Ep. 228: Does artificial intelligence have free speech rights?
So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
Release Date: 11/01/2024
So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
Throughout his career, former Congressman has been a strong advocate for freedom of speech, writing that “The value of free speech comes from encountering views that are unorthodox, uncommon, or unaccepted…Free speech is a barren concept if people are limited to expressing views already widely held.” In this special live episode, filmed in front of 200+ high schoolers attending FIRE’s Free Speech Forum at American University in Washington, D.C., Amash takes questions from the audience and discusses his upbringing, his political career, the state of American politics, and how the...
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We’re checking in on the latest news in tech and free speech. We cover the state AI regulation moratorium that failed in Congress, the ongoing Character A.I. lawsuit, the Federal Trade Commission’s consent decree with Omnicom and Interpublic Group, the European Union’s Digital Services Act, and what comes next after the Supreme Court’s Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton decision. Guests: — lead counsel for tech policy, FIRE — internet policy counsel, TechFreedom Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:38 State AI regulation moratorium fails in Congress 20:04 Character AI lawsuit 41:10 FTC,...
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The co-authors of “The Canceling of the American Mind” discuss its new paperback release and where cancel culture stands a year and a half after the book’s original publication. - — President and CEO of FIRE Co-author of "The Canceling of the American Mind" - — New York Post columnist Co-author of "The Canceling of the American Mind" Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:35 Origin of book 07:56 Definition of cancel culture 17:55 Mike Adams, canceled professor 23:51 Alexi McCammond, former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief 31:57 Echo chambers on social media 35:09...
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Our guests today signed onto a statement by a group of 18 law professors who opposed the Trump administration’s funding threats at Columbia on free speech and academic freedom grounds. Since then, Northwestern, Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, and nearly 60 other colleges and universities are under investigation with their funding hanging in the balance, allegedly for violations of civil rights law. To help us understand the funding threats, Harvard’s recent lawsuit against the federal government, and where universities go from here are: - — distinguished teaching professor at...
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We travel from America to Europe, Russia, China, and more places to answer the question: Is there a global free speech recession? Guests: - : FIRE senior scholar, global expression - : FIRE senior fellow - : FIRE senior fellow Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:52 Free speech global surveys 07:49 Freedom of expression deteriorating 11:43 Misinformation and disinformation 18:05 Russian state-sponsored media 24:55 Europe’s Digital Services Act 29:26 Chinese censorship 34:33 Radio Free Europe 54:57 Mohammad cartoons 01:04:14 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast? and get exclusive content...
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We explore how censorship is impacting institutions — from universities to law firms to the Maine House of Representatives. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:40 Federal government cuts Columbia’s funding 16:57 Updates on the Mahmoud Khalil case 27:01 Ed Martin’s Georgetown letter 34:59 Trump targeting law firms 55:01 Maine House censure of Rep. Laurel Libby 01:03:37 Outro Guests: - , FIRE’s legal director - , FIRE’s supervising senior attorney - , FIRE’s director of campus rights advocacy Enjoy listening to the podcast? and get exclusive content like member webinars, special...
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First Amendment lawyer and immigration lawyer join the show to discuss the arrest, detention, and possible deportation of green card holder Mahmoud Khalil. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:53 Latest updates on Khalil 02:51 First Amendment implications 06:08 Legal perspectives on deportation 11:54 Chilling effects on free expression 21:06 Constitutional rights for non-citizens 24:03 The intersection of free speech and immigration law 27:02 Broader implication of immigration policies 37:51 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast? and get exclusive content like member webinars, special...
info_outlineIn this live recording of “So to Speak” at the First Amendment Lawyers Association meeting, Samir Jain, Andy Phillips, and Benjamin Wittes discuss the legal questions surrounding free speech and artificial intelligence.
Samir Jain is the vice president of policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology. Andy Phillips is the managing partner and co-founder at the law firm Meier Watkins Philips and Pusch. Benjamin Wittes is a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and co-founder and editor-in-chief of Lawfare.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:54 The nature of AI models
07:43 Liability for AI-generated content
15:44 Copyright and AI training datasets
18:45 Deepfakes and misinformation
26:05 Mandatory disclosure and AI watermarking
29:43 AI as a revolutionary technology
36:55 Early regulation of AI
38:39 Audience Q&A
01:09:29 Outro
Show notes:
-Court cases:
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Moody v. NetChoice (2023)
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The New York Times Company v. Microsoft Corporation, et al (2023)
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Millette v. OpenAI, Inc (2024)
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Walters v. OpenAI, L.L.C. (2024)
-Legislation:
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Section 230 (Communications Decency Act of 1996)
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AB 2655 - Defending democracy from deepfake deception Act of 2024
-Articles:
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“A machine with First Amendment rights,” Benjamin Wittes, Lawfare (2023)
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“22 top AI statistics and trends in 2024,” Forbes (2024)
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“Global risks 2024: Disinformation tops global risks 2024 as environmental threats intensify,” World Economic Forum (2024)
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“Court lets first AI libel case go forward,” Reason (2024)
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“CYBERPORN - EXCLUSIVE: A new study shows how pervasive and wild it really is. Can we protect our kids – and free speech?” TIME (1995)
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“It was smart for an AI,” Lawfare (2023)