Well-known, journalist, broadcaster and tech commentator Jonathan McCrae is the guest on Episode 56 of The Irish Marketing Podcast.
In this episode he discusses the launch of his new social media platform Thinky and some of the wider problems he sees with social media and artificial intelligence.
Hosted by Daryl and produced at Tinpot Production Studios, the episode looks at McCrae’s decision to build Thinky as a deliberately stripped-back alternative to mainstream social networks.
Built independently for just €75, Thinky is designed without recommendation algorithms, AI-generated content, video feeds or behavioural tracking. Instead, it offers users a simple chronological feed, real-name registration and a news ticker, with the aim of creating a more civil and community-focused online environment.
McCrae argues that many established social platforms have moved away from their original purpose of connecting people and communities, becoming increasingly dominated by engagement-driven content, spam, aggressive self-promotion and algorithmic incentives.
Thinky, he says, is an attempt to demonstrate that a social platform does not need billions of users, sophisticated targeting systems or constant video content to be useful.
Privacy is also central to the model, with the platform avoiding data monetisation and targeted tracking. McCrae says the focus is instead on building a respectful space for people who want to discuss news and current affairs without the noise associated with many larger social networks.
The conversation also broadens into artificial intelligence and the risks associated with increasingly autonomous systems.
McCrae raises concerns about what he describes as “subtasking”, where AI systems could potentially delegate tasks, replicate processes across the internet and create persistent networks that become difficult to control. He argues that such developments could have implications for areas including financial markets and critical digital infrastructure.
The Irish Marketing Podcast is brought to you by the team behind IMJ/Adworld.ie and Tinpot Productions and his hosted by Daryl Moorhouse.
Jonathan McCrea is a multi-award-winning TV and radio broadcaster and founder of Whipsmart Media, a communications consultancy based in Dublin. He is the founder of science communications conference SCI:COM and a highly regarded keynote speaker on future technologies and communication strategies.
He is the founder of Get Started with AI – an AI training and AI consultancy service for business owners and employees. Get Started with AI offers in-person bootcamps, sector-specific webinars, consultancy and AI implementation.
