The Data Diva E218 - Thomas Morrow and Debbie Reynolds

"The Data Diva" Talks Privacy Podcast

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Debbie Reynolds “The Data Diva” talks Thomas Morrow, Ex NASA, Attorney, Technology Expert. Debbie and Thomas discuss the critical intersection of data privacy, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies. Thomas shares his fascinating journey from working on aerospace innovations at Boeing to contributing to NASA’s International Space Station program, where he navigated secure communications and data privacy challenges. This experience laid the groundwork for his deep understanding of how technological advancements and privacy protections must coexist.
Thomas explains how NASA’s approach to astronaut data—disclosing what data is collected, how it is used, and potential risks—provides a model for how data privacy could work in a consumer context. He and Debbie explore how transparency, ethics, and consent can build trust in a data-driven world. The conversation touches on the double-edged nature of technology, particularly AI, which has the power to drive significant innovation, such as better weather prediction and disaster preparedness, but also poses risks like deepfakes, misuse of personal data, and privacy erosion.
The discussion highlights pressing issues such as the need for global standards in data protection, AI ethics, and authentication processes to verify the authenticity of communications. Thomas emphasizes balancing innovation with accountability, stressing that regulation is essential to ensure technology serves society positively rather than being exploited for unethical gains. He and Debbie also share their thoughts on building digital trust through novel personal authentication systems, drawing parallels to encryption and hashing methods to secure identity and communications in an increasingly digital world.
Thomas advocates for a collaborative, international approach to regulation and ethical AI development. He underscores the need to think long-term, projecting into the future to address challenges before they become unmanageable. Forward-looking conferences like Ecosystem 2030 champion this mindset, and Thomas shares his hope for Data Privacy in the future.
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