AI Quick Bits with Scot Pansing

In this episode I discuss the past, present, and potential future effects of technology and AI on labor with Benjamin Shiller, an economist and author of the book AI Economics: How Technology Transforms Jobs, Markets, Life, & Our Future.  Benjamin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Brandeis University, and his research primarily focuses on the economic impacts of digitization and new technologies.
Benjamin Shiller:
https://benjaminshiller.com/
Block shares soar as much as 24% as company slashes workforce by nearly half:
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/26/block-laying-off-about-4000-employees-nearly-half-of-its-workforce.html
Why AI Boosts Creativity for Some Employees but Not Others:
https://hbr.org/2026/01/why-ai-boosts-creativity-for-some-employees-but-not-others
"Hard Parts and Easy Parts":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuvK7Ds-XyI

In this episode I discuss digital duplicates ("AI deepfakes") with Atay Kozlovski, a postdoctoral researcher at the Delft University of Technology. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Zurich, an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Bern, and a BA from Tel Aviv University.
Atay Kozlovski:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/atay-kozlovski-6a59b8290/
[email protected]
Deepfakes and Beyond: Mapping the Ethics and Risks of Digital Duplicates: https://www.techpolicy.press/deepfakes-and-beyond-mapping-the-ethics-and-risks-of-digital-duplicates/
Digital Dybbuks and virtual Golems: the ethics of digital duplicates in Holocaust testimony: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/memory-mind-and-media/article/digital-dybbuks-and-virtual-golems-the-ethics-of-digital-duplicates-in-holocaust-testimony/E2028F2B6EEE7E717E0CE18A64C8F0ED
AI Conversational Simulations with Deceased Holocaust Survivors Must Serve as Conduits for Survivors to Continue Sharing Their Stories: https://digitalmemorydialogues.com/editions/dialogue-2-artificial-intelligence/articles/response-ii-ai-conversational-simulations-with-deceased-holocaust-survivors-must-serve-as-conduits-for-survivors-to-continue-sharing-their-stories
The Legal & Data-Architecture Aspects of "Digital Duplicates": Extending Danaher and Nyholm's MVPP Framework: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5499079
Call for safeguards to prevent unwanted 'hauntings' by AI chatbots of dead loved ones: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/call-for-safeguards-to-prevent-unwanted-hauntings-by-ai-chatbots-of-dead-loved-ones
Griefbots, Deadbots, Postmortem Avatars: on Responsible Applications of Generative AI in the Digital Afterlife Industry: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-024-00744-w

In this episode I discuss deepfakes and technology security with Aaron Painter, CEO of Nametag.  His company's mission is to protect every online account from impersonation. A former Microsoft executive with global leadership experience, Aaron is passionate about restoring digital trust in an age of deepfakes and AI-driven scams. He is also the bestselling author of Loyal: Listen Or You Always Lose, a practical guide to leading with trust and purpose.

Scot Pansing delivers the keynote for the 2025 Faculty Student Engagement and Assessment Conference.

In this episode I discuss the world of AI Ethics and Responsible AI, and ethics in general, with Reid Blackman, founder and CEO of Virtue, an AI ethical risk consultancy.  Reid is also the author of the book "Ethical Machines" and hosts a podcast by the same name.
Virtue designs Responsible AI programs, and their clients include Amazon, Etsy, Kraft Heinz, Merck, US Bank, Nationwide, and more. Reid's written work has appeared in The Harvard Business Review and The New York Times. Prior to founding Virtue, Reid was a professor of philosophy at Colgate University and UNC-Chapel Hill.
https://www.reidblackman.com/
https://reidblackman.substack.com/
https://www.ethicalmachinespodcast.com/
https://www.virtueconsultants.com/