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?Chapters00:00 – 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 consciouslyYou 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'AntonioHarvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital PartnersHarvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel