This is Jacque of In Radio, I'm Suzy Weisman.

On today's program we look at big tech with Meredith Whitaker, who worked at Google

for a decade and is now at NYU, where she focuses on the social implications of artificial

intelligence and the tech industry responsible for it.

Her recent article in the nation, co-authored with Nantina Vaganza, puts forward a militant

progressive vision for tech and says the left must fight for control over the algorithms,

data and infrastructure that shape our lives.

This is all the more urgent in light of the January 6th assault on the capital, and we'll

get Meredith's explanation of the way platform business models like Facebook and YouTube

drive right-wing conspiracy theories and right-wing organizing.

She also looks at the way big tech exploits its workers, something we explored recently

with Vina DuBall looking at the implications of the passage of Prop 22.

We're fortunate to have Meredith help us understand the challenges, as well as suggest

the way to rest control from big tech.

We then turn to Russia, speaking to historian, political activist and writer Ilya Budrytskis

in Moscow, about the massive anti-government protest that evoked cities and towns across

the entire country following the arrest, detention and now imprisonment of prominent opposition

figure Alexei Navalny, who returned to Russia on January 17th after narrowly surviving

being poisoned from exposure to military-grade Novichuk on August 20th.

Ilya Budrytskis stands with the protestors and we're going to get his views of the movement

itself, as well as his analysis of the Putin regime and a closer look at what Navalny

represents.

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