AI is being sold to us as an oracle, objective, neutral, inevitable. But when corporations and governments present predictions as facts, what they often demand is obedience.

We’re living through a golden age of surveillance. As monitoring reaches levels once associated with totalitarian regimes, the question becomes unavoidable: how much surveillance can a democracy sustain before it ceases to be one?

This week on The Tea, Oxford Associate Professor Carissa Véliz, a leading voice on the ethics of AI, joins us to cut through the noise. AI isn’t just forecasting the future—it’s shaping behaviour, eroding accountability, and normalising control.

Our guest argues that the rise of authoritarian tendencies alongside digital technology isn’t a coincidence. Digital tech is inherently authoritarian. And while tech executives warn of jobless, dystopian futures, they’re also shaping that reality—then positioning themselves as the solution. Manufacture the fear, sell the cure.

Also in the show:

⚡ Surveillance at an unprecedented scale

⚡ AI prediction as the blueprint for control

⚡ The rise of the “uninsurable” individual

⚡ Big Tech resignations — principled exits or strategic PR?

⚡ AI in medicine — the hidden risk of overdiagnosis

⚡ Palantir, Anthropic, and warfare — where does accountability go?

⚡ AI as the “ultimate bullshitter”

⚡ When chatbots act human — the Air Canada case

⚡ AGI — genuine goal or marketing myth?

⚡ AI companions — a mirror of our delusions

⚡ The Online Safety Act — and why it may not protect children at all

Carissa argues that if we want to resist this trajectory, we need to look up from the screen. The more we obsess over AI, the more we neglect the real world—and the human relationships that anchor it.

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AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Carissa Veliz

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell, Martha Missingham

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

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How AI Is Threatening Democracy!

The Tea with Myriam Francois

How AI Is Threatening Democracy!