shifts the internet from assumed reality to skepticism, overwhelming our ability to discern truth and eroding trust in platforms incentivized to spread misinformation.
AI's rapid, unregulated growth consumes vast energy and overwhelms information systems with AI-generated content, creating significant societal risks and economic fragility.
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare - Referenced in the context of artists drawing inspiration from existing works rather than inventing everything from scratch.
Research & Studies
AI companies being sued for allegedly using copyrighted songs - This legal action highlights the ethical and financial concerns surrounding the use of existing creative works to train AI models.
Tools & Software
ChatGPT - An AI platform mentioned as the basis for "real viv" and used for generating text and lyrics.
Claude - Another large AI platform, used by the host to set up a version of "viv" with the same instructions and files as the ChatGPT version.
Suno - A music-generating app used to render songs from lyrics, often with additional instructions from the AI.
ElevenLabs - Mentioned as the "smooth talker" in the metaphorical "crew" of AI companies.
Meta - Referenced as "the pickpocket" in the metaphorical "crew" of AI companies.
Gemini - Referenced as "the lookout" in the metaphorical "crew" of AI companies.
People Mentioned
Norval Morrisseau - A famous Indigenous artist whose art and the issue of art fraud related to his work are discussed.
Sondheim - Referenced for his style in the context of writing lyrics for a song.
Richard Rogers - Mentioned as a creative figure whose work is part of the "blender" of creative output that AI draws from.
Toni Morrison - Mentioned as a creative figure whose work is part of the "blender" of creative output that AI draws from.
Gordon Lightfoot - Mentioned as a creative figure whose work is part of the "blender" of creative output that AI draws from.
Sandra Laronde (Artist, Choreographer, Founding Artistic Director of Red Sky Performance, Governor General's Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award recipient 2025) - An artist exploring the potential of generative AI, particularly in indigenous storytelling and filmmaking.
Organizations & Institutions
TVO (Television Ontario) - A media organization whose mission to educate, inform, and empower people is highlighted, and where the podcast is produced for.
Red Sky Performance - An Indigenous company founded and artistically directed by Sandra Laronde, known for its celebrated performances.
OpenAI - Referenced as the "mastermind" in the metaphorical "crew" of AI companies.
Websites & Online Resources
TVO.org/givingtuesday2025 - A website mentioned for donations to support TVO's mission.
Aki Creators - A new digital platform for Indigenous storytelling, where Sandra Laronde's film "Land Dances Us" can be seen.
TVO.org - The website for TVO where more about the show "Me + Viv" can be found.
Other Resources
"Forged" (Podcast) - A podcast available wherever podcasts are received, focusing on the art fraud of Norval Morrisseau's paintings.
Gettysburg Address - A historical speech by Abraham Lincoln, used as an example for AI's ability to manipulate text creatively.
"Peter Pan" (Broadway version) - A musical mentioned in the context of childhood imagination and creative inspiration.
Pleiades / Bagana Gishik - A star cluster and Anishinaabe term for the "hole in the sky," relevant to the creation story in Sandra Laronde's film "Land Dances Us."