Bill Goodway, fellow geophysicist and activist, joins me to express his deep skepticism about artificial intelligence and its societal applications. Bill argues that AI’s primary use is political manipulation, stating that companies building large data centers are pressuring people to use AI not for societal improvement but to control how people think. I corroborate this with evidence from the Canadian National Observer about foreign actors creating websites specifically designed to populate ChatGPT searches with misleading information about Alberta’s referendum process towards Christian Nationalist ideals of family, faith and freedom. Both speakers emphasize how AI’s probabilistic nature—taking the most available information as accurate—makes it vulnerable to manipulation, particularly targeting unsuspecting users who trust AI outputs because they are marketed as correct answers.
The conversation then shifts to our professional backgrounds in geophysics and working together in the oil and gas industry. I introduces Bill Goodway, highlighting his 2001 invention of lambda-mu-rho (LMR) analysis, a deterministic method for separating rock properties from fluid properties in seismic data. This work enabled geoscientists to better evaluate petroleum reservoirs by distinguishing incompressibility, shear rigidity, and bulk density. Bill discusses his teaching experience at Mount Royal University, where he notably mentored Rochelle Longbow, who went on to found a successful geothermal company. We also reminisce about their time working together at Apache Corporation on unconventional shale projects, including Jenny’s involvement in drilling the first horizontal well in British Columbia’s Horn River formation, a project Bill picked up and led the geophysical analysis afterward.
The Battle for Alberta
On AI and the false promise of intelligence (20:00)
A significant portion of our discussion contrasts machine learning/neural networks with deterministic approaches in geoscience. Bill explains that neural networks and modern AI are fundamentally pattern-matching systems trained toward predetermined goals rather than independent thinking tools. He illustrates this limitation through a costly professional mistake where neural network predictions for carbonate porosity led to drilling into sand and shale formations because the training didn’t account for alternative explanations. Additional examples include IBM’s Deep Blue chess computer losing to Garry Kasparov because its goal was simply capturing pieces rather than strategic positioning, and AI systems falsely claiming to solve unsolvable mathematics problems by confirming their programmed assumptions. Bill even cites Google’s own AI admitting it functions merely as “massive statistical prediction engines” without true understanding.
The final section addresses environmental and political concerns specific to Alberta. Both Bill and I critique the provincial government’s promotion of AI data centers, noting the massive resource requirements—doubling Alberta’s power and water consumption while restricting renewable energy development. We connect this to broader patterns of political manipulation through social media targeting rural populations, and discuss the controversial referendum process where convoluted questions on immigration and separation were designed to confuse voters. Looking forward, I advocate for geoscientists to apply their skills to environmental restoration—mapping contamination, monitoring abandoned wells, and addressing emissions—what she terms the “water restoration economy”. Bill describes his current work on offshore wind farms, geothermal energy, and potash mining as alternatives to declining oil and gas opportunities.
Sources
National Observer article link: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/09/04/investigations/network-fake-websites-alberta-separatism-ai-chatbots
Battle for Alberta in Calgary-Bow link: https://thebattleforalberta.ca/referendum-location-matrix.php?division=03
