Monash University Media Release

Monash University’s multi-award-winning podcast, What Happens Next?, examines artificial intelligence and its impact on reality in its latest two-part series. Hosted by Dr Susan Carland, the episodes explore how AI and related technologies are reshaping our understanding of truth, political discourse and social consensus ahead of major electoral events including the US presidential election.

The series features leading Monash experts discussing how emerging technologies are transforming our shared reality and democratic processes:

• Professor Joanna Batstone, Director of the Monash Data Futures Institute, examines how AI has reached a tipping point in human-computer interaction while highlighting the institute’s focus on using AI for social good in healthcare and climate science
• Professor Geoff Webb from the Faculty of Information Technology discusses AI’s unprecedented capabilities in image generation and their implications for trust in visual evidence, while also sharing insights on AI’s positive applications
• Professor Chris Lawrence, Associate Dean Indigenous in the Faculty of Information Technology and Engineering, explains how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform emerging technologies and the importance of “coding for culture”
• Associate Professors Stephanie Collins and Ben Wellings from Monash’s Politics, Philosophy and Economics program examine how AI and social media are affecting our shared understanding of reality and political discourse

“We can’t predict the future with AI, but one thing I’m very sure of is, AI is not going away,” says Professor Batstone. “We are rethinking what human and robot interaction looks like, and what role humans play in that future world while optimising for benefit and social good.”

The series explores critical themes including:

• The challenge of maintaining democratic discourse and social consensus in an era of AI-mediated reality
• The evolution of AI capabilities and their impact on trust in visual media and political communication
• Strategies for distinguishing truth from AI-generated content in political contexts
• The role of trust in shaping our perception of reality
• The importance of embedding Indigenous perspectives in technology development
• Ethical considerations and necessary regulatory frameworks

Professor Webb notes the unprecedented nature of current AI capabilities: “If you’d asked me five years ago, would an AI system be able to hold a conversation with you on an arbitrary topic in a convincing way, I would’ve said no. And the systems have just suddenly taken off.”

Professor Lawrence emphasises the importance of inclusive technology development: “Indigenous people are the first scientists, technologists, engineers, architects, medicine people, mathematicians… When we’re designing software for Indigenous communities, we need to make the software about them.”

The episodes offer practical insights for listeners navigating an increasingly AI-influenced world, while examining the philosophical and political implications of these technological changes. Associate Professor Collins emphasises that while humans have always had imperfect access to reality, the challenge lies in “trying to gain better access to reality, or at least trying to reach some sort of human consensus on what’s real.”

What Happens Next? is available on all major podcast platforms. Explore the podcast’s back catalogue on Monash Lens.