our questions of the year
Our questions of the yearHey there— I know this is likely one of many year-end reflection emails in your inbox, so thanks for even opening! In our final newsletter of 2024 we wanted to center the questions we were most driven by this year, and we’ll wrap this up with our 2025 plans and opportunities to work with you. What’s been on our radar in 2024?The question: Who are the dominant voices in AI coverage, and how are they shaping the narrative? The action: We dug deep into this with our report, Selective Perspectives: A Content Analysis of The New York Times’ Reporting on Artificial Intelligence. We looked at who gets to tell the stories around AI — whose voices are elevated, and whose are sidelined. We found that The New York Times’ coverage was heavily influenced by voices from the commercial tech sector, while experts from academia, civil society, and other fields were often pushed to the background or dismissed. This sparked some big conversations within the New Protagonist Network (NPN) about media accountability and how to build a more inclusive, well-rounded dialogue about tech’s future. The question: How can we shift this imbalance and bring more expert & diverse voices to the table? The action: In June, we launched our first media training cohort. Ten AI politics thought leaders worked on honing their messaging, boosting their profiles, and engaging directly with the media. Check out their work here. The question: Over the years, I’ve had some fascinating conversations with experts at so many intersections of technology and politics, many of them from the New Protagonist Network (NPN). How can we package and share the insights from these conversations so more people can benefit from them? The action: We took these conversations online with our podcast. We’ve been tackling the big questions — everything from the intersection of AI and labor to open-source AI with Mark Surman of Mozilla. Most recently, we explored the tech industry’s role in the climate crisis with our Net0++ miniseries, hearing from activists, researchers, and even experts in concrete (yes, really). The question: How do we support this network of experts — activists, policy advocates, researchers, technologists – to work together as a community to drive action? The action: We hosted an event on data center resistance and launched a commissioned research project focused on the environmental and social impact of data center expansion. With AI’s environmental footprint growing, these conversations have never been more urgent. Looking ahead to 2025We’re excited for what’s coming in 2025, starting with a Computer Says Maybe rebrand at the start of next year. The rebrand will reflect a more intentional, connected approach to how we engage with all of you — and how we focus on collective impact. Our vision is simple: We want a world liberated from the relentless hype cycles surrounding new technologies. A world where new innovations are carefully evaluated for their true costs and benefits, with public interest at the forefront. Through our media studio, the New Protagonist Network, and our consulting agency, we’re working to catalyze action and spark critical conversations about the power and politics of tech. Our goal? To help you stay ahead of the curve and create a platform for change agents who are driving the conversation. Of course, none of this is possible without you and yours. We’re curious:
Are you interested in collaborating in 2025? Whether it’s research, strategic planning, facilitation, PR services, advising, or coaching, we’d love to work together.
Do you listen to our podcast? Take our audience survey and share the guests or topics you'd like to see featured in 2025.
Are you interested in joining the New Protagonist Network?
Anything else? Just reply to this email to share your thoughts or ideas. Alix & the Computer Says Maybe team Don’t miss our other recent conversations…
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Computer Says Maybe
A newsletter & podcast about AI and politics
🎧 Technology’s role in the climate crisis Hello all — just a quick podcast update from us. We’ve recently wrapped up a miniseries called Net0++. We interviewed activists, researchers, a journalist, and even an expert in concrete (yep) — to help us explore how the tech industry’s business model is worsening the climate crisis. In Big Dirty Data Centres, we heard from Jenna Ruddock and Boxi Wu, who shared their work on data centre expansion — which has ramped up with the AI hype — and how local...
Breaking the wave of harmful AI Hi Reader, Since the US election, we’ve been reflecting a lot on the power of collaboration and coordination to address the complex, structural challenges we’re facing. One voice can make a difference, but many voices, working together, can effect real change. And when we consistently act in concert, incremental progress can snowball into something much bigger - a movement. This month (and beyond), we’re focusing on both amplifying the voices of experts and...
Trump just won the presidency — what do we do now? Hey there, Just before the election we had a drafted a normal newsletter about the impacts AI did or didn’t have on the election. But like many of the conversations about technology politics, it feels like we missed the forest for the trees. 🎧 Prathm and I sat down to reflect and discuss what this outcome might mean for the technology politics work we’re all doing. You can listen here. I also wanted to share my thinking at the personal,...