Dr. Abeba Birhane recently joined science correspondent Alie Ward on the Ologies podcast for an episode titled Artificial Intelligence Ethicology (WILL A.I. CRASH OUT?). In this engaging and timely conversation, Dr. Birhane tackled a wide range of questions about the future of AI, its societal implications, and the urgent need for accountability and ethical oversight.
Listeners are invited into a thoughtful exploration of who is “babysitting” AI systems, what risks they pose to jobs and civil liberties, and how seemingly simple interactions (like being rude to a chatbot) can raise deeper concerns about technology’s design and impact. Dr. Birhane also explores critical issues such as dataset auditing, the environmental toll of large-scale AI models, and misleading narratives perpetuated by the industry.
Currently a Senior Fellow in Trustworthy AI at the Mozilla Foundation and an Adjunct Lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, Dr. Birhane leads the AI Accountability Lab at the ADAPT Research Centre, where her work focuses on promoting transparency, fairness, and ethical governance in AI systems.
Listen to the episode here.
