The AI Con — unpacking the artificial intelligence hype machine

Is the world really in the midst of an AI revolution, or is it all just clever marketing, powered by immense amounts of money, capital and hype? This episode arms you to spot AI hype in all its guises, expose the exploitation and power-grabs it aims to hide, and push back against it at work and daily life. The conversation with Emily M Bender was recorded at RMIT University in partnership with Readings books on 1 July 2025. The panel discussion Reboot the Narrative was recorded at the Rose Scott Women Writers Festival on 27 June. Speakers Emily M Bender — Professor of Linguistics and Adjunct Professor in the School of Computer Science and the Information School at the University of Washington Co-author (with Alex Hanna), The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want Co-host, Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 podcast Kobi Leins (host) — Digital ethics and human rights lawyer Author, New War Technologies and International Law: The Legal Limits to Weaponising Nanomaterials Tracey Spicer — Journalist and broadcaster, author of Man-Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the future Paula Bray — Chief Digital officer at the State Library of Victoria Lucy Hayward — Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Society of Authors Ally Burnham (host) — Screen writer and novelist, author, Swallow