Karen Hao: Empire of AI (Re-release)

Programs like ChatGPT have become ubiquitous with AI, promising to kick start the next industrial evolution. But the scale of resources needed to support AI are staggering, with the cost largely being levied on the marginalised. From energy demands eclipsing whole cities, to labour exploitation in the global south, this behaviour bodes poorly for an equitable future. In Empire of AI , award-winning investigative journalist Karen Hao unpacks the rise of OpenAI and their race for global dominance – prompting the question, what will it take to reign in this laissez-faire approach to growth? Answers are needed and UNSW legal expert Mimi Zou is exploring the possibilities surrounding the regulation of AI, along with UNSW neuroscientist Joel Pearson who is scrutinising the human impact of AI at an individual and societal level. Hear Chief Scientist of UNSW AI Toby Walsh in conversation with Karen Hao and then Mimi Zou and Joel Pearson on what it will take to usher in a sustainable, equitable AI revolution.

You can listen to Karen Hao: Empire of AI (Re-release) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Karen Hao: Empire of AI (Re-release) is an episode from UNSW Centre for Ideas by UNSW Centre for Ideas.

This episode is 87:59 long.

This episode was published on Apr 9, 2026.

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