#TechStates

He’s the world’s richest man and the mastermind behind Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and Paypal. His tweets make headlines, impact share prices and attract lawsuits. He’s opposed to a billionaire’s tax and has threatened staff planning to unionise. He operates differently than most other successful tech leaders, yet behind all the controversy it seems Elon Musk is always in pursuit of his higher purpose.Is his vision for humanity – where the problems of sustainable energy are solved and humans are well on the way to becoming a multi-planetary species – just the wild ambitions of an eccentric billionaire showman? Is Elon Musk just another ruthless tycoon or is he a good billionaire? Is there such a thing?In collaboration with TxP, a London-based network bridging the worlds of tech and policy.  editor and invited experts Luke GbedemahReporter Dr Anton HowesInvention historian, author of ‘Age of Invention’ Jacob MchangamaDanish lawyer, human-rights advocate, and author of “Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media” Phumzile Van DammeFormer South African MP, Founder, South African Elections Anti-Disinformation Project and member of the Real Facebook Oversight Board Tom ChiversScience writer, author of ‘How to Read Numbers’

This is a digital ThinkIn.With a rapidly growing global membership base of over 215 million in more than 190 countries, huge sums of money, and a maturing recommendation system, Netflix has significant political and social force. But recent data from YouGov indicates that Netflix’s positive-impression rating among Republicans in the U.S. is falling, down 16% from the beginning of 2018. This comes as a result of the commissioning of left-leaning content, some hires of senior Obama staff, as well as a deal with Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions for original programming. On the other hand, despite public protests and staff walkouts, the streaming giant stood by comedian David Chappelle. Until recently, it appeared Netflix successfully walked a political tightrope, but could a tumbling share price and a slowdown in new subscribers signal a change of direction? Does profit mean more than politics or social change?  editor and invited experts James HardingCo-founder and Editor Gina KeatingAuthor of “Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs.” She has written about media, law, and government as a staff writer for Reuters and United Press International for more than a decade Karen McNallyReader in American Film, Television and Cultural History at London Metropolitan University Lucas ShawReporter for Bloomberg, Leader of for media, telecom, entertainment team, and author of newsletter on Hollywood called “Screentime: A front-row seat to the collision of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.” Micheal FlahertyCo-founder and president of Walden Media, Producer of Netflix vs. The World

This is a digital-only ThinkIn. Join us for a discussion about Instagram – especially its impact on young people, mental health and body image. How much was Facebook aware of the problems Instagram is causing, and to what extent did profit outweigh people when considering the influence the platform has on young people? Instagram’s latest global ad campaign is based on the strapline that a users’ identity is “yours to make”, a hollow claim when you see the pressure social platforms put on the self esteem and body image of young people. Is Instagram inherently flawed as an idea, or are there ways to fix the platform without damaging its popularity? As it turns a decade old, with popular competitors stealing its audience, is Instagram on its way out anyway? And how have the real impacts of Instagram on people escaped scrutiny for so long? editor and invited experts Luke Gbedemah Reporter Dr. Lis Sylvan Managing Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University Ian Russell Chair, Molly Rose Foundation Kyle Dent Head of AI Ethics, Checkstep

This is a digital-only ThinkIn. As one of the superpowers of the internet, Google’s technology, tools and services  touch the daily lives of billions of people who go online every day. Google’s enormous presence and influence comes with great responsibility. Society expects higher standards from corporations and Governments are paying closer attention than ever to how big tech operates. Matt Brittin will be in conversation with James Harding, Tortoise editor and co-founder, about how Google approaches this responsibility, and the role digital technology, tools and skills can play in enabling a sustainable and inclusive recovery from Covid19 – from tackling climate change to supporting an evolving labour market. editor and invited experts James Harding Co-Founder and Editor Matt Brittin President of EMEA Business & Operations for Google

This is a digital-only ThinkIn.For our last Open News meetings of the year, Tortoise journalists and members, with expert contributors who’ve worked with us throughout 2021, will come together to take stock of what our reporters have uncovered about what’s driven the news this year, and what it has told us about the forces that are shaping our world. What have we learned? What questions remain unanswered, and what new ones have arisen? At Tortoise, we always said that we would stay interested when the rest of the news media moves on. We start with Tech States, our ongoing investigative work into how the big technology companies operate, and the way the decisions of these few, giant private companies are changing our lives, and our democracies. How will Meta, otherwise known as Facebook, shape 2022 and beyond? editor Luke Gbedemah

This is a newsroom ThinkIn. In-person and digital-only tickets are available.Azeem Azhar, writer, entrepreneur and creator of the hit Exponential View newsletter and podcast – argues that accelerating technology risks leaving our social institutions behind, with devastating implications for our way of life. His newsletter, Exponential View is regarded as one of the best researched and most thought-provoking newsletters in tech. In his new book, Azhar draws on nearly three decades of conversations with the world’s leading thinkers, to outline models that explain the effects technology is having on society. New technology, he shows, is developing at an increasing, exponential rate. But human-built institutions – from our businesses to our political norms – can only ever adapt at a slower, incremental pace. The result is an ‘exponential gap’ – between the power of new technology and our ability to keep up.  Pre-order Azeem’s book Exponential: How Accelerating Technology Is Leaving Us Behind and What to Do About It. editor Alexi MostrousInvestigations Editor

More episodes To get in touch and tell us about the stories you think should lead the news email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com.