Disrupter U.; Humans in the Loop; Lowriders of New Mexico | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

The University of Austin: A New Approach to Higher Education

• Across America, people have strong opinions on "wokeness," especially on college campuses, where politics should be studied, not be the operating system of the university (9s).
• A new university in Texas, the University of Austin, is prioritizing open debate to reset the marketplace of ideas, with the goal of not being a politicized campus (18s).
• The university's founders believe that if universities are "screwed up," it will negatively impact America as a whole (23s).
• The University of Austin started classes in the fall, with a philosophy of open debate, free tuition, and a focus on pursuing the truth (2m33s).
• The university has 92 students in its inaugural class, who are described as outspoken and intellectually diverse, with students from various political persuasions (3m21s).
• The students come from different backgrounds, with roughly half from Texas, a third female, and averaging in the 92nd percentile on the SAT (4m25s).
• Some students were accepted at schools like the University of Chicago and Georgetown but chose the University of Austin for its unique approach (4m35s).
• The university's focus is on the "Fearless Pursuit Of Truth," with students encouraged to assume they are wrong and be prepared to be challenged (3m50s).
• The university's founders aim to create a campus culture that values open debate and the pursuit of truth, rather than being driven by politics (2m49s).

The State of Academia and the Rise of Self-Censorship

• A visit to a college in the northeast US revealed different dorms for various student groups, highlighting the importance of being in a college environment where diverse views are not just accepted but also welcomed and understood, allowing for friendships despite disagreements (4m44s).
• College campuses have long been sites of protest and have leaned left, but the atmosphere has intensified over the past decade, with speakers being shouted down, professors being cancelled, and students feeling unheard (5m24s).
• The chaos on campuses led to Congressional hearings and the resignation of presidents at Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard (5m51s).
• Historian Niall Ferguson, co-founder of uatx, believes that something is "rotten in the state of Academia," citing a shift in the past 10 years that has stifled free expression and led to a culture of self-censorship (6m31s).
• Data shows that less than 3% of Harvard faculty identifies as conservative, while over 75% identifies as liberal, creating a huge disconnect between the academic elite and the average American voter (6m58s).
• Ferguson attributes this imbalance, combined with social media and campus administrators monitoring speech, to a culture where nearly 80% of students self-censor on campus for fear of being ostracized (7m20s).
• Faculty members also feel the pressure, with one university president receiving daily emails calling for someone to be fired for something they said, reminiscent of the Stalin Soviet Union era (7m37s).
• Ferguson believes that if the university system fails, it will have far-reaching consequences for society, as the ideas that start on campus quickly spread to corporations and media organizations (7m53s).

The Launch and Mission of UATX

• In response, Ferguson launched uatx in 2021 with the goal of reforming and revitalizing America's universities, which received initial approval from the state of Texas and raised nearly $200 million from private donors (8m20s).
• uatx aims to "stir up settled ideas" and provide an alternative to traditional universities, with Pano Kanelos as its president (8m59s).
• Colleges have become "Echo Chambers" where people expect two versions of everything, leading to a right and wrong version, rather than encouraging better opinions through the meeting of different opinions (9m5s).

UATX's Unique Learning Environment and Faculty

• The Chatham House rule is a principle that allows participants in a discussion to refer to information gleaned without attributing it to a person, promoting open discussion without fear of being quoted out of context (9m42s).
• UATX, a university, adopts the Chatham House rule to encourage open discussion in its small, seminar-style classes, which focus on Western civilization, including the Bible and Greek classics (9m47s).
• The university's faculty includes a former Navy Captain, a Greek Orthodox priest, and a tech entrepreneur, who aim to provide students with a well-rounded education (10m22s).

UATX's Location, Funding, and Admissions

• UATX is located in Austin, Texas, to take advantage of the city's booming startup culture, allowing students to link with companies like Elon Musk's Neuralink and develop their tech skills (10m36s).
• The university has a nonprofit and startup side to help stem the high cost of higher education, with a bare-bones campus and no dorms or meal plan (10m51s).
• Students live in apartments next to the University of Texas and are encouraged to cook for themselves, promoting independence (11m3s).
• UATX prioritizes merit, excellence, and intelligence in its admission decisions, without considering factors like gender, race, or ethnicity (11m38s).
• The university is working to find talented students from diverse intellectual backgrounds, rather than focusing on traditional diversity metrics (12m11s).

Donors, Critics, and the Role of Politics at UATX

• UATX has high-profile donors, including billionaire Bill Amman and Harlan Crowe, who have been critical of liberal universities and supportive of conservative causes (12m25s).
• Critics have labeled UATX as a "right-wing university" or the "anti-woke university," but the university's founders argue that politics should be studied, not be the operating system of the university (12m38s).
• The University of Austin (UATX) is a new institution that aims to promote free speech and open discussion on campus, with a mission that may not align with the views of some donors, (13m15s).
• Nadine Strossen, a liberal legal scholar and former president of the ACLU, is an adviser to UATX and believes that all speech should be allowed, even if it is considered hate speech, as censorship can lead to worse outcomes, (13m30s).
• UATX has attracted academics who were previously disciplined or "canceled" at their previous institutions, but the university is not intended to be a shelter for those individuals, (14m18s).
• The university has received thousands of job inquiries and applications, and its national accreditation will be decided after the first class graduates, (14m16s).

The Human Cost of AI: Exploitation of Low-Wage Workers

• The common narrative that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace human jobs is unlikely, as there is a growing need for "humans in the loop" to sort, label, and sift through data to train and improve AI systems, (15m12s).
• These "humans in the loop" are often located in countries with low-wage populations, such as Kenya, India, and the Philippines, where they work on tasks such as labeling images and videos to teach AI algorithms to recognize objects, (15m32s).
• Naali Walo, a college-educated math graduate from Nairobi, Kenya, is one such worker who spends eight hours a day labeling images and videos to train AI algorithms, (16m7s).
• The work of "humans in the loop" is essential for the development of AI systems, as they provide the data needed to train and improve these systems, and their work will continue to be needed even as AI becomes more advanced, (17m29s).
• However, some critics argue that the use of low-wage workers in developing countries to perform these tasks is a form of "modern day slavery" due to the cheap labor involved, (17m58s).
• Narima Wako Oiwa, a civil rights activist, claims that big American tech companies are exploiting workers in Kenya by offering them low-paying AI jobs with short-term contracts, which she describes as "modern-day slavery" (18m5s).
• The contracts for these jobs can be as short as monthly, weekly, or even daily, leaving workers with little to no job security (18m36s).
• Wako Oiwa refers to these workspaces as "AI sweat shops" where workers are paid very low wages, often around $2 per hour, which is not enough to make ends meet (18m45s).

Kenya's Silicon Savannah: Tech Investment and Labor Exploitation

• The Kenyan government has been courting tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Intel to invest in the country, promoting it as the "Silicon Savannah" (19m5s).
• President Ruto has been offering financial incentives and lax labor laws to attract these companies, but the workers are not hired directly by them, instead, they are hired through outsourcing firms, mostly American (19m35s).
• These outsourcing firms, such as Sama, pay workers low wages, while charging the tech companies a higher rate, for example, Open AI agreed to pay Sama $12.50 per hour per worker, but the workers only received $2 per hour (20m58s).
• Workers, like Naali Nathan and FICA, who were hired by Sama, report that the jobs are not only low-paying but also draining, with unrealistic deadlines and punitive measures for not meeting them (20m45s).
• Many workers feel that they are being taken advantage of, with one worker stating that $2 per hour is an insult and that they are only working to have something to do and feed their families (21m43s).
• Workers also report that they are often fired if they complain about the working conditions or the low pay, and that they are not paid for the extra time they work if they finish a project ahead of schedule (22m6s).

The Mental Health Toll of AI Content Moderation

• Digital workers, including Navali, were assigned to train AI to recognize and remove content such as pornography, hate speech, and excessive violence, which involved sifting through disturbing content for hours on end (22m57s).
• Workers were tricked into this work by ads that described the jobs as call center agents, and they were not informed about the actual nature of the work (23m34s).
• The workers were exposed to graphic and disturbing content, including dismembered bodies, drone attack victims, and child abuse, which caused them to experience flashbacks and mental health issues (23m55s).
• The workers reported that they were a different person after having this job, and they found it hard to socialize with others or have conversations (24m10s).
• One worker reported that they hated sex after being exposed to countless sexual activities and pornography on the job (24m41s).
• The workers were provided with mental health counseling, but they reported that it was woefully inadequate and that they wanted to see psychiatrists and psychologists who knew exactly what they were going through (24m58s).
• Nearly 200 digital workers are suing Sama and Meta over unreasonable working conditions that caused psychiatric problems, and a psychiatrist has proven that they are thoroughly sick (25m32s).
• Sama has terminated the projects, but the company would not agree to an on-camera interview, while Meta and Open AI stated that they are committed to safe working conditions, including fair wages and access to mental health counseling (26m9s).

Exploitation and Lack of Protection for Digital Workers in Kenya

• Another American AI training company, Scale AI, is facing criticism in Kenya for its website Remotasks, where workers reported that they were not paid for their work and had no recourse to complain (26m33s).
• Workers reported that Remotasks would close their accounts and claim that they had violated a policy, resulting in non-payment for their work (26m55s).
• The company responded that any work done in line with their community guidelines was paid out in March (27m17s).
• Workers in Kenya began publicly complaining about their working conditions, which led to Remo tasks being shut down abruptly, highlighting the lack of labor laws in the country, particularly in the digital labor sector (27m23s).
• Kenya's labor law is approximately 20 years old and does not address digital labor, making it essential to update the laws to recognize and protect digital workers (27m32s).
• The fear of companies shutting down and moving to neighboring countries if workers complain or governments push for better protections is a significant concern in Kenya (27m52s).
• Kenya has become a global hotbed for technology, earning the title of the tech capital of East Africa (28m31s).

Lowriders in New Mexico: A Cultural Renaissance

• The term "low rider" refers to a customized car with a lowered chassis and the person driving it, which has been a potent cultural symbol, especially among Mexican Americans (28m49s).
• In the 1980s and 90s, many cities passed anti-cruising ordinances due to the perception of low riders being connected to drugs and gangs, but this perception is finally changing (29m9s).
• Northern New Mexico, particularly Espanola, is a low rider hotbed where the transformation of the perception of low riders is pronounced (29m25s).

Celebrating Lowrider Culture and Hydraulics in Espanola

• Epie Martinez, a low rider enthusiast, has been cruising with his family on Good Friday in his 1953 Chevy Bel Air, a tradition that has been passed down from his father (29m49s).
• Martinez is leading a caravan of cars from his Vito's car club, which is joined by other local car clubs, to celebrate their culture and showcase their hydraulic systems (30m19s).
• Martinez is known for installing hydraulics in cars and has done over 500 installations, including a modest setup in his own Bel Air (31m13s).
• The hydraulic systems used in low riders are often designed for aircraft and are controlled by switches at the driver's seat (31m33s).
• Martinez has installed hydraulics that allow cars to jump high, earning them the name "Hoppers," which attracts competitors and crowds to the Espanola parking lot on Good Friday (31m54s).

The Art and History of Lowriders in New Mexico

• Low riders in New Mexico are an expression of the owner's personality, with each car being unique and customized to reflect the individual's style and character (32m14s).
• The roots of the low rider culture in New Mexico date back to just after World War II, when Mexican-Americans returned from the war and were still treated as second-class citizens, leading to the creation of a counterculture to assert their belonging (32m58s).
• Low riders are often customized with elaborate interiors, intricate engraving, and kaleidoscopic colors, with some cars featuring up to 100 coats of paint, making them labors of love for their owners (34m8s).
• Rob Vanderslice, a legendary painter from Albuquerque, is known for using tape and spray paint to create unique designs and has been painting low riders since the late 1980s (34m16s).
• Vanderslice's clients in the past included gang members, but he has since turned his life around after struggling with addiction and is now clean for 13 years (35m27s).
• The low rider culture in New Mexico has evolved over time, from being associated with gangs and drugs to becoming more mainstream, with events like Low Rider Day in Santa Fe in 2016, which drew hundreds of cars and marked a shift in the city's perception of the culture (36m30s).
• Patricia Trujillo, a college professor and Deputy Cabinet Secretary of New Mexico's Department of Higher Education, notes that low riders are a way for individuals to express their identity and assert their place in American culture while also embracing their unique heritage (33m17s).
• The low rider culture is not just about the cars, but also about the community and the sense of belonging that comes with it, with many owners and enthusiasts coming together to share their passion and creativity (33m36s).

Lowriders: From Counterculture to Community and Hope

• Lowriders have become an important part of New Mexico's heritage and artistry, marking a new moment in the state's culture (36m40s).
• Joanne and Arthur Medina, also known as "Loo," have been part of the lowrider community for over 40 years and have helped to redefine its image in the Espanola Valley (36m52s).
• Loo's lowrider, which is now in a makeshift museum, features murals depicting the life of Jesus and is a statement piece that draws people to their artwork and community (37m40s).
• The lowrider community is now using their attention to help kids and serve their community, with a focus on family, community, and faith (38m14s).
• In the past, lowriders were associated with gangs, drugs, and crime, but the community has changed and now focuses on volunteering and helping those in need (38m17s).
• The community has redefined rebellion to mean healing and being a beacon of hope, particularly in Espanola, which struggles with poverty, crime, and drug addiction (39m11s).
• Ben Sandoval, director of the YMCA teen center in Espanola, has worked with the lowrider community to provide a safe space for at-risk kids and has received a grant from the DEA to build lowrider bicycles (39m30s).
• The lowrider bicycles project has given kids the opportunity to feel valued and creative, and the finished bikes have been displayed in a special exhibition at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art in Santa Fe (40m21s).
• The lowrider community has also expanded to include car shows featuring lowrider bicycles and radio-controlled cars, which have become a moving art exhibit (40m58s).

Lowrider Art and Community Impact

• Joanne Medina's art work is a glittering Grand Prix that she and her loved one showed off during an afternoon cruise in the Hills above Espanola, with the car being a moving art exhibit (41m21s).
• The car has a unique style when cruising, and its eye-catching appearance is what Joanne Medina intended (41m41s).

Program Sponsors and Upcoming Segments

• The last minute of the program is sponsored by United Healthcare, which provides reliable coverage for one's whole life (41m54s).
• Next Sunday on 60 Minutes, there will be a unique first look at the rebirth of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris after a devastating fire nearly destroyed it in 2019 (42m5s).
• French President Emanuel Macron promised to have the Cathedral of Notre-Dame open again within 5 years after the fire, a promise that many people thought was unrealistic (42m20s).
• Workers are scrambling to complete the job of rebuilding the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, and it is impressive and moving to see the progress being made (42m37s).
• The program will bring viewers inside the Cathedral of Notre-Dame when 60 Minutes returns next week (42m50s).
• The program ends with a mention of a segment on CBS mornings about relying on AI to plan holiday trips (43m1s).