citationsneededpodcast

Episode 217: A.I. Mysticism as Responsibility-Evasion PR Tactic

Added 2025-03-26 18:36:48 +0000 UTC

“Israel built an ‘AI factory’ for war. It unleashed it in Gaza,” laments the Washington Post. “Hospitals Are Reporting More Insurance Denials. Is AI Driving Them?,” reports Newsweek. “AI Raising the Rent? San Francisco Could Be the First City to Ban the Practice,” announces San Francisco’s KQED.

Within the last few years, and particularly the last few months, we’ve heard this refrain: AI is the reason for an abuse committed by a corporation, military, or other powerful entity. All of a sudden, the argument goes, the adoption of “faulty” or “overly simplified” AI caused a breakdown of normal operations: spikes in health insurance claims denials, the skyrocketing of consumer prices, the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. If not for AI, it follows, these industries and militaries, in all likelihood, would implement fairer policies and better killing protocols.

We’ll admit that this narrative seems compelling at first glance. There are major dangers in incorporating AI into corporate and military procedures. But in these cases, the AI isn’t the culprit; the people making the decisions are. UnitedHealthcare would deny claims regardless of the tools at its disposal. Landlords would raise rents with or without automated software. The IDF would kill civilians no matter what technology was, or wasn’t, available to do so. So why do we keep hearing that AI is the problem? What’s the point of this frame and why is it becoming so common as a responsibility-avoidance framing?

On this episode, we dissect the genre of “investigative” reporting on the dangers of AI, examining how it serves as a limited hangout, offering controlled criticism while ultimately shifting responsibility toward faceless technologies and away from powerful people.

Our guest is MediaJustice's Steven Renderos.

Guest

Steven Renderos is executive director of MediaJustice, a national racial justice organization that advances the media and technology rights of people of color. He also co-hosts the politics and pop culture podcast Bring Receipts and is executive producer of Revolutionary Spirits, a four-part audio series on the life and martyrdom of Mexican revolutionary leader Francisco Madero.

Show Notes

41% of companies worldwide plan to reduce workforces by 2030 due to AI

Olesya Dmitracova | January 8, 2025 | CNN

We Looked at 78 Election Deepfakes. Political Misinformation is not an AI Problem.

Sayash Kapoor and Arvind Narayanan | December 13, 2024 | AI Snake Oil

Landlords Are Using AI To Raise Rents — and Cities Are Starting To Push Back

Wendy Fry | December 2, 2024 | The Markup

Hospitals Are Reporting More Insurance Denials. Is AI Driving Them?

Alexis Kayser | November 13, 2024 | Newsweek

Could price-fixing AI be a reason for high rents in San Diego? Some think so

Audra Stafford | October 30, 2024 | NBC San Diego

AI Raising the Rent? San Francisco Could Be the First City to Ban the Practice

Sydney Johnson | July 16, 2024 | KQED

Why the Military Can’t Trust AI

Max Lamparth and Jacquelyn Schneider | April 29, 2024 | Foreign Affairs

A.I. Joe: The Dangers of Artificial Intelligence and the Military

Robert Weissman and Savannah Wooten | February 29, 2024 | Public Citizen

UnitedHealth uses AI model with 90% error rate to deny care, lawsuit alleges

Beth Mole | November 16, 2023 | Ars Technica

More than 60,000 Rent-Stabilized Apartments Are Now Vacant — and Tenant Advocates Say Landlords Are Holding Them for ‘Ransom’

Sam Rabiyah and Sujin Shin | October 19, 2022 | The City

Manhattan Landlords Take Apartments Off Market During Rental Slump

Will Parker | March 7, 2021 | The Wall Street Journal

***

Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available here. You can also find transcripts of past episodes, live shows, Beg-a-Thons, Interviews and News Briefs here.

****

Citations Merch

Don't forget that the Citations Needed merch store is open! Please consider further supporting the show by picking up a t-shirt, tank top, hoodie, tote, water bottle or mug for yourself or your favorite Citations fan (or everyone you know!).

*****