Future of Life Institute Podcast

Michael Toscano is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies and Director of its Family First Technology Initiative. He joins the podcast to discuss family-centered AI policy. The conversation covers AI companions, self-harm risks, sexualized chatbots, education, smartphones in schools, and why "infinite patience" can harm children's growth. Toscano also explains Catholic social teaching, public pushback against rapid AI deployment, and why society-wide governance may be needed to keep technology accountable to families.



LINKS:



CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:12) Family centered AI

(09:54) Companion design harms

(17:23) Technology and family

(25:48) Society wide governance

(33:09) Catholic AI response

(39:44) Double movement politics

(49:36) Technology mythos challenged

(59:48) Competition and control



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What is Future of Life Institute Podcast?

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a nonprofit working to reduce global catastrophic and existential risk from powerful technologies. In particular, FLI focuses on risks from artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, nuclear weapons and climate change. The Institute's work is made up of three main strands: grantmaking for risk reduction, educational outreach, and advocacy within the United Nations, US government and European Union institutions. FLI has become one of the world's leading voices on the governance of AI having created one of the earliest and most influential sets of governance principles: the Asilomar AI Principles.