Taylor Owen
@taylorowen.bsky.social
Beaverbrook Chair of Media, Ethics & Communication, Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, & Principal Investigator of the Media Ecosystem Observatory, McGill University. Host of the Machines Like Us podcast https://tinyurl.com/9yn836x
In the lead-up to recording this episode of Machines Like Us, my producer Mitch shared a song with me from a band that doesn’t exist.
October 30, 2025 at 11:54 PM
In the lead-up to recording this episode of Machines Like Us, my producer Mitch shared a song with me from a band that doesn’t exist.
And we're off. Two days with a remarkable group: www.attentionconferences.com/conferences/...
October 23, 2025 at 3:34 PM
And we're off. Two days with a remarkable group: www.attentionconferences.com/conferences/...
This week in Montreal we are hosting some of the top digital governance experts and practitioners in the world to discuss how to ensure that AI and digital technologies serve the interests of democratic societies. Agenda below.
October 18, 2025 at 8:15 PM
This week in Montreal we are hosting some of the top digital governance experts and practitioners in the world to discuss how to ensure that AI and digital technologies serve the interests of democratic societies. Agenda below.
Reposted by Taylor Owen
This debate isn't just about classrooms, it's about the future of how we think.
Watch season 2 episode 1 here: tinyurl.com/muvw84hu
Watch season 2 episode 1 here: tinyurl.com/muvw84hu
AI is Upending Higher Education. Is That a Bad Thing? (Niall Ferguson & Connor Grennan)
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
tinyurl.com
September 23, 2025 at 9:00 PM
This debate isn't just about classrooms, it's about the future of how we think.
Watch season 2 episode 1 here: tinyurl.com/muvw84hu
Watch season 2 episode 1 here: tinyurl.com/muvw84hu
Reposted by Taylor Owen
Season 2 of Machines Like Us is out now!
AI has thrown universities into turmoil. This week's episode: should educators embrace AI or ban it outright?
#MachinesLikeUs #Podcast #AI #HigherEd
AI has thrown universities into turmoil. This week's episode: should educators embrace AI or ban it outright?
#MachinesLikeUs #Podcast #AI #HigherEd
September 23, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Season 2 of Machines Like Us is out now!
AI has thrown universities into turmoil. This week's episode: should educators embrace AI or ban it outright?
#MachinesLikeUs #Podcast #AI #HigherEd
AI has thrown universities into turmoil. This week's episode: should educators embrace AI or ban it outright?
#MachinesLikeUs #Podcast #AI #HigherEd
Reposted by Taylor Owen
With a new ministerial mandate and growing political momentum, Canada has an opportunity to chart a new course. This final panel looked to the next phase of digital policy – featuring @raisapatel.bsky.social, @taylorowen.bsky.social and Elissa Strome (CIFAR).
June 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
With a new ministerial mandate and growing political momentum, Canada has an opportunity to chart a new course. This final panel looked to the next phase of digital policy – featuring @raisapatel.bsky.social, @taylorowen.bsky.social and Elissa Strome (CIFAR).
Reposted by Taylor Owen
Learned a lot at this event from
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social. Watch our panel with @taylorowen.bsky.social and CIFAR's Elissa Strome on the future of digital policy and governance here: www.cpac.ca/public-recor...
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social. Watch our panel with @taylorowen.bsky.social and CIFAR's Elissa Strome on the future of digital policy and governance here: www.cpac.ca/public-recor...
June 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Learned a lot at this event from
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social. Watch our panel with @taylorowen.bsky.social and CIFAR's Elissa Strome on the future of digital policy and governance here: www.cpac.ca/public-recor...
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social. Watch our panel with @taylorowen.bsky.social and CIFAR's Elissa Strome on the future of digital policy and governance here: www.cpac.ca/public-recor...
Reposted by Taylor Owen
I'm just glad one of these men has the nuclear codes and the other has all our personal data.
June 5, 2025 at 8:24 PM
I'm just glad one of these men has the nuclear codes and the other has all our personal data.
Reposted by Taylor Owen
In a high-stake federal election, accurate campaign information is essential, and the line between what's real and what isn't is blurry. @spaikin.bsky.social asks @taylorowen.bsky.social (@meo-cdmrn.bsky.social @mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social) how vulnerable Canadian voters are to disinformation?
Are Canadian Voters Vulnerable to Online Disinformation? | The Agenda
YouTube video by TVO Today
www.youtube.com
April 24, 2025 at 2:12 PM
In a high-stake federal election, accurate campaign information is essential, and the line between what's real and what isn't is blurry. @spaikin.bsky.social asks @taylorowen.bsky.social (@meo-cdmrn.bsky.social @mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social) how vulnerable Canadian voters are to disinformation?
Reposted by Taylor Owen
“How do you separate the signal from the noise,” asks @taylorowen.bsky.social , “when the noise is just a baseline of really bad content?” Our team is tracking when online chaos crosses the line into strategic, manipulative, or malicious: sites.libsyn.com/434604/elect...
The Paul Wells Show: Election week 4: it's a jungle online
How concerned should we be about election interference online? Taylor Owen and his colleagues at the keep a close eye on who's trying to sway our elections, and whether or not they're succeeding. He…
sites.libsyn.com
April 24, 2025 at 12:03 PM
“How do you separate the signal from the noise,” asks @taylorowen.bsky.social , “when the noise is just a baseline of really bad content?” Our team is tracking when online chaos crosses the line into strategic, manipulative, or malicious: sites.libsyn.com/434604/elect...
A wide ranging conversation with @spaikin.bsky.social @tvotoday.bsky.social about our work @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social this election: youtu.be/Ipe6udE0eEE?...
youtu.be
April 24, 2025 at 10:55 AM
A wide ranging conversation with @spaikin.bsky.social @tvotoday.bsky.social about our work @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social this election: youtu.be/Ipe6udE0eEE?...
Reposted by Taylor Owen
“News” ≠ journalism anymore. @taylorowen.bsky.social says Canadians are losing their ability to distinguish between reliable reporting and random info online, and it’s reshaping our democracy. The Meta news ban? “Radical.” 11M journalism views a day, gone: share.transistor.fm/s/f862a48d
Taylor Owen from McGill’s Centre for Media, Tech & Democracy | Get Fact by Kevin Newman | Episode 1
A deep dive into how disinformation is evolving—and what it means for Canada’s democracy and elections.
share.transistor.fm
April 23, 2025 at 5:36 PM
“News” ≠ journalism anymore. @taylorowen.bsky.social says Canadians are losing their ability to distinguish between reliable reporting and random info online, and it’s reshaping our democracy. The Meta news ban? “Radical.” 11M journalism views a day, gone: share.transistor.fm/s/f862a48d
Reposted by Taylor Owen
"We're in a pretty big reset moment with two potential governments that have very different views of what the state's role in governing our digital technologies is," says director
@taylorowen.bsky.social on the Paul Wells Show with @inklesspw.bsky.social. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/e...
@taylorowen.bsky.social on the Paul Wells Show with @inklesspw.bsky.social. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/e...
Election week 4: it's a jungle online
Podcast Episode · The Paul Wells Show · 2025-04-16 · 51m
podcasts.apple.com
April 16, 2025 at 6:41 PM
"We're in a pretty big reset moment with two potential governments that have very different views of what the state's role in governing our digital technologies is," says director
@taylorowen.bsky.social on the Paul Wells Show with @inklesspw.bsky.social. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/e...
@taylorowen.bsky.social on the Paul Wells Show with @inklesspw.bsky.social. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/e...
Reposted by Taylor Owen
Great to hear @taylorowen.bsky.social on Paul Wells
@inklesspw.bsky.social podcast talking about mis-and disinformation and foreign influence in the Canadian elections. Tune in paulwells.substack.com/p/election-w...
@inklesspw.bsky.social podcast talking about mis-and disinformation and foreign influence in the Canadian elections. Tune in paulwells.substack.com/p/election-w...
Election week 4: It's a jungle online
Making sense of the online invective-scape. Plus: Continued effort to make sense of Quebec!
paulwells.substack.com
April 16, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Great to hear @taylorowen.bsky.social on Paul Wells
@inklesspw.bsky.social podcast talking about mis-and disinformation and foreign influence in the Canadian elections. Tune in paulwells.substack.com/p/election-w...
@inklesspw.bsky.social podcast talking about mis-and disinformation and foreign influence in the Canadian elections. Tune in paulwells.substack.com/p/election-w...
I spoke with Kevin Newman about our work
@meo-cdmrn.bsky.social for his new podcast @getfact.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/g...
@meo-cdmrn.bsky.social for his new podcast @getfact.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/g...
Taylor Owen from McGill’s Centre for Media, Tech & Democracy
Podcast Episode · Get Fact by Kevin Newman · 2025-04-13 · 31m
podcasts.apple.com
April 14, 2025 at 12:39 PM
I spoke with Kevin Newman about our work
@meo-cdmrn.bsky.social for his new podcast @getfact.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/g...
@meo-cdmrn.bsky.social for his new podcast @getfact.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/g...
It is very encouraging that @markcarneyforpm.bsky.social
is framing the issue of online harms within the broad context of the health and sovereignty of our information ecosystem. www.youtube.com/live/hhozjmi...
is framing the issue of online harms within the broad context of the health and sovereignty of our information ecosystem. www.youtube.com/live/hhozjmi...
YouTube
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world
www.youtube.com
April 12, 2025 at 3:35 PM
It is very encouraging that @markcarneyforpm.bsky.social
is framing the issue of online harms within the broad context of the health and sovereignty of our information ecosystem. www.youtube.com/live/hhozjmi...
is framing the issue of online harms within the broad context of the health and sovereignty of our information ecosystem. www.youtube.com/live/hhozjmi...
Reposted by Taylor Owen
This week on the Machines Like Us podcast, the changing face of election interference, with leading information manipulation experts @abridgman.bsky.social, @ninajankowicz.com, hosted by @taylorowen.bsky.social.
Listen: lnk.to/machineslikeusTX
Listen: lnk.to/machineslikeusTX
April 8, 2025 at 2:36 PM
This week on the Machines Like Us podcast, the changing face of election interference, with leading information manipulation experts @abridgman.bsky.social, @ninajankowicz.com, hosted by @taylorowen.bsky.social.
Listen: lnk.to/machineslikeusTX
Listen: lnk.to/machineslikeusTX
Some thoughts with Helen Hayes on how the next government might prioritize protecting the integrity of our information ecosystem. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: How the next government can protect Canada’s information ecosystem
A unified digital governance agenda would help the next prime minister quickly buttress our democracy, which is now under attack from the United States
www.theglobeandmail.com
April 8, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Some thoughts with Helen Hayes on how the next government might prioritize protecting the integrity of our information ecosystem. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
With @petermacleod.bsky.social on some first steps for the next government to restart our digital governance agenda. Lots more details on this strategy to come.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
In a changed world, Canada faces an information war. There is an answer
To fight misinformation, we need to re-establish a critical cabinet portfolio for the digital age.
www.thestar.com
March 26, 2025 at 4:42 PM
With @petermacleod.bsky.social on some first steps for the next government to restart our digital governance agenda. Lots more details on this strategy to come.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
To kick off the election I was on FrontBurner with
@jaymepoisson.bsky.social to talk about the current state of our media ecosystem and what has changed since we started studying it in 2018 at the Media Ecosystem Observatory. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/f...
@jaymepoisson.bsky.social to talk about the current state of our media ecosystem and what has changed since we started studying it in 2018 at the Media Ecosystem Observatory. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/f...
An election in a polluted media environment
Podcast Episode · Front Burner · 2025-03-24 · 29m
podcasts.apple.com
March 24, 2025 at 3:15 PM
To kick off the election I was on FrontBurner with
@jaymepoisson.bsky.social to talk about the current state of our media ecosystem and what has changed since we started studying it in 2018 at the Media Ecosystem Observatory. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/f...
@jaymepoisson.bsky.social to talk about the current state of our media ecosystem and what has changed since we started studying it in 2018 at the Media Ecosystem Observatory. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/f...
Reposted by Taylor Owen
Last week, director @taylorowen.bsky.social sat down with journalist @karenhao.bsky.social to talk about why the Chinese AI startup #DeepSeek sent shockwaves through the industry—and why she thinks the media is taking all the wrong lessons away.
➡️ Listen to Machines Like Us here: tgam.ca/karenhao
➡️ Listen to Machines Like Us here: tgam.ca/karenhao
March 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Last week, director @taylorowen.bsky.social sat down with journalist @karenhao.bsky.social to talk about why the Chinese AI startup #DeepSeek sent shockwaves through the industry—and why she thinks the media is taking all the wrong lessons away.
➡️ Listen to Machines Like Us here: tgam.ca/karenhao
➡️ Listen to Machines Like Us here: tgam.ca/karenhao
A critically important truth from the remarkable @ethanz.bsky.social in the best talk I have ever seen about unpermissioned adversarial research at our Media Ecosystem Observatory conference #freedominterrupted
March 14, 2025 at 2:37 PM
A critically important truth from the remarkable @ethanz.bsky.social in the best talk I have ever seen about unpermissioned adversarial research at our Media Ecosystem Observatory conference #freedominterrupted
Reposted by Taylor Owen
@taylorowen.bsky.social on disinformation, a significant threat to Canada’s democracy as he explains Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s inquiry into foreign interference. 🇨🇦📱
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social
How Disinformation is Threatening Canada's Democracy
YouTube video by Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy
www.youtube.com
March 6, 2025 at 9:49 PM
@taylorowen.bsky.social on disinformation, a significant threat to Canada’s democracy as he explains Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s inquiry into foreign interference. 🇨🇦📱
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social
@mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social
Reposted by Taylor Owen
Our nation's sovereignty is only as secure as our ability to govern our digital space. But as @taylorowen.bsky.social explains, there are a number of vulnerabilities in our information ecosystem, including the outsized influence the U.S. has over it, which must be addressed: bit.ly/FI-disinfo
How Disinformation is Threatening Canada's Democracy
Disinformation is the greatest threat to our democracy, according to the findings of Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, the commissioner of Canada's public inquiry into foreign interference. But what even prompted the Foreign Interference Commission? What are the key takeaways from Justice Hogue's final report on Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions? And how does America — specifically President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and social media platforms — affect Canada's information ecosystem and, ultimately, our country's sovereignty? Taylor Owen, the director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, explains. 00:11 Chinese foreign interference 00:35 The start of the Foreign Interference Commission 00:52 Indian foreign interference 1:37 Russian foreign interference (Tenet Media) 1:52 Justice Hogue’s final report on foreign interference 2:47 U.S. hostility to efforts of combatting disinformation 3:07 Media Ecosystem Observatory’s work monitoring the information ecosystem 6:49 America’s influence over Canada’s information ecosystem 7:47 Misinformation via podcast influencers 8:22 How the design of our social media platforms incentivizes disinformation 9:02 How disinformation affects our sovereignty
bit.ly
February 28, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Our nation's sovereignty is only as secure as our ability to govern our digital space. But as @taylorowen.bsky.social explains, there are a number of vulnerabilities in our information ecosystem, including the outsized influence the U.S. has over it, which must be addressed: bit.ly/FI-disinfo
Last year I had the chance to testify at the Foreign Interference Commission. Here is a new video outlining our work and Justice Hogue's core finding that the root cause of the foreign interference threat is the overall vulnerability of our information ecosystem. www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2HL...
How Disinformation is Threatening Canada's Democracy
YouTube video by Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy
www.youtube.com
February 28, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Last year I had the chance to testify at the Foreign Interference Commission. Here is a new video outlining our work and Justice Hogue's core finding that the root cause of the foreign interference threat is the overall vulnerability of our information ecosystem. www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2HL...