Making Change Visible and Actionable in Smart Communities, with Ash Hoover

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a brilliant discussion with Ash Hoover. Ash is a scientist turned technologist and AI R&D Lead at Planet Labs, an earth imaging company. They work at the intersection of artificial intelligence and earth observation, analysing millions of satellite images to understand how our planet is changing over time.

In this episode Ash tells us about using data visualisation and storytelling to make planetary change visible and actionable. We discuss the power of video maps and animated visualisations, including how time has become a critical dimension in their work.

We talk about cognitive bias in data interpretation, the importance of including diverse voices and perspectives in data storytelling, and the human stories behind the data, from wildfire trauma to the limitations of viewing Earth from space.

We finish our discussion with the evolving relationship between AI and data visualisation, the importance of human-in-the-loop decision making, and how collective humanity has tremendous power when we tell stories that are accessible and actionable. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

The views and opinions expressed by Ash in this episode are their own and do not represent those of their employer or any organisation they are affiliated with. All discussions are shared in a personal capacity.

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Podcast Production by Perk Digital

This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.