Designing for Dignity: Privacy, AI Ethics, and Democracy with Dr. Carissa Véliz

The Tech Humanist Show

What’s at stake when our personal data becomes a tool of power?

In this episode, Dr. Carissa Véliz explores how privacy shapes democracy, technology, and our day-to-day lives—asking what ethical guardrails are needed as AI and digital surveillance expand.

Topics Covered:

The primal importance of privacy
Personal data as a toxic asset
Privacy as a collective good
Examples of data re-identification risks
Power dynamics in data and surveillance
AI ethics and governance
Differences in global AI policy
Links between privacy, surveillance, and democracy
Social media’s impact on discourse
Practical tips for digital privacy
Hopeful trends among younger generations
Essential AI guardrails
Policy change to ban personal data trade

Connect with Dr. Carissa Véliz
Website
LinkedIn

Episode Chapters

00:00:05 – Introduction to Tech Humanist Show
00:00:15 – Identifying individuals by phone data
00:00:34 – Dr. Carissa Véliz’s background and book
00:01:46 – International perspectives on privacy
00:02:30 – Privacy as collective and ecological harm
00:05:02 – Netflix data science competition example
00:07:26 – Risks of genetic and location data
00:08:50 – Uniqueness of phone data and battery patterns
00:09:49 – Privacy as power and societal vulnerability
00:13:37 – Knowledge asymmetry and profiling
00:14:07 – Ethical concerns in AI
00:16:45 – Digitizing the analog world and surveillance
00:17:22 – AI as a barrier to knowledge
00:20:57 – Exceptions in algorithms and human judgment
00:21:29 – Global differences in AI governance
00:23:32 – Privacy, surveillance, and democracy
00:24:55 – Social media’s influence on democracy
00:26:40 – Digital fatigue and detox trends
00:27:49 – Practical steps to protect privacy
00:30:07 – Optimism from young people
00:31:04 – Ethical AI guardrails
00:32:04 – Banning the trade in personal data
00:32:56 – Closing remarks and optimism