As artificial intelligence accelerates, questions about its origins—and underlying assumptions—are becoming harder to ignore. This week, Elisa sits down with filmmaker Valerie Veatch to explore her latest documentary, Ghost in the Machine, which traces the intellectual roots of AI back to the eugenics movement. Together, they examine how these early ideologies may still echo in today’s AI systems, what it means for a workforce increasingly shaped by automation, and how unchecked technological progress can lead to unintended consequences.

Valerie Veatch is a writer, director, and producer of documentary films, including Me @ the Zoo, Love Child, and her latest release, Ghost in the Machine. ...