A candid conversation with cognitive scientist Abeba Birhane, exploring the myths, risks, and societal impact of AI. She reveals why transparency matters, how power shapes AI narratives, and why accountability must be demanded—not assumed.
Brewster Kahle – Internet Archives
A deep dive into Brewster Kahle’s journey from MIT engineer to the visionary founder of the Internet Archive. In this conversation, he reflects on building the Library of Alexandria for the digital age, the challenges of trust, regulation, and corporate dominance, and why universal access to knowledge remains one of the most important missions of our time.
Nils Fonstad – MIT Sloan
In this episode researcher Nils Fonstad unpacks digital innovation as a disciplined, impact-focused process. From end-user centricity to improvisation, modularity, and learning at scale, the conversation reveals how organizations can innovate without wasting resources—and turn digital from hype into measurable value.
Marleen Stikker – Founder Waag Future Lab
In this episode host Frits Bussemaker speaks with Marleen Stikker, Internet pioneer and Executive Director of Waag Futurelab, about the philosophical, cultural, and political foundations of technology.
From co-creating Digital City Amsterdam, one of the world’s first online public communities, to leading initiatives for digital sovereignty, Marleen reflects on how technology shapes society—and how society must take responsibility for technology.
The conversation explores why the Internet has shifted away from public values, how Big Tech’s dominance threatens democracy, and why building alternative, open, and sovereign digital infrastructures is essential for the future.
Frances West – Speaker/Author on Authentic Inclusion
Frits and Frances discussed the role of a Chief Accessibility Officer in ensuring digital platforms are accessible to all, and the potential of technology to assist individuals with disabilities. They also emphasized the importance of inclusion and diversity in business and society, and the need for collaboration between technology firms, government, and NGOs to create legislation that benefits the entire citizenship. The conversation concluded with the importance of user experience in the context of aging populations.