Computer Séance

Computer Séancehttps://www.instagram.com/computerseance.podcast/
Each week in Computer Séance hosts Justin Ben and Tracie dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

Presented by queer studies expert Dr R Justin Hunt and Social Justice and AI expert Dr Tracie Farrell - both from the UK's Open University’s Knowledge Media Institute. And design expert Dr B Sweeting.

From cult science fiction to blockbuster movies, Computer Séance brings together media criticism, cultural theory, queer perspectives, and technological curiosity. Along the way, we examine virtual worlds, digital identities, automation, surveillance and the changing boundaries between human and machine.

Computer Séance is for listeners who enjoy thinking seriously about popular culture and the technologies that shape contemporary life.

Series 1 out now.

Linktree:https://linktr.ee/computerseance

]]>enSociety & CultureCopyright Computer Seance Podcasthttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a88db9ed5b5d3bef6f03d408b2772598.jpgComputer Séancehttps://www.instagram.com/computerseance.podcast/Wed, 22 Jul 2026 05:45:02 +0000Computer Seance PodcastComputer Seance Podcastcomputerseance@proton.meWhat can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives? Each week in Computer Séance hosts Justin Ben and Tracie dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with...
Each week in Computer Séance hosts Justin Ben and Tracie dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

Presented by queer studies expert Dr R Justin Hunt and Social Justice and AI expert Dr Tracie Farrell - both from the UK's Open University’s Knowledge Media Institute. And design expert Dr B Sweeting.

From cult science fiction to blockbuster movies, Computer Séance brings together media criticism, cultural theory, queer perspectives, and technological curiosity. Along the way, we examine virtual worlds, digital identities, automation, surveillance and the changing boundaries between human and machine.

Computer Séance is for listeners who enjoy thinking seriously about popular culture and the technologies that shape contemporary life.

Series 1 out now.

Linktree:https://linktr.ee/computerseance

]]>trueepisodicHow to Teach a Machine Not to Kill Us: WarGames and Artificial Intelligencehttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-to-teach-a-machine-not-to-kill-us-wargames-and-artificial-intelligence--73014868
In this episode of Computer Séance, Tracie, Ben and Justin revisit the 1983 Cold War classic WarGames, a film that imagined many of today's biggest AI questions decades before ChatGPT.
Your hosts explore the film through the lenses of artificial intelligence, hacking, nuclear deterrence, automation, game theory, and Cold War politics. We discuss how WarGames predicted debates about AI safety, autonomous weapons, machine decision-making, and the risks of trusting intelligent systems with human lives.

Show Notes:
About Wargames (1983)
Director: John Badham
Writers: Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes
Production: United Artists & Sherwood Productions

References:
Watch Wargames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bymdsSvLfJY
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQUsLAAZuhU&pp=ygURd2FyZ2FtZWVzIHRyYWlsZXI%3D
WIKI- https://tinyurl.com/4w5hm528I
MDB- https://tinyurl.com/4hf2mty9
Rotten Tomatoes - https://tinyurl.com/yfmzr72c
AI and weapon systems: https://aiwar.cloud/
Human in the loop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human-in-the-loop
Cory Doctorow:
a) https://pluralistic.net/2025/12/05/pop-that-bubble/
b) https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jun/22/the-reverse-centaurs-guide-to-life-after-ai-by-cory-doctorow-review-the-real-price-of-artificial-intelligence
Sam Altman: https://cybernews.com/ai-news/altman-ai-energy/
NORAD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NORAD
Hackers (1995) film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_(film)
Speech act theory:
a) https://www.britannica.com/topic/speech-act-theory
b) https://archive.org/details/austin-how-to-do-things-with-words
Robots in the war in Ukraine: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/fighting-robots-give-ukraine-hope-in-war-with-russia
Loitering munitions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loitering_munition“
Shortening the kill chain”: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/03/iran-war-heralds-era-of-ai-powered-bombing-quicker-than-speed-of-thought
Isreali “Gospel” AI targeting: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/01/the-gospel-how-israel-uses-ai-to-select-bombing-targets and https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/israel-defense-forces-use-ai-gaza-case-misplaced-purpose
Game theory: https://www.britannica.com/science/game-theory
Theatre of the oppressed:
a) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_Oppressed
b) https://www.plutobooks.com/product/theatre-of-the-oppressed/
Hyperreality: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/hyperreality
Reliance on Automated Systems: https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3579605 Vasconcelos, H., Jörke, M., Grunde-McLaughlin, M., Gerstenberg, T., Bernstein, M. S., & Krishna, R. (2023). Explanations can reduce overreliance on ai systems during decision-making. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 7(CSCW1), 1-38.Cognitive Impacts of LLMs: https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/ and https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10225785/3/Keane_Liu_v2_edit_1776961977_1_KY_clean.pdf

Follow us: https://linktr.ee/computerseance

What can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives?

Each week in Computer Séance presenters Justin, Tracie and Ben dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

More About Your Hosts!
Dr R Justin Hunt is an artist and academic based in London; his work explores archives of queerness

Dr Tracie Farrell a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow examining the intersections between social justice and artificial intelligence.

Dr Ben Sweeting is a university lecturer who teaches and learns about design.

It is produced by Cat McShane. Sound mixing by Dan Bolger and original music by Rosa Brook. Graphic Design by Retno Larasati.

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenters' own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI.

Episodes may contain language that some listeners find offensive]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73014868Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:30:02 +0000Computer Seance PodcastCan an artificial intelligence learn the value of human life? In this episode of Computer Séance, Tracie, Ben and Justin revisit the 1983 Cold War classic WarGames, a film that imagined many of today's biggest AI questions decades before ChatGPT....
In this episode of Computer Séance, Tracie, Ben and Justin revisit the 1983 Cold War classic WarGames, a film that imagined many of today's biggest AI questions decades before ChatGPT.
Your hosts explore the film through the lenses of artificial intelligence, hacking, nuclear deterrence, automation, game theory, and Cold War politics. We discuss how WarGames predicted debates about AI safety, autonomous weapons, machine decision-making, and the risks of trusting intelligent systems with human lives.

Show Notes:
About Wargames (1983)
Director: John Badham
Writers: Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes
Production: United Artists & Sherwood Productions

References:
Watch Wargames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bymdsSvLfJY
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQUsLAAZuhU&pp=ygURd2FyZ2FtZWVzIHRyYWlsZXI%3D
WIKI- https://tinyurl.com/4w5hm528I
MDB- https://tinyurl.com/4hf2mty9
Rotten Tomatoes - https://tinyurl.com/yfmzr72c
AI and weapon systems: https://aiwar.cloud/
Human in the loop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human-in-the-loop
Cory Doctorow:
a) https://pluralistic.net/2025/12/05/pop-that-bubble/
b) https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jun/22/the-reverse-centaurs-guide-to-life-after-ai-by-cory-doctorow-review-the-real-price-of-artificial-intelligence
Sam Altman: https://cybernews.com/ai-news/altman-ai-energy/
NORAD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NORAD
Hackers (1995) film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_(film)
Speech act theory:
a) https://www.britannica.com/topic/speech-act-theory
b) https://archive.org/details/austin-how-to-do-things-with-words
Robots in the war in Ukraine: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/04/fighting-robots-give-ukraine-hope-in-war-with-russia
Loitering munitions: 16fullVirtuosity: The Birth of an AI Supervillainhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/virtuosity-the-birth-of-an-ai-supervillain--72990428
About Virtuosity (1995):Director: Brett Leonard
Writer: Eric Bernt
Stars: Denzel Washington, Kelly Lynch, Russell Crowe
References:
Watch Virtuosity - https://tinyurl.com/3hjwcehtVirtuosity (1995)
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdYoDEh_L7M
WIKI - https://tinyurl.com/2s3sp9stIMDB - https://tinyurl.com/ypeyzfwa
Rotten Tomatoes - https://tinyurl.com/ysbac3ps
On ELIZA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA
Liz Rosenfeld: https://www.lizrosenfeld.co/
On AI sabotage: https://tinyurl.com/ye42s3rj
Judith Butler, Bodies That Matter (1993) https://tinyurl.com/m4kswa4j
Jack Halberstam, Queer Art of Failure (2011) https://tinyurl.com/ysm9n6xa
On hauntology: https://tinyurl.com/52eh2rdm
On Artaud & Virtual Reality: https://tinyurl.com/5n6tyde8
On the Imperial Archive by Thomas Richards: https://tinyurl.com/4zkka8h8
The After AI Symposium: https://afteraisymposium.com/
Link to Dr Mustafa Ali’s presentation “Apocalyptic AI Otherwise:” youtube.com/watch?v=V4AxoPjZNTY&feature=youtu.be
On technological progress and social progress: Griffin, G. W. (2026). Technological Progress≠ Social Progress. In Human Capital Supply Chain in the Age of AI: Workforce Transformation, Strategy, and the Future of Work (pp. 41-50). Berkeley, CA: Apress.
On the female voice and AI:
a) Tolmeijer, S., Zierau, N., Janson, A., Wahdatehagh, J. S., Leimeister, J. M. M., & Bernstein, A. (2021, May). Female by default?–exploring the effect of voice assistant gender and pitch on trait and trust attribution. In Extended abstracts of the 2021 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1-7).
b) Sindoni, M. G. (2024). The femininization of AI-powered voice assistants: Personification, anthropomorphism and discourse ideologies. Discourse, Context & Media, 62, 100833.
On the Palestine laboratory: Loewenstein, A. (2024). The Palestine laboratory: How Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world. Verso Books.
On prison labour training AI in Finland: https://www.wired.com/story/prisoners-training-ai-finland/
Humans using Grok: https://www.superagent.sh/blog/grok-image-jailbreak and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzKcvFsXtwE AI and weapon systems: https://aiwar.cloud/

Follow us: https://linktr.ee/computerseance

What can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives?

Each week in Computer Séance presenters Justin, Tracie and Ben dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

More About Your Hosts!
Dr R Justin Hunt is an artist and academic based in London; his work explores archives of queerness

Dr Tracie Farrell a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow examining the intersections between social justice and artificial intelligence.

Dr Ben Sweeting is a university lecturer who teaches and learns about design.

It is produced by Cat McShane. Sound mixing by Dan Bolger and original music by Rosa Brook. Graphic Design by Retno Larasati.

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenters' own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI.

Episodes may contain language that some listeners find offensive]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72990428Wed, 22 Jul 2026 05:30:01 +0000Computer Seance PodcastWhat happens when an AI trained on serial killers escapes into the real world? Join the Computer Séance team as they unpack Virtuosity, examining how its vision of artificial intelligence, policing, surveillance, virtual reality, and AI ethics feels...
About Virtuosity (1995):Director: Brett Leonard
Writer: Eric Bernt
Stars: Denzel Washington, Kelly Lynch, Russell Crowe
References:
Watch Virtuosity - https://tinyurl.com/3hjwcehtVirtuosity (1995)
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdYoDEh_L7M
WIKI - https://tinyurl.com/2s3sp9stIMDB - https://tinyurl.com/ypeyzfwa
Rotten Tomatoes - https://tinyurl.com/ysbac3ps
On ELIZA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA
Liz Rosenfeld: https://www.lizrosenfeld.co/
On AI sabotage: https://tinyurl.com/ye42s3rj
Judith Butler, Bodies That Matter (1993) https://tinyurl.com/m4kswa4j
Jack Halberstam, Queer Art of Failure (2011) https://tinyurl.com/ysm9n6xa
On hauntology: https://tinyurl.com/52eh2rdm
On Artaud & Virtual Reality: https://tinyurl.com/5n6tyde8
On the Imperial Archive by Thomas Richards: https://tinyurl.com/4zkka8h8
The After AI Symposium: https://afteraisymposium.com/
Link to Dr Mustafa Ali’s presentation “Apocalyptic AI Otherwise:” youtube.com/watch?v=V4AxoPjZNTY&feature=youtu.be
On technological progress and social progress: Griffin, G. W. (2026). Technological Progress≠ Social Progress. In Human Capital Supply Chain in the Age of AI: Workforce Transformation, Strategy, and the Future of Work (pp. 41-50). Berkeley, CA: Apress.
On the female voice and AI:
a) Tolmeijer, S., Zierau, N., Janson, A., Wahdatehagh, J. S., Leimeister, J. M. M., & Bernstein, A. (2021, May). Female by default?–exploring the effect of voice assistant gender and pitch on trait and trust attribution. In Extended abstracts of the 2021 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1-7).
b) Sindoni, M. G. (2024). The femininization of AI-powered voice assistants: Personification, anthropomorphism and discourse ideologies. Discourse, Context & Media, 62, 100833.
On the Palestine laboratory: Loewenstein, A. (2024). The Palestine laboratory: How Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world. Verso Books.
On prison labour training AI in Finland: 15fullCan AI Love? I Am Mother, Artificial Intelligence & Human Carehttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/can-ai-love-i-am-mother-artificial-intelligence-human-care--72851708
About I Am Mother (2019):
Director: Grant Sputore
Story: Grant Sputore & Michael Lloyd Green

References:
Watch I Am Mother (Netflix) - https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80227090
I Am Mother (2019) Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5BKctcZxrM On the robotics of I am Mother: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBpBXf8GIp8
BTS of I Am Mother: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbLllRUjS_E
On the necropolitical: https://www.dukeupress.edu/necropolitics
On the biopolitical: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/23884/the-history-of-sexuality-1-by-michel-foucault-trans-robert-hurley/9780241385982
On expert systems:a) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_systemb) https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19820022023/downloads/19820022023.pdf
On Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey: http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0095.html
On Natalism: a) Hughes, J. (2025). Are Children The Future? Longtermism, Epistemic Discounting, and Pronatalism. Journal of Ethics and Emerging Technologies, 35(2), 1-10. b) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_iiB4IbVaw&t=4s
On Affective Computing: Tao, J., & Tan, T. (2005, October). Affective computing: A review. In International Conference on Affective computing and intelligent interaction (pp. 981-995). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
AI voices & huuman stutters: https://aimpower.org/2025/12/22/our-aies-2025-best-paper-award-community-centered-ai-data-governance-for-stuttered-speech/
Crash Course on Bentham and Utilitarianism: https://youtu.be/-a739VjqdSI?si=koscMs06PtXzJPvr
Crash Course on Kant: https://youtu.be/8bIys6JoEDw?si=RCf2-gSE7FJVGUZh
On reproductive futurism: https://www.frieze.com/article/reproductive-futurism-and-politics-death-drive
About Jocelyn Burnham’s work: https://www.aiforculture.com/
On Moxie, the companion AI robot for children: https://fuseproject.com/news/introducing-moxie-the-first-ever-animate-companion/
On the female voice and AI:
a) Tolmeijer, S., Zierau, N., Janson, A., Wahdatehagh, J. S., Leimeister, J. M. M., & Bernstein, A. (2021, May). Female by default?–exploring the effect of voice assistant gender and pitch on trait and trust attribution. In Extended abstracts of the 2021 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1-7).
b) Sindoni, M. G. (2024). The femininization of AI-powered voice assistants: Personification, anthropomorphism and discourse ideologies. Discourse, Context & Media, 62, 100833.
The emotion machine (Minksy): Minsky, M. (2007). The emotion machine: Commonsense thinking, artificial intelligence, and the future of the human mind. Simon and Schuster.
On Neurolink: The Neuralink project has continued since early pilots were discontinued. It received FDA approval in 2023:
a) https://www.reuters.com/science/elon-musks-neuralink-gets-us-fda-approval-human-clinical-study-brain-implants-2023-05-25/
b) https://knowingneurons.com/abandoned_neurotech/

Follow us: https://linktr.ee/computerseance

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship grant
Hosts: Dr Tracie Farrell, Dr R Justin Hunt, RB Sweeting
Producer: Cat McShane
Sound Mixing: Dan Bolger
Original Music: Rosa Brook
Design: Retno Larasati
Disclaimer: All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenter’s own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI.

What can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives?

Each week in Computer Séance presenters Justin, Tracie and Ben dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

More About Your Hosts!
Dr R Justin Hunt is an artist and academic based in London; his work explores archives of queerness

Dr Tracie Farrell a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow examining the intersections between social justice and artificial intelligence.

Dr Ben Sweeting is a university lecturer who teaches and learns about design.

It is produced by Cat McShane. Sound mixing by Dan Bolger and original music by Rosa Brook. Graphic Design by Retno Larasati.

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenters' own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI.

Episodes may contain language that some listeners find offensive]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72851708Wed, 15 Jul 2026 05:30:02 +0000Computer Seance PodcastCan a machine truly love—or is AI care always a form of control? Join the Computer Séance team as they explore I Am Mother through the lenses of artificial intelligence, feminism, philosophy, and science fiction, asking what this unsettling film...
About I Am Mother (2019):
Director: Grant Sputore
Story: Grant Sputore & Michael Lloyd Green

Watch She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix) - https://tinyurl.com/3ksthck4
Season 1 Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsGMkAWB6lY
Season 4 Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juIipTTY1Vo
IMDB - https://tinyurl.com/mvwbrhmm
WIKI- https://tinyurl.com/4e6xkdmd
Fandom “She-Ra WIKI” - https://tinyurl.com/5cbzvbxn
More about AI Personalisation - https://tinyurl.com/zw4yujcs
For more information on the After AI Symposia - https://tinyurl.com/32w8xcrb
For more information on Dr Alexa Joubin’s work - https://tinyurl.com/3tfcd3ja.
For more about Sherry Turkle- https://tinyurl.com/5n8kbysp
Tracie mentions a paper on LLMs and therapy; the citation: Iftikhar, Z., Xiao, A., Ransom, S., Huang, J., & Suresh, H. (2025, October). How LLM counselors violate ethical standards in mental health practice: A practitioner-informed framework. In Proceedings of the AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society (Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 1311-1323).

Follow us: https://linktr.ee/computerseance
Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

What can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives?

Each week in Computer Séance presenters Justin, Tracie and Ben dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

More About Your Hosts!
Dr R Justin Hunt is an artist and academic based in London; his work explores archives of queerness

Dr Tracie Farrell a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow examining the intersections between social justice and artificial intelligence.

Dr Ben Sweeting is a university lecturer who teaches and learns about design.

It is produced by Cat McShane. Sound mixing by Dan Bolger and original music by Rosa Brook. Graphic Design by Retno Larasati.

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenters' own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI.

Episodes may contain language that some listeners find offensive]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72805307Wed, 08 Jul 2026 05:30:02 +0000Computer Seance PodcastIn this episode of Computer Séance, Tracie, Justin and Ben travel to Etheria and explore the future of (queer) kinship and (universal) colonialism through the figure of Light Hope, an ancient AI training tool. About She-Ra and the Princesses of...
About She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2020)
Creator: ND Stevenson; Produced by Dreamworks Animation Television for Netflix
Seasons Discussed: Season 1, Session 4Episodes Discussed: S1 E1, 2, 12, 13; S4 E5, 12, 13
This episode focuses solely on specific episodes from the 2018 reboot of She-Ra, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.
Note: Justin incorrectly states She-Ra’s warrior form height as 9 feet. In humanoid form Adora is 5’6” (168cm) and in warrior form She-Ra is 8” (244cm). Justin and Scorpia are the same height (6’7”, 200cm) and aren’t used to bigger ladies than themselves!
References:

Watch She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix) - https://tinyurl.com/3ksthck4
Season 1 Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsGMkAWB6lY
Season 4 Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juIipTTY1Vo
IMDB - https://tinyurl.com/mvwbrhmm
WIKI- https://tinyurl.com/4e6xkdmd
Fandom “She-Ra WIKI” - https://tinyurl.com/5cbzvbxn
More about AI Personalisation - https://tinyurl.com/zw4yujcs
For more information on the After AI Symposia - https://tinyurl.com/32w8xcrb
For more information on Dr Alexa Joubin’s work - https://tinyurl.com/3tfcd3ja.
For more about Sherry Turkle- https://tinyurl.com/5n8kbysp
Tracie mentions a paper on LLMs and therapy; the citation: Iftikhar, Z., Xiao, A., Ransom, S., Huang, J., & Suresh, H. (2025, October). How LLM counselors violate ethical standards in mental health practice: A practitioner-informed framework. In Proceedings of the AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society (Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 1311-1323).

Follow us: https://linktr.ee/computerseance
Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

What can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives?

Each week in Computer Séance presenters Justin, Tracie and Ben dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

More About Your Hosts!
Dr R Justin Hunt is an artist and academic based in London; his work explores archives of queerness

Dr Tracie Farrell a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow examining the intersections between social justice and artificial intelligence.

Dr Ben Sweeting is a university lecturer who teaches and learns about design.

It is produced by Cat McShane. Sound mixing by Dan Bolger and original music by Rosa Brook. Graphic Design by Retno Larasati.

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenters' own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI. 1812animation,artificialintelligence,culturalcriticism,entrapta,geekculture,lgbtq+,popularculture,princessesofpower,queer,queerrepresentation,she-ra,sheraandtheprincessesofpower,technologyfalse13fullThe Prisoner: AI and the Automation of Educationhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-prisoner-ai-and-the-automation-of-education--72687836
Show Notes:
About The Prisoner (1967-1968):Creator & Star: Patrick McGoohan
Production: Everyman Films & ITC Entertainment
Seasons Discussed: Season 1Episodes Discussed: S1 E1, S1 E6
References:

Watch The Prisoner (Amazon, ITV, YouTube)
Transcript of The General: The Prisoner Transcripts Episode 6: The General
IMDB
WIKI
Brian J. Robb - The Prisoner Episode by Episode
Pop Apostle - The Prisoner Episode Studies
Chris Gregory - The Prisoner Episode by Episode

More on the Open University

Exhibition: The OU Story - Open University Digital Archive

Watch The Prisoner (Amazon, ITV, YouTube)
Transcript of The General: The Prisoner Transcripts Episode 6: The General
IMDB
WIKI
Brian J. Robb - The Prisoner Episode by Episode
Pop Apostle - The Prisoner Episode Studies
Chris Gregory - The Prisoner Episode by Episode

More on the Open University

Exhibition: The OU Story - Open University Digital Archive

What can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives?

Each week in Computer Séance presenters Justin, Tracie and Ben dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

More About Your Hosts!
Dr R Justin Hunt is an artist and academic based in London; his work explores archives of queerness

Dr Tracie Farrell a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow examining the intersections between social justice and artificial intelligence.

Dr Ben Sweeting is a university lecturer who teaches and learns about design.

It is produced by Cat McShane. Sound mixing by Dan Bolger and original music by Rosa Brook. Graphic Design by Retno Larasati.

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenters' own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI.

Episodes may contain language that some listeners find offensive]]>19271980smovies,ai,aicompanions,artificialintelligence,artificialintimacy,cherry200,consumerculture,cultcinema,cultfilm,filmanalysis,humanmachinerelationships,loveandtechnology,mediastudies,popularculture,posthumanism,queertheory,sciencefiction,techethicstrue11fullEpisode 0: Welcome to Computer Séancehttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-0-welcome-to-computer-seance--72439939
You’ll hear a bit about our work outside the podcast and how we aim to think with you, a community of listeners who might want to explore AI and popular culture.

Take a seat at the table, and let the discussion begin!

https://linktr.ee/computerseance

What can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives?

Each week in Computer Séance presenters Justin, Tracie and Ben dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

More About Your Hosts!
Dr R Justin Hunt is an artist and academic based in London; his work explores archives of queerness

Dr Tracie Farrell a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow examining the intersections between social justice and artificial intelligence.

Dr Ben Sweeting is a university lecturer who teaches and learns about design.

It is produced by Cat McShane. Sound mixing by Dan Bolger and original music by Rosa Brook. Graphic Design by Retno Larasati.

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenters' own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI.

Episodes may contain language that some listeners find offensive]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72439939Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:30:02 +0000Computer Seance PodcastIn this episode we introduce you to each of us - Tracie, Ben, Justin, and Cat - and discuss why we decided to add another podcast into the audio ether. You’ll hear a bit about our work outside the podcast and how we aim to think with you, a community...
You’ll hear a bit about our work outside the podcast and how we aim to think with you, a community of listeners who might want to explore AI and popular culture.

Take a seat at the table, and let the discussion begin!

https://linktr.ee/computerseance

What can popular culture teach us about the technologies that are reshaping our lives?

Each week in Computer Séance presenters Justin, Tracie and Ben dissect a pop culture artefact that features an intelligent machine and explores how it compares with developments in AI today.

More About Your Hosts!
Dr R Justin Hunt is an artist and academic based in London; his work explores archives of queerness

Dr Tracie Farrell a Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow examining the intersections between social justice and artificial intelligence.

Dr Ben Sweeting is a university lecturer who teaches and learns about design.

It is produced by Cat McShane. Sound mixing by Dan Bolger and original music by Rosa Brook. Graphic Design by Retno Larasati.

Computer Séance is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship grant.

All the opinions expressed in the program are the presenters' own and do not reflect the positions of our employers, or UKRI.

Episodes may contain language that some listeners find offensive]]>338ai,artificialinteligence,digitalculture,ethics,mediastudies,popularculture,posthumanism,queertheory,sciencefiction,techfalse1full