In his third appearance on The Human Voice, media theorist and science fiction author Paul Levinson shares a fascinating conversation about the timeless relevance of media ecology, technology’s role in human progress, and the myths surrounding information overload. Paul reflects on his seminal 1996 article On Behalf of Humanity and its argument that the issue isn’t too much information but a lack of organizational tools.

Drawing connections between historical innovations and today’s AI landscape, Paul explores the concept of “remedial media”—new technologies that solve problems created by previous ones—and how it applies to challenges like algorithmic bias and deep fakes. From his collaborations with media icons Neil Postman and Marshall McLuhan to his optimistic vision for technology as a force for good, Paul offers insights that resonate across decades.

The episode wraps up with Paul’s thoughts on techno-pessimism, the power of storytelling, and a fun recommendation for mystery fans: A Perfect Couple. He also highlights his recent alternate history book, Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles, imagining a world where John Lennon was never assassinated.

Key Topics Covered:

• Information overload vs. information organization

• Remedial media as a framework for technological progress

• AI, digital watermarks, and the future of human-machine collaboration

• Why techno-pessimism often gains more attention

• Recommendations for media and books

Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that spans history, technology, and the enduring human connection to media.

Chris Dauphin is an 18-year marketing and communications veteran, professional musician, sports fan, father, son, and human.  And he's a close friend. This was a fun interview that surfaced some deep truths about life, work, and the meaning of it all. Enjoy!

Some of my thoughts from an article I wrote for my Substack Newsletter about how we are all interconnected more than we know through this thing called the internet, technology, and AI.

And we are mimicking what Obi-Wan was sensing. 

“I felt a great disturbance in the Force as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.”

-Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars

This is a reading of my Substack Article- 

https://bobhutchins.substack.com/p/the-lost-art-of-questioning-can-ai

AI's evolving abilities highlight the humanness woven through good questions. (Prompts) As AI gets smarter, might it even start teaching us back by teaching us to ask those open-ended, thought-provoking questions that truly make us learn and grow? Here's a hopeful thought: perhaps AI can transcend mere information gathering, evolving into a catalyst for a culture that nurtures intellectual exploration. I unpack this more in my article.

Kendra Jones is a Futurist. 

With a rich history in high-tech strategic operations at Apple, and a strong academic foundation from MIT and the University of Houston, Kendra blends practicality with visionary thinking. Her endeavors span from hosting a futures-centric radio show to leading the Remote Futures Research Lab. Through her consultancy, LAKA,  Kendra embarks on exploring the intersections of technology, human interaction, and the uncharted waters of emerging tech, providing a nuanced perspective on the potential vistas of the future.

We talk about her origin story, her career, media insights, AI, and her personal connection to Marshall McLuhan as a child. 🤯 😀

This was a fascinating interview and one that you will want to listen to!

Alex Kantrowitz is a veteran journalist who's interviewed some of the world’s top CEOs, including Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, and Jack Dorsey. His company, Big Technology, serves more than 100,000 newsletter subscribers and tens of thousands of podcast listeners, delivering accessible news about the tech industry in weekly installments. He's also an on-air contributor at CNBC.

We discuss his journey as a tech journalist, include his time at BuzzFeed. We also discuss lessons learned, the future of tech and innovation, and why messaging apps are on the rise in popularity.

Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc is President of Southern New Hampshire University, the nation's largest nonprofit provider of online higher education. Under his leadership since 2003, SNHU has grown from 2,800 to over 220,000 learners.

He has served as Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Education and currently serves on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. An immigrant and first-generation college student himself, Dr. LeBlanc holds degrees from Framingham State, Boston College, and UMass. He directed a tech startup for Houghton Mifflin and was President of Marlboro College before coming to SNHU in 2003.

We discuss his new book, Broken: How Our Social Systems are Failing Us and How We Can Fix Them . We also talk about technology and artificial intelligence as it affects social systems.

Jon Ricketts is a man of many talents, with a back ground that includes medical devices, aviation, and tech start-ups. He has a knack for innovation and a passion for making life better, one venture at a time. 

We talk about the Ai start-up world, how e-commerce is changing, and how to build a go-to-market team that is creative, unique, and effective. 

Jon holds a Doctor of Law (JD) degree from Lincoln Memorial University and  Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Accounting and Finance 

CJ is a writer and media producer. He leads a messaging & production studio called Reculture and an award-winning kids media project called Ringbeller.

He’s had the privilege of traveling the world speaking to creative professionals at venues like Creative Mornings, TEDx, and STORY.

He’s also the author of the book- Get Weird, Discover the Surprising Secret to Making a Difference

Paul Levinson returns just in time to discuss the release of Robots through the Ages, published by Blackstone Publishing, it includes stories from some of the best writers of science fiction, both old and new. This anthology, with an introduction by Robert Silverberg, offers a sweeping survey of robots as depicted throughout literature.  Paul's story, Robinson Calculator, is included in this collection.

We talk about the future of AI, should robots have rights, and what does the way we treat our technology say about us.

What if we have been focusing on the wrong things to define what’s ‘human’ and ‘normal’?

What if a shift in the definition of healthy human behavior and how time is best spent can be realized through our technology?

This in no way minimizes or re-frames my concerns that I still have about AI or screen time in general. But several things can be true at the same time, and as a tech optimist, I am hopeful we can find our way forward in better and more beneficial ways.

This is an audio version ( Me Reading) of my recent Substack post. 

https://bobhutchins.substack.com/p/the-possibility-that-our-new-innovations