AI or Not AI? Conversations with My Agents
“Fear is not a strategy.”
That line became the centre of a short, hopefully light-hearted, video I made for a conference session on artificial intelligence and public health. Rather than give a conventional talk, I staged a conversation between two simulated AI agents: Dystostrich, who sees the risks of AI arriving faster than governance, and Owltopia, who sees the practical value of careful, responsible adoption.
Dystostrich worries about energy use, misinformation, cyber-risk, degraded evidence, and platform power. Owltopia argues that AI can help public health with surveillance, synthesis, early warning, triage, and better use of scarce human time.
I argue that public health has to engage with both sides seriously. I emphasise three practical points on engagement that are crucial for public health: governance, R & D / evaluation, personal productivity. Comment in the video discussion to give your take.
Watch the video: AI or Not AI? Conversations with My Agents
The video first screened at Plenum II: “Künstliche Intelligenz für die Öffentliche Gesundheit” during the 75th Scientific Congress of the Öffentlicher Gesundheitsdienst, held in Wuppertal, Germany, 20-23 April 2026.