ADAPT Radio

• Who owns AI with Meredith Whittaker from Signal

  When your AI agent books a rental car, it needs your driver's license, credit card, calendar access and permission to message your contacts—creating what Meredith Whittaker calls "fundamental backdoor" threatening apps like Signal.  At ADAPT ADVANCE 2025, Signal Foundation President and AI Now Institute co-founder Meredith Whittaker joined Dr Abeba Birhane for a fireside chat dissecting why "bigger is better" serves hyperscaler monopolies not evidence.  How AI companions weaponise 1970s Eliza manipulation psychology on minors, why "open source AI" became marketing arbitrage exploiting software community goodwill, and what sovereign AI actually requires beyond anxiety signifiers—including democratic governance, trusted local data, and answers to "who owns deployment infrastructure?" 
 THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT * “Bigger is better" AI myth protects hyperscaler monopolies, not users * Agentic AI demands sweeping permissions creating existential privacy backdoor threats * AI companions weaponize known psychological manipulation tactics against vulnerable minors * "Open source AI" exploits software community goodwill without delivering benefits * Sovereign AI requires democratic governance beyond geopolitical anxiety signaling today GUEST DETAILS Meredith Whittaker is President of the Signal Foundation and co-founder of the AI Now Institute—one of the most trusted voices in AI ethics, transparency and accountability. Her decade of work has profoundly shaped ethical AI frameworks, bringing impact from academia to industry. At Google, Meredith was core organizer for the 2018 Google Walkouts where over 20,000 employees protested military AI use (Project Maven), surveillance, and sexual misconduct—forcing Google to discontinue their military contract and oust implicated VPs. As AI Now Institute co-founder, her research cuts through AI hype, grounding discussions on what truly matters: power concentration, labour exploitation in AI pipelines, and protecting fundamental rights including privacy and rule of law. Her work exposes corporate capture, debunks "bigger is better" myths, reveals sustainability costs, and provides foundational open source research. Meredith has provided congressional testimony to US Congress and leads Signal—one of the most trusted privacy-friendly messaging apps. Her background building large-scale network measurement systems at Google gives her unique expertise in data quality, evaluation criteria manipulation, and how benchmark gaming serves hyperscaler interests over real-world effectiveness. Dr Abeba Birhane is founder and director of the AI Accountability Lab at Trinity College Dublin. Her groundbreaking research examines AI datasets, uncovering how larger datasets contain higher hateful content and pornography—debunking "bigger dissipates problems" assumptions. Her work on benchmarks and measurement demonstrates that purpose-built smaller models often outperform larger models in real-world contexts with appropriate contextual data. Connect with the guests: * Signal Foundation: signal.org * AI Now Institute: ainowinstitute.org * AI Accountability Lab: Contact through ADAPT Centre * Follow their research and writing on AI accountability MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre For more information about ADAPT's groundbreaking AI and data analytics research visit www.adaptcentre.ie/ KEYWORDS #TrustedAI #AIaccountability #AIprivacy #AIgovernance #MeredithWhittaker

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• Sea-Scan Maritime AI Technology

  Ireland's territorial waters are among Europe's largest, yet monitoring this vast maritime expanse for unauthorized vessels, environmental threats, and infrastructure protection remains an enormous challenge with current surveillance technologies. Professor Marco Ruffini and Dr. John Kennedy from Trinity College Dublin have developed Sea-Scan, a revolutionary system that transforms existing undersea telecommunications cables into comprehensive acoustic monitoring networks. Using distributed acoustic sensing and AI, their technology can detect and classify vessels across hundreds of kilometers of ocean using just one land-based device. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Transforming existing fiber optic cables into underwater sensor networks ● AI detection of "dark vessels" that disable identification beacons ● Unique acoustic signatures for different vessel classifications ● Marine ecosystem monitoring and shipping noise impact assessment ● Real-time infrastructure protection from accidental damage ● Cost-effective surveillance across Ireland's vast territorial waters GUEST DETAILS Professor Marco Ruffini is Associate Professor and Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and Principal Investigator of both the CONNECT Telecommunications Research Centre and the IPIC Photonics Integration Centre. He specializes in optical network architecture at the Department of Computer Science and Statistics, focusing on converged metro/access network architecture, long-reach passive optical networks, and inter-data center connectivity. His expertise spans over two decades in optical communications and fiber sensing technologies. Dr. John Kennedy is Associate Professor in Vibrations, Acoustics and Dynamics at Trinity College Dublin. His current research centers on the use of advanced additive manufacturing techniques to design and fabricate novel acoustic metamaterials for environmental noise control. His research focuses on acoustics, noise control, aeroacoustics, additive manufacturing, and metamaterials, making him uniquely positioned to interpret underwater acoustic signals. MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about the Sea-Scan project and other cutting-edge research at Trinity College Dublin's ADAPT Centre here: www.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the ADAPT Centre QUOTES Having this many sensors in this environment helps us monitor activity that's happening in our waters. - John Kennedy Just by placing one device at one end of the fiber, I had a microphone every meter, so I can get a different sound every meter for all the 100 kilometers just with one device at one end. - Marco Ruffini This technology gives you a kind of unparalleled resolution of sensors underwater. It allows you to investigate questions that you know are very important for various different reasons. - John Kennedy You won't believe how often fiber gets cut due to digging... you could detect the noise of the vehicle that's trying to dig, and you could contact them, maybe 10 to 15 minutes in advance. - Marco Ruffini One of the exciting things about working in acoustics is that it sort of touches all aspects of human activity and also our daily lives." - John Kennedy KEYWORDS #distributedacousticsensing #marinesurveillance #fiberoptics #underwateracoustics #AImonitoring

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• Vacant No More: AI and the Future of Irish Buildings

  Ireland is facing a housing crisis, and yet countless buildings sit empty and unused. In this episode of Adapt Radio, Dr. Clare O’Connell speaks with Dr. Philip Crowe and Milo Dennehy from University College Dublin about a bold, AI-driven project to map and tackle building vacancy across the country. Discover why data on empty buildings is so patchy, how new tech could unlock hidden opportunities for homes and communities, and why solving this puzzle means more than just better spreadsheets. From town centre revitalisation to the surprising power of open data, this conversation explores how AI might help Ireland turn vacancy into vibrant possibility. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Why Ireland’s empty buildings are so hard to track ● How AI and data science are changing the vacancy game ● The challenges, and surprises, of sharing property data ● What Ireland can learn from France, Philadelphia, and beyond ● Transforming vacant spaces into vibrant communities GUEST DETAILS Dr Philip Crowe is UCD Assistant Professor for Climate Responsive Design at the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy (APEP) and the School of Civil Engineering. He is the Director of Research at UCD APEP, co-director of the UCD Centre for Irish Towns, and Programme Director of the MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Climate Action. Philip teaches in areas relating to carbon management, sustainability, urban resilience and urban ethics. As a researcher, he is working on a range of EU and nationally funded projects relating to town revitalisation, vacancy and adaptive reuse, compact urban growth, and citizen participation in processes of change. Philip’s background is in architecture, and he was previously Director of Sustainable Design at M.CO (Dublin) from 2003-2012. Milo Dennehy is a Research Assistant in the School of Computer Science. Milo is a current student in the BSc City Planning and Environmental Policy programme, set to graduate in 2025. Before joining Building Stories, Milo was a research assistant in the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at UCD. His research interests are in building geospatial tools that leverage machine learning and remote sensing techniques to enhance capacity and reduce the barriers to access to geospatial technology for local actors. MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about your AI Literacy in the Classroom here: https://ai-literacy-in-the-classroom.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the Adapt Centre For more information about ADAPT visit www.adaptcentre.ie/ QUOTES We don’t actually know what we’re dealing with—how do you manage your built environment without reliable, dynamic data? – Dr Philip Crowe It shocked me how much decision-making still relies on throwing darts at the map and manual guesswork – Milo Dennehy If you aggregate all these data sets together, you’ve got something incredibly powerful to solve the housing crisis – Dr Philip Crowe AI lets us see what’s missing in the data—and predict what’s possible for Ireland’s empty buildings. – Milo Dennehy The real challenge isn’t technical—it’s about building trust and a culture of sharing data for the public good. – Dr Philip Crowe KEYWORDS #AI #VacantBuildings #IrelandHousing #DataScience #UrbanRevitalisation #SmartCities #OpenData #HousingCrisis #PropertyData #CommunityImpact #TownCentres #DataGovernance #SustainableCities #Innovation #TechForGood

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• Digital Propaganda: How AI is Reshaping Public Discourse

  Claire O'Connell hosts a discussion on AI and digital propaganda with media historians Nelson Riviero and Professor Aphra Kerr. They highlight the prevalence and hyper-personalisation of digital propaganda, which polarises public discourse and undermines democracy. AI accelerates the creation and dissemination of disinformation, often targeting specific demographics. Recent events in Ireland and Spain exemplify this, with false narratives spreading rapidly. Both experts stress the need for media literacy, early education, and regulatory action to combat this threat. They also discuss the role of universities in training students in both tech and ethics, and the importance of a multi-faceted approach to counter digital propaganda effectively. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● AI's Role in Digital Propaganda ● Impact on Democratic Processes ● Media Literacy and Education ● Targeted Disinformation Strategies ● Regulation and Platform Accountability GUEST DETAILS Aphra Kerr is Full Professor of Digital Media & Communication and a senior adviser at the UCD Centre for Digital Policy. She is an adjunct Professor of Sociology at Maynooth University and a co-PI at the ADAPT Research Ireland Centre for AI and Digital Content Technology. Vice-Rector for Transformation, Collaboration and International Affairs at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Dr. Ribeiro coordinates the Doctoral Program in Communication Sciences and the research group “Media Narratives and Cultural Memory” at the Center for Communication and Culture Studies ( CECC). He was the Dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences between 2016 and 2025 MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about your AI Literacy in the Classroom here: https://ai-literacy-in-the-classroom.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by https://dustpod.io for the Adapt Centre For more information about ADAPT visit www.adaptcentre.ie QUOTES Negative content often drives engagement, and then the algorithms will actually boost that even more - Professor Aphra Kerr The role that AI is playing… is that it actually helps speed up the process of creating propaganda content. - Professor Nelson Ribero Younger generations… they know how to use those tools, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they understand how those tools work. - Professor Nelson Ribero You can’t fight propaganda with propaganda — you fight propaganda with education and media literacy. - Professor Nelson Ribero Media literacy isn’t about blaming individuals — it’s about equipping people to navigate a complex digital world. - Professor Aphra Kerr KEYWORDS #DigitalPropaganda #AIDisinformation #MediaLiteracy #AlgorithmManipulation #ElectionInterference #SocialMedia #TargetedMessaging #TechnologicalEthics #Democracy #Misinformation

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• Explainable AI in Action: From Tutors to Health Tech

  Every day, AI systems influence how we learn, shop, and make decisions—but to truly support us, AI must communicate in ways tailored to who we are as individuals. In this episode, we share a keynote speech from the ADAPT Annual Scientific Conference that explores Explainable AI and its potential to personalize user experiences. The talk discusses how AI can adapt explanations to users’ unique traits and moment-to-moment states, improving trust and understanding. It highlights real-world applications in intelligent tutoring systems, recommender platforms, and healthcare technologies, illustrating how human-centered AI is reshaping interactions. Join us as we explore the future of AI that not only acts intelligently but also connects meaningfully with each user. Our guest speaker is Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, Cristina Conati, a pioneer in user modeling, personalization, and explainable AI. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Evolving from generic systems to human-centred AI ● Unlocking personalization through multimodal signals ● Improving user trust, engagement, and learning outcomes ● Real-World applications from intelligent tutoring systems to healthcare technologies ● Complexities and ethical considerations of delivery GUEST DETAILS Professor Cristina Conati is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Milan and both a Master’s and Ph.D. in Intelligent Systems from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research lies at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and Cognitive Science, focusing on creating intelligent systems that adapt to individual users' needs. Professor Conati has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has received multiple Best Paper Awards. She is an ACM Distinguished Member and an AAAI Senior Member. https://www.cs.ubc.ca/people/cristina-conati MORE INFORMATION You can learn more about your AI Literacy in the Classroom here: https://ai-literacy-in-the-classroom.adaptcentre.ie/ Adapt Radio is produced by DustPod.io for the Adapt Centre For more information about ADAPT visit www.adaptcentre.ie/ QUOTES In order to have this AI driven personalization during interaction, what needs to be done is to establish what we call the AI driven personalization loop. - Cristina Conati We're working towards creating intelligent systems that can understand to whom, when and how, to provide explanations of their behaviors. - Cristina Conati The explanation should be designed so that a user can choose at what level of detail to go deeper. - Cristina Conati It would be important to look at different user characteristics that might impact, like user reading proficiency or abilities to process visual information. - Cristina Conati It’s super important to understand interplay between explanations and under or over reliance with AI. - Cristina Conati KEYWORDS #HumancenteredAI #explainableAI #usermodels #multimodal #learning #health

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