The weaponization of complexity

Thoughtworks Technology Podcast

Thoughtworks

Careers, Business, 907234, Technology

4.7 • 53 Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2023

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We often describe our high-tech and digitally mediated world as "complex" but we rarely spend much time considering how that complexity can be cleverly deployed as a means of duping or manipulating us. However, trends like NFTs have brought this into clearer view. This is not to say it's a novel phenomenon — from dark patterns in UX design to pages and pages of end-user license agreements (EULAs), leveraging complexity for nefarious ends has long been an unsavory aspect of the technology industry.

In this episode of the Technology Podcast, Mike Mason and Neal Ford are joined by Thoughtworks designer Kate Linton and Thoughtworks North America Head of Legal Jeremy Gordon to discuss what they describe as "the weaponization of complexity." Together, they grapple with the cynicism at the center of such activities and discuss some of the ways we can tackle it.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to the ThoughtWorks Technology Podcast.
0:12.4	I'm one of your regular hosts, Mike Mason, and I'm joined today by another co-host, Neil Ford.
0:17.7	Hi, Neil.
0:18.8	Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the podcast.
0:22.4	And today is a bit of an unusual podcast. The topic is going to be the weaponization of complexity.
0:30.3	And we have a couple of guests for you today who are maybe not the usual guests that you
0:34.3	would have on a ThoughtWorks Technology podcast. First of all, we have
0:40.0	Jeremy Gordon, who's a lawyer. Jeremy, why don't you tell us what you do with ThoughtWorks?
0:47.6	Sure. Like you said, I'm Jeremy Gordon. I'm Head of Legal for ThoughtWorks North America. Mainly focus on client-facing
0:56.6	things. I sit on our North America leadership team. What I do is to influence, negotiate,
1:05.8	teach in service of ThoughtWorks mission, to create extraordinary impact on the world through
1:12.1	culture and technology excellence.
1:15.3	Awesome. Thanks, Jeremy. And we're also joined by Kate Linton, who is a designer, Kate.
1:23.2	Hi, Mike. And Neil, thank you for having me. And yes, I'm a designer. I lead a global design practice.
1:33.7	I'm joining this podcast from Sydney. And I guess, you know, I spend a lot of time thinking and talking
1:41.6	about how we put a human lens on technology.
1:46.9	Awesome.
1:48.0	Thanks very much, Kate.
1:49.0	And since, you know, we do have a lawyer on the call on the podcast today, we should
1:54.9	probably make a little disclaimer.
1:57.1	We are going to be talking about some things that involve legal stuff, but we are not
2:03.1	attempting to give legal advice. We are coming to you today speaking as individuals with our
	...

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