From Social Media to AI: Lessons We Can't Afford to Ignore with Daniel Barcay

This episode of the Harvest Series podcast, hosted by Rose Claverie, features Daniel Barcay, Executive Director at the Center for Humane Technology. Recorded at Harvest in Kaplankaya, Turkey, the conversation explores how AI is reshaping society and what it means for our future. Daniel reflects on lessons from the rise of social media, the dangers of addictive design, and why AI carries even greater stakes. He explains how AI impacts relationships, privacy, and decision-making, and why it could both empower humanity or destabilize it. From emotional manipulation by AI companions to the risk of losing control when autonomous agents act in our world, this dialogue uncovers both urgent threats and inspiring opportunities. Ultimately, the discussion calls for awareness, policy, and responsible design — and for each of us to ask: are we using AI to become the people we want to be? Chapters 00:00 – Introduction & Harvest welcome  00:29 – AI: Best friend or threat?  01:20 – Raising awareness of tech’s impact  02:08 – Promise and instability of new tech  03:04 – Lessons from social media’s design flaws  05:02 – The attention economy explained  06:24 – The Social Dilemma and global awareness  07:16 – Social media as humanity’s first AI contact  08:25 – Distorted mirrors of society  09:33 – China’s intentional tech policies  10:26 – From channels to AI companions  12:02 – Ambiguity in relationships with AI  13:30 – Risks: sycophancy & flattery  15:26 – AI competing for affection  17:13 – Super-stimulus: AI partners vs. real relationships  18:42 – Polarization & intellectual humility  20:15 – Privacy, memory, and hidden data  22:27 – AI as con man: trust and betrayal  22:44 – Case study: character AI & youth suicide  25:08 – Liability & legal responsibility  27:40 – Product liability & AI frameworks  28:34 – Control: can we prevent AI chaos?  29:19 – Lessons from financial flash crashes  30:28 – Rise of autonomous AI agents  31:53 – Society-wide responsibility for AI  33:19 – What individuals can do  35:12 – Policy and design solutions  36:19 – Engineers and responsibility codes  37:09 – Daniel’s personal journey  40:06 – Courage: leaving Google  42:04 – Can AI start a war?  44:06 – Final advice: use AI, but consciously You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates. Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series. Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordArtwork by: Davide d'Antonio Harvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital Partners Harvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel