Pivot! Navigating Unprecedented Times with Audacity and Humility

Impossible Tradeoffs with Katie Harbath

Sorry for the slight delay today. The tech gods were not being kind.

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NOTE: A lot of this summary and show notes were generated via a new AI tool by Riverside.fmIn this episode, Brian Fishman, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Cinder, discusses his background in studying terrorism and his work at Facebook. He shares insights on the early days of using the internet for research on terrorist organizations and the challenges of trust and safety in the tech industry.

Brian also talks about the importance of pivoting in one's career and the trade-offs involved. He discusses the future of the tech industry, including the impact of AI and the role of regulation in trust and safety. The conversation covers various topics related to content moderation, media coverage, and the role of technology in society.

The main themes include the challenges of content moderation, the difficulty of making decisions in the face of complex issues, the role of the media in shaping narratives, and the need for a more comprehensive understanding of technology's impact. The conversation also touches on the importance of capturing the wider ecosystem of communication platforms and actors involved in events like January 6th.

We also discuss the potential for storytelling to shed light on the challenges of trust and safety in the tech industry.

Takeaways

* Brian Fishman has a background in studying terrorism and has worked on trust and safety issues at Facebook.

* The early days of using the internet for research on terrorist organizations provided valuable insights.

* Pivoting in one's career requires a mix of audacity and humility.

* The tech industry is facing challenges related to AI, synthetic content, and trust in institutions.

* Regulation will raise the floor for trust and safety expectations but may lower the ceiling. Content moderation is a complex and challenging task, regardless of whether it is done by private companies or regulators.

* The difficulty of making decisions in the face of complex issues remains even when responsibility is transferred from private companies to regulators.

* Media coverage plays a significant role in shaping narratives and public understanding of events.

* A comprehensive understanding of technology's impact requires considering the wider ecosystem of communication platforms and actors involved.

* Storytelling can be a powerful tool to explore the challenges of trust and safety in the tech industry.

Links

* Trust and Safety Tycoon Game

* How much mouse poop should be allowed in cereal boxes (a thought exercise that pertains to content moderation that we discuss and David Karpf wrote a piece about).

Show Notes

* Introduction and Background

* Early Internet Research on Terrorism

* Pivoting in a Career

* Challenges and Opportunities in the Tech Industry

* The Role of Regulation in Trust and Safety

* The Challenges of Content Moderation

* The Difficulty of Decision-Making

* The Role of Media in Shaping Narratives

* Understanding the Wider Ecosystem of Communication Platforms

* Storytelling and the Challenges of Trust and Safety

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