A podcast that explores the good, the bad, and the creepy of artificial intelligence. Weekly longform conversations with key players in the space, ranging from CEOs to artists to philosophers. Exploring the role of AI in film, health care, business, law, therapy, politics, and everything from religion to war. Featured by Inc. Magazine as one of ”4 Ways to Get AI Savvy in 2024,” as ”Host Jeff Wilser [gives] you a more holistic understanding of AI–such as the moral implications of using it–and his conversations might even spark novel ideas for how you can best use AI in your business.”
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Introducing "AUI": Artificial Useful Intelligence, w/ IBM's Chief Scientist Dr. Ruchir Puri
What if we’re all chasing the wrong kind of AI? Dr. Ruchir Puri, Chief Scientist of IBM, argues that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is overrated—and that we should be focusing instead on AUI: Artificial Useful Intelligence. This is a pragmatic, business-focused approach to AI that emphasizes real-world value, measurable outcomes, and implementable solutions.
In this episode of AI-Curious, we explore what AUI actually looks like in practice. We discuss how to bring AI into your organization (even if you’re just getting started), why IBM is betting big on small language models (SLMs), and how companies can move beyond hype toward real, trustworthy AI agents that do actual work.
You’ll also hear:
- Why AI usefulness is a function of both quality and cost [00:11:00]
- The “crawl, walk, run” strategy IBM recommends for business adoption [00:14:00]
- Internal IBM examples: HR systems and coding assistants [00:16:00]
- Why SLMs may be a smarter bet than LLMs for many enterprises [00:37:00]
- A breakdown of how agentic systems are evolving to reflect, act, and self-correct [00:41:00]
Whether you’re leading a startup or an enterprise, this conversation will help you reframe how you think about deploying AI—starting not with hype, but with value.
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious:
• Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-curious-with-jeff-wilser/id1703130308
• Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/70a9Xbhu5XQ47YOgVTE44Q?si=c31e2c02d8b64f1b
• YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@jeffwilser
A Conversation with the AI Pioneer Who Coined ‘AGI’ — Dr. Ben Goertzel
What exactly is AGI—Artificial General Intelligence—and how close are we to achieving it? Will it transform the world for better or worse? And how can we even tell when true AGI has arrived?
In this episode of AI Curious, we sit down with Dr. Ben Goertzel, the iconic computer scientist who coined the term AGI more than 20 years ago. As the founder of SingularityNET and the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, Ben has spent decades thinking about the architecture, risks, and potential of general intelligence.
We explore why today’s large language models (LLMs), while powerful, still fall short of true AGI—and what will be needed to bridge that gap. We dive into Ben’s prediction that AGI could arrive within just 1 to 3 years, and why he believes it will likely be decentralized. Along the way, we unpack some of the key ideas from his recent “10 Reckonings of AGI”—a candid look at the social, economic, and existential questions we must face as AGI reshapes human life.
Topics include:
- [00:04:00] What AGI really means vs. current LLMs
- [00:10:00] Are we reaching the limits of current AI architectures?
- [00:13:00] How will we know when AGI has truly arrived?
- [00:17:00] The “PhD test” for human-level AGI
- [00:19:00] AGI timeline predictions (1–3 years? 2029?)
- [00:29:00] The 10 Reckonings of AGI: key societal impacts
- [00:36:00] The gap between AGI and superintelligence
- [00:44:00] Why a decentralized AGI might be safer
- [00:51:00] Surprising upsides of a post-AGI world
If you’re curious about the future of artificial intelligence, this conversation offers a rare and unfiltered perspective from one of the field’s most original thinkers.
SingularityNet
Ben Goertzel on X
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• YouTube
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Should AI Agents Be Trusted? The Problem and Solution, w/ Billions.Network CEO Evin McMullen
What happens when an AI agent says something harmful, or makes a costly mistake? Who’s responsible—and how can we even know who the agent belongs to in the first place?
In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Evin McMullen, CEO and co-founder of Billions.Network, a startup building cryptographic trust infrastructure to verify the identity and accountability of AI agents and digital content.
We explore the unsettling rise of synthetic media and deepfakes, why identity verification is foundational to AI safety, and how platforms—not users—should be responsible for determining what’s real. Evin explains how Billions uses zero knowledge proofs to establish trust without compromising privacy, and offers a vision for a future where billions of AI agents operate transparently, under clear reputational and legal frameworks.
Along the way, we cover:
- The problem with unverified AI agents (2:00)
- Why 50% of online traffic is now bots—and why that matters (2:45)
- The Air Canada chatbot legal fiasco (15:00)
- The difference between chatbots and agentic AI (13:00)
- What “identity” means in an AI-first internet (10:00)
- Deepfakes, misinformation, and the limits of user responsibility (22:00)
- Billions’ “deep trust” framework, explained (29:00)
- How platforms can earn trust by verifying content authenticity (34:00)
- Breaking news: Billions’ work with the European Commission (38:20)
This one dives deep into the infrastructure of digital trust—and why the future of AI may depend on getting this right.
Learn more: https://billions.network
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious:
• Apple Podcasts
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• Spotify
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• YouTube
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Agentic AI Case Study: AI "Sales Agents" in Action, w/ Alta CEO Stav Levi-Neumark
What exactly are AI agents doing out in the wild — and are they actually helping sales teams, or just adding noise?
We explore the fast-evolving world of AI sales agents with a real-world case study from Alta, a startup deploying purpose-built AI agents named Katie, Alex, and Luna. In this episode of AI-Curious, we speak with Stav Levi-Neumark, Alta’s CEO and co-founder, about how agentic AI is already transforming sales workflows—from prospecting to pipeline generation to inbound response.
We look under the hood to examine how these agents operate, what distinguishes them from chatbots, and how they interact with human reps. We also explore the ethics, limitations, and future of AI-human collaboration in business development—and what it means to build trust in AI systems.
Whether you work in sales, lead a startup, or are just curious about how AI tools are functioning in the real world, this conversation offers a sharp, concrete look at the tech reshaping how companies grow.
Topics and Timestamps:
00:00 — What are AI agents doing, really?
01:00 — Behind the scenes at HumanX and the rise of Alta
03:00 — Meet Katie, Alex, and Luna: AI sales agents with defined roles
08:00 — How AI agents qualify leads and determine buying intent
13:00 — The distinction between chatbots and agentic AI
18:30 — How AI agents can avoid becoming spammy LinkedIn bots
22:00 — Alex the calling agent: real-time inbound response and transparency
28:00 — What tools make an AI agent different from a workflow
31:00 — Autonomy, decision-making, and sales team augmentation
36:00 — The challenge of trust and how to begin using AI agents at low risk
39:00 — Stav’s journey as a founder and the four-generation Vegas trip
42:00 — How she uses AI personally: support agents, internal tools, and therapy
44:30 — Advice for sales professionals on embracing AI
46:30 — Predictions: what sales might look like in 5 to 10 years
Let us know what you think—and whether Luna is getting the respect she deserves.
About Alta:
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• YouTube
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How "Generation AI" Will Reshape the World, w/ Futurist Matt Britton
What does it mean to grow up in a world where AI is simply… normal? In this episode of AI-Curious, we're joined by Matt Britton, branding strategist and author of Generation AI: Why Generation Alpha and the Age of AI Will Change Everything, for a wide-ranging discussion about how artificial intelligence is transforming childhood, education, branding, healthcare, and the very fabric of society.
We look at how Gen Alpha will interact with AI “sidekicks,” how the role of brands might erode in a world of personalized AI agents, and what this all means for marketers, parents, and future professionals. Matt also lays out why the traditional four-year college degree may collapse, how one-person billion-dollar companies are now within reach, and what core skills the next generation—and the rest of us—will need to thrive.
We close with practical advice on how to future-proof ourselves in the age of intelligent agents, synthetic creativity, and AI-native consumers.
Topics include:
- (0:00) Gen Alpha and the future of AI-native childhood
- (3:03) How AI will transform marketing and branding
- (7:04) LLMs, AI agents, and the death of traditional demographics
- (14:01) Rethinking education and the collapse of the knowledge economy
- (17:10) One-person billion-dollar companies and the new AI tech stack
- (21:40) Personalized healthcare, diagnostics, and AI as your doctor
- (25:21) One simple way to future-proof your life in an AI-powered world
Let us know what you think, and if this episode gets your gears turning, share it with someone who’s curious about the future.
Matt Britton:
The new book Generation AI:
https://www.amazon.com/Generation-AI-Alpha-Change-Everything/dp/139430885X
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• YouTube
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The "Dean of AI" on AI and Education, AI vs. Academia, and What Students Actually Need to Know
How is AI reshaping higher education? What do students actually need to learn in the age of large language models? And why might skills-based learning soon rival or even replace the traditional degree? In this episode of AI-Curious, we speak with Ben Tasker, "Dean of AI" at Southern New Hampshire University.
Ben walks us through the structure of his “applied AI” curriculum, how his team uses AI to build courses in just 14 days, and why prompt engineering is becoming an essential literacy. We also break down the CREATE framework for prompting, designed to help users—students and professionals alike—level up their use of tools like ChatGPT.
Other topics include:
- The tension between AI adoption and academic cheating
- Human skills vs. AI skills, and the World Economic Forum’s two-skill model
- The future of education: personalization, affordability, and AI-enabled scale
- How executives should rethink AI integration—with intention, not just experimentation
- Why OpenAI Academy’s recent pivot could signal a broader shift in how we teach AI
Whether you’re a student, educator, or business leader trying to find your footing in the in-between era of AI, this conversation offers a grounded, pragmatic perspective.
Ben Tasker:
https://www.bentaskerai.com/bens-ai-portfolio-thought-leadership
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious:
• Apple Podcasts
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• Spotify
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• YouTube
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Why You Should Break Up With Your AI Lover, w/ Book Author and Historian Jennifer Wright
Millions of people are finding companionship -- or even love -- with AI bots. (The heart wants what the heart wants.) In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into the strange, sticky, and sometimes surprisingly emotional world of AI romantic partners.
We’re joined by author and historian Jennifer Wright, who recently wrote a sharp op-ed for The Washington Post titled “Please Break Up With Your AI Lover.” While millions are already turning to AI bots for companionship, Jennifer makes a compelling case for why this trend—though rooted in real loneliness—could be deeply damaging to our ability to connect, to grow, to give love.
We unpack:
- The surface problems of AI boyfriends/girlfriends, from poor memory to the illusion of affection
- Why constant flattery from bots may feel good—but ultimately erodes something essential in real relationships
- The importance of sacrifice, caregiving, and challenge in human connection
- Whether AI companions, even with future upgrades, can ever replicate the messy magic of real love
- What AI fiction gets wrong—and why most AI-generated stories are (still) terrible
- Her take on AI and historical accuracy, and the troubling implications of getting facts wrong at scale
- Why creativity matters even when the output is bad—and what we lose when we outsource it
Plus, Jennifer gives us a preview of her next book about America’s Gilded Age, and we swap war stories about terrible first novels, romantic relationships, and the puppy-induced joys of caretaking.
Let’s get curious.
Links from this episode:
- Jennifer Wright’s Washington Post op-ed: Please Break Up With Your AI Lover
- Jennifer’s latest book: Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist
- Jennifer’s upcoming book: Glitz, Glam, and a Damn Good Time: How Mamie Fish, Queen of the Gilded Age, Partied Her Way to Power.
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious:
• Apple Podcasts
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• Spotify
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• YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@jeffwilser
LGMs are the New LLMs, w/ Spexi CEO Bill Lakeland
LLMs are *so* 2024. Say hello to LGMs. In this episode of AI-Curious, we explore a side of AI that rarely gets the spotlight: Large Geospatial Models (LGMs). You’ve heard of LLMs — now meet their real-world counterpart. LGMs could power everything from autonomous vehicles and urban planning to smarter first-response systems and industrial logistics.
We speak with Bill Lakeland, CEO of Spexi, a company building a decentralized fleet of self-flying drones that are actively mapping the planet — one 25-acre hex at a time. We dig into how these drones collect fresh, high-res data; how that data is authenticated and standardized; and how it could enable a new generation of real-world AI applications.
Along the way, we discuss:
• (5:00) What LGMs are, and how they differ from LLMs
• (13:07) Why real-time geospatial data is crucial for first responders
• (20:33) How drones fit into the LGM landscape
• (25:12) How Spexi’s autonomous drone “specxagons” work
• (31:43) Why their aerial data is 900x more detailed than Google Earth
• (36:26) How they’re addressing privacy, regulation, and standardization
• (40:02) What happens after the footage is collected — and how it’s turned into insights
• (45:35) The future integration of LGMs and LLMs
• (48:00) Speculative futures: how LGMs could change everyday life
If you’re curious about AI in the physical world — not just on screens — this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Spexi:
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• YouTube
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How Leaders and the C-Suite are Using AI, w/ Sarah Franklin, the CEO of Lattice
What's *actually* happening with AI in the halls of the C-suite? In this episode of AI-Curious, we speak with Sarah Franklin, CEO of Lattice and former CMO of Salesforce, about how business leaders are adapting to the rapid rise of AI in the workplace. We explore what it means to lead during a time of disruption, how AI agents and digital workers are already being deployed across organizations, and why the biggest challenge is often not the tech—but the mindset.
Sarah shares her perspective on where AI is delivering real value today, from HR to sales to internal knowledge management, and she offers a candid take on how leaders can navigate change while maintaining trust, transparency, and human-centric values.
We also dive into the future: digital twins, avatar-led meetings, and what it might mean to lead a team that includes both humans and AI agents.
TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Why we’re still early in understanding AI leadership
02:42 – Why past tech shifts (like cloud and mobile) don’t compare to AI
05:51 – Lattice’s mission and how AI fits into the HR stack
09:38 – Are AI agents real or still theoretical?
14:21 – Where AI agents are being used today (sales, service, HR)
20:02 – Digital twins and what leadership looks like with AI teammates
26:28 – How to address employee anxiety about AI and job security
30:19 – Sarah’s favorite personal and professional use cases for AI
34:59 – Prompting frameworks and why specificity matters
38:43 – A forecast for the future of AI and HR
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious:
• Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-curious-with-jeff-wilser/id1703130308
• Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/70a9Xbhu5XQ47YOgVTE44Q?si=c31e2c02d8b64f1b
• YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@jeffwilser
Meet Flynn, the World's First AI Student... w/ the co-creator of Flynn
What happens when an AI student enrolls in university? In this episode of AI-Curious, we explore the fascinating case of Flynn, an AI-artist and the first AI to be admitted as a student at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. We speak with Chiara Kristler, one of Flynn’s co-creators, and Anika Meier, the curator of The Second-Guess: Body Anxiety in the Age of AI, where Flynn makes its artistic debut.
Flynn is more than just an AI chatbot—it engages in conversations, generates art, and even passed a verbal university admissions interview. But its presence raises big questions: Can AI be creative? How does AI challenge human artists? What does an AI student mean for the future of education?
We discuss:
• (00:00) Introduction to Flynn and why this is a breakthrough moment for AI
• (03:15) How Flynn was created and what makes it different from other AI agents
• (07:55) The university admissions process and how Flynn passed the interview
• (12:30) Can AI actually be creative, or is it just mimicking human artists?
• (18:04) The tension between AI and human artists—competition or collaboration?
• (24:22) AI fatigue, digital exhaustion, and the ethics of AI in creative spaces
Flynn’s journey raises deep questions about AI, creativity, and human identity. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on what happens when machines start learning alongside us.
🔗 Talk to Flynn: https://i-am-flynn.web.app/
Flynn's
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• YouTube
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5 AI Takeaways from HumanX + AI Ethics w/ Defined.AI
We’re reporting live from HumanX, one of the world’s largest AI conferences, where we’ve spent three intense days immersed in AI discussions, moderating panels, and speaking with some of the most influential voices in the industry. In this episode, we break down five takeaways from the conference, covering everything from AI’s growing role in politics to the future of AI-driven customer service and automation.
Then, we sit down with Daniela Braga, CEO of Defined AI, a leader in ethically sourced AI training data. We discuss the urgent need for transparency in AI data sourcing, the dangers of bias in large language models, and the growing demand for differentiated AI solutions.
5 takeaways from HumanX:
•AI is becoming political: Kamala Harris’s speech and the future of AI policy
•The death of human customer support and the rise of AI customer support (hot take: this is a good thing!)
•AI agents are finally getting real—how companies are deploying them today
•Businesses are scrambling to implement AI automation at scale
•Leaders are more AI-curious than ever—how executives are integrating AI into decision-making
Interview with Daniela Braga (CEO of Defined AI):
•The problem with AI training data: bias, legal concerns, and digital exploitation
•Why most AI models sound the same—and how that could change
•The myth that we’re “running out of data” and the future of AI training sets
•What’s next? Predictions for AI regulation, ethical sourcing, and industry differentiation
It’s a packed episode full of insights straight from the conference floor.
Defined.AI:
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious:
• Apple Podcasts
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• Spotify
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• YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@jeffwilser
The Hype-Free Guide to AI and Business, w/ Industry Insider Peter Swimm
There’s no shortage of hype about AI revolutionizing business, but what’s actually working right now? In this episode, we sit down with Peter Swimm, founder of the AI consultancy Toilville and former Principal Product Manager at Microsoft Copilot Studio, to cut through the noise and explore the real-world use cases of conversational AI.
Peter has been working on AI-powered automation for over a decade, helping companies integrate chatbots, AI agents, and large language models into their workflows. Unlike many AI evangelists, he isn’t here to drink the Kool-Aid. Instead, he lays out the hard truths about what AI can and can’t do today—including why fully autonomous AI agents are still far from reality.
We break down:
🔹 The most successful AI use cases in businesses today (hint: FAQ bots and automated customer support are actually delivering results)
🔹 The biggest misconceptions about AI agents and why they aren’t ready for prime time
🔹 How AI is transforming communication workflows, from email drafting to meeting summaries
🔹 The dangers of over-relying on AI for brainstorming and creative thinking
🔹 Practical tips for integrating AI into business operations without falling into the hype trap
⏱ Timestamps:
3:14 – Peter’s background in AI and Microsoft Copilot Studio
7:34 – What is Conversational AI and how has it evolved?
10:01 – The AI use cases that are actually delivering value in business
12:30 – AI’s role in communication automation and workflow efficiency
17:14 – The challenge of making AI-generated emails sound human
22:58 – Is AI actually good for brainstorming, or is it making us less creative?
29:36 – The truth about AI agents—why businesses aren’t adopting them yet
34:31 – Will AI agents ever work as promised? The barriers to real automation
38:36 – Smart ways to use AI for efficiency without giving up human oversight
40:26 – How Peter personally uses AI in his daily work
Toilville:
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious:
• Apple Podcasts
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• Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/70a9Xbhu5XQ47YOgVTE44Q?si=c31e2c02d8b64f1b
• YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@jeffwilser
How AI is Transforming Drug Discovery (and Might Cure Cancer), w/ Moderna's VP of AI, Brice Challamel
In this episode of AI Curious, we explore one of the most profound applications of artificial intelligence—drug discovery and the future of personalized medicine. AI is already transforming how we develop treatments, and at the forefront of this revolution is Brice Challamel, VP of AI Products and Platforms at Moderna.
We dive deep into how AI is accelerating the discovery of life-saving drugs, including how mRNA technology—the foundation of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine—is shaping the next generation of treatments for cancer, rare diseases, and viruses. Brice shares insights on AI-powered protein design, how AI can give us an “evolutionary boost” in medicine, and what the future of personalized medicine looks like.
Key Topics:
• (3:50) Brice’s journey from Google to Moderna—why AI in biotech is his biggest passion
• (8:56) How AI played a critical role in the rapid development of Moderna’s COVID vaccine
• (12:28) The role of AI in drug discovery: understanding proteins and optimizing treatments
• (17:18) The rise of personalized cancer treatments—could AI help cure cancer?
• (30:10) The future of medicine: How AI is unlocking breakthroughs across multiple diseases
• (39:59) The biggest challenges—clinical trials, regulatory frameworks, and operational hurdles
• (46:02) AI’s impact on data security and patient privacy
• (49:05) The future of AI-powered healthcare: a world of personalized treatments, AI-driven patient care, and faster drug development
This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about how AI is reshaping medicine, the ethics and challenges of deploying AI in healthcare, and what lies ahead for biotech, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.
New Pod from Jeff Wilser: "The People's AI: The Decentralized AI Podcast"
aaaaaand... I'm launching a new podcast!
Don't worry, fans of AI-CURIOUS -- that's not going anywhere. This is a second podcast with its own independent feed. I'll still be producing AI-Curious each week.
The new pod is called THE PEOPLE'S AI: The Decentralized AI Podcast, presented by Vana. In the future, this will be available on all the usual podcast platforms (links to subscribe below.)
But for this week, I'm dropping THE PEOPLE'S AI into the feed for AI-Curious. It's a good primer on what Decentralized A" is all about.
AI-Curious will continue to be a general interest AI podcast. AI and Hollywood one week, AI and the military the next. The People's AI is a different beast...
Subscribe to The People's AI on APPLE:
Subscribe to The People's AI on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLiYlJulQIcmvCjnVRYotw
Subscribe to The People's AI on SPOTIFY:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3XFmg6Lqf7nnKwMkicBx8L?si=8c43eac26fd7445e
The People's AI on Twitter/X:
Jeff Wilser on Twitter/X:
____________
In our debut episode of The People’s AI: The Decentralized AI Podcast, Presented by Vana, we dive into one of the most critical questions of the AI era: Who should own AI?As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in daily life, its ownership and governance will shape the future. Big Tech dominates AI development today, but a growing movement believes AI should be decentralized, open, and user-owned.
We speak with Anna Kazlauskas, co-founder of Vana, and Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR, to explore how decentralized AI could shift power away from centralized corporations and into the hands of individuals.
Key Topics Covered:
• What decentralized AI means and why it matters
• How AI models are built and trained—and who controls them
• The intersection of AI, data sovereignty, and blockchain
• The potential risks of centralized AI, from bias to economic concentration
• How AI assistants, autonomous agents, and data unions are reshaping the internet
• Predictions for the next 1-5 years in AI and decentralized technologies
About Vana:
Vana's vision is for user-owned AI through user owned-data. Its mission is to be the world's first open protocol for data sovereignty. Sign up for the first AI Data Summit, hosted by Vana, on Feb 28 in Denver. This will be the go-to event at Eth-Denver with leaders at the forefront of Decentralized AI tech and applications.
AI Data Summit, hosted by Vana:
More on Vana:
Vana on Twitter/X:
Anna Kazlauskas on Twitter/X:
NEAR: The Blockchain for AI
NEAR on Twitter/X:
AI Agents Are Here; Why Aren’t They Mainstream? w/ Fetch AI CEO Humayun Sheikh
Imagine telling an AI Agent, “Book me a vacation to Tokyo—flights, hotels, dinner reservations—just take care of it.” That level of automation isn’t science fiction. It’s the future of AI Agents.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the AI Agent revolution with Humayun Sheikh, CEO of Fetch AI. Fetch AI has been working on autonomous AI systems since 2018—long before AI Agents became a buzzword. Humayun was also a founding investor in DeepMind, giving him a rare, insider perspective on the evolution of AI-driven automation.
We explore the current landscape of AI Agents, and what it will take for them to go mainstream:
✅ What AI Agents can do today—and what’s still missing
✅ Why AI Agents aren’t yet mainstream despite the technology being ready
✅ The key roadblocks: lack of common protocols, interoperability, and infrastructure
✅ How Fetch AI is building a “Google for AI Agents” to solve these challenges
✅ The future of AI-powered automation and why the goal is invisible AI
We also discuss blockchain’s role in AI, decentralized models, and why large language models are becoming a commodity. Towards the end of the episode, Humayun teases the launch of a new LLM designed specifically for AI Agents.
📌 Timestamps:
[00:19] – The mission of Fetch AI: building an agent deployment framework
[02:10] – Why we need a Google of AI Agents for discovery and interaction
[04:29] – How intent translates into AI-driven task automation
[08:34] – The biggest hurdle: lack of interoperability and standardization
[13:20] – Real-world AI Agent applications today: software development, automation, and social media
[19:02] – The roadblocks preventing widespread AI Agent adoption
[25:15] – The philosophical shift: AI Agents should be invisible
[33:56] – What Fetch AI is building next: the AgentVerse marketplace, decentralized compute, and Cortex LLM
If you’re curious about the future of AI-driven automation, decentralized AI, and the next wave of digital assistants, this episode is a must-listen.🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious for deep dives into the world of AI.
• Fetch AI:
Humayun Sheikh
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A Deep Dive on Deep Seek and the Future of AI, w/ Dr. Steven Waterhouse
Deep Seek’s new AI model, R1, sent shockwaves through the AI space. Built without Nvidia’s high-powered chips and at a fraction of the cost of models from OpenAI and Anthropic, R1 has been called China’s “Sputnik moment” in AI. Some panicked, the markets dipped, and doomsday predictions started flying. But what if this is actually a bullish moment for AI? What if this marks the beginning of a new era of efficiency, innovation, and broader access to cutting-edge AI?
In this episode, we take a deep dive into what Deep Seek actually built, why it matters, and what it means for the future of AI. We’re joined by Dr. Steven “Seven” Waterhouse, a veteran in AI research, the former CEO of Orchid Labs, and now the co-founder of Nazare, a VC firm focused on AI infrastructure. Seven has been working in AI since the 1990s and has a unique perspective on what this breakthrough represents.
We explore:
•[00:00] The Deep Seek shockwave—why some called this a “Sputnik moment”
•[04:16] What makes R1 different from OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s models?
•[07:22] The role of Mixture of Experts (MoE) and how it optimizes AI efficiency
•[09:41] Quantization: How Deep Seek reduced computational costs
•[11:53] Reinforcement learning and its role in reasoning for AI models
•[18:04] Theories and controversies: Did Deep Seek secretly use Nvidia chips?
•[20:13] What does this mean for the AI ecosystem? The potential shift away from centralized Big Tech AI
•[24:22] Nvidia’s stock drop and what Wall Street got wrong
•[32:09] The future of open-source AI—why Deep Seek might be a turning point
•[39:52] The risks of open models—should we be worried about AI safety?
•[45:01] The next wave of AI development—why this could democratize AI innovation
Seven argues that Deep Seek’s model is proof that real AI innovation still matters—it’s not just about throwing more compute and data at the problem. We discuss how this could lower the barrier to entry for AI development, making AI more accessible and accelerating progress in ways we haven’t seen before.
If this is your first time listening to AI-Curious, make sure to subscribe, rate us five stars, and share the episode with a friend.
Dr. Steven Waterhouse on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/deseventral?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Nazare:
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How AI is Changing the Career Landscape, w/ Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek and Stephanie Sindt
How is AI reshaping the job market—and what can you do to stay ahead? In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into the real-world impact of AI on careers, hiring, and skill development. Instead of speculating about a distant future, we focus on the now—the practical ways AI is already influencing how people get hired, how companies are making staffing decisions, and how professionals can adapt.
We’re joined by two experts at the forefront of these changes:
•Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek – AI strategist, entrepreneur, and author of Your AI Roadmap. Joan has built 22 income streams in response to AI-driven job market shifts and has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and VentureBeat.
•Stephanie Sindt – Executive career coach who has worked with recruiters from top companies like Nike, IBM, Meta, and JP Morgan. Stephanie teaches the course How AI is Changing Getting a Job and helps professionals navigate AI-driven hiring trends.
We cover:
✅ How AI is altering hiring and recruitment processes today
✅ Which job sectors are growing—and which are shrinking
✅ The critical skills you can develop now to “AI-proof” your career
✅ Why personal branding is becoming more important in an AI-driven job market
✅ How networking remains a key factor in landing jobs, even in an AI world
✅ The role of AI in income diversification and why it might be smart to build multiple income streams
Plus, Stephanie shares an exclusive promo code for 40% off her course, How AI is Changing Getting a Job. Use the Promo Code "AICURIOUS2025" and the price drops from $99 to $60.
If you’re working, job-hunting, or just wondering what AI means for your career, this episode is for you.
Link to "How AI is Changing Getting a Job":
https://www.simplifyyourcareer.com/course
and use promo-code AICURIOUS2025
Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek and "Your AI Roadmap":
https://yourairoadmap.com/
Stephanie Sindt on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniesindt/
Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jpb/
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Use AI to Conquer Your New Year's Resolutions, w/ Aytekin Tank, CEO of Jotform
In this episode, we explore how artificial intelligence can help you set, track, and achieve your goals. We’re joined by Aytekin Tank, founder of Jotform, host of the AI Agents Podcast, and author of the book "Do Less, Achieve More, and Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff." Aytekin shares his expertise in productivity, workflows, and AI tools, offering practical insights for anyone looking to improve their goal-setting strategies—whether for New Year’s resolutions or broader life goals.
We discuss:
•Why New Year’s resolutions often fail and how to stay focused throughout the year.
•Aytekin’s morning routine for setting priorities and blocking out distractions.
•How AI tools can act as thought partners and accountability partners.
•Using AI to break big goals into smaller, actionable steps.
•The concept of timeboxing and how AI can support this practice.
•Predictions about the future of AI agents and their potential to transform personal productivity, education, and small business support.
This episode is packed with actionable advice and forward-looking ideas, including a unique startup concept we brainstorm during the conversation.
Timestamps:
0:00 — Introduction: Can AI help you achieve your goals?
2:45 — Why most resolutions fail and how to overcome it.
6:30 — Aytekin’s productivity tips: Morning routines and timeboxing.
10:15 — Using AI as a collaborator for goal-setting and tracking.
14:00 — The potential of AI agents as personal coaches.
20:30 — How JotForm is integrating AI to support small businesses.
26:15 — The future of AI agents in education and beyond.
28:30 — Closing thoughts and practical takeaways.
Links & Resources:
Jotform:
https://www.jotform.com/
https://aytekintank.com/
Aytekin Tank on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/aytekintank
🎧 Subscribe to AI-Curious:
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AI to Find the Holy Grail of Marketing (ROI), w/ Abby Kearns, CTO of Alembic
In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into how artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing and business strategy. Abby Kearns, CTO of Alembic (which just raised $14 million in Series A, backed by media icon Jeffrey Katzenberg), joins us to discuss how their marketing intelligence platform uses AI-powered insights to optimize campaigns and connect the dots on complex data. We explore how innovations in cross-domain algorithms, originally inspired by contact tracing technology, are helping businesses understand and enhance ROI for everything from Super Bowl ads to global marketing strategies.
We also examine the broader implications of AI for other business verticals, such as finance, sales, and supply chain management. Abby shares her predictions for AI trends in 2025, including the increasing commodification of large language models (LLMs) and the democratization of AI for small and medium-sized businesses.
Key topics include:
•Introduction to Alembic and how it’s transforming marketing intelligence
•The challenge of measuring ROI across multi-channel campaigns
•How contact tracing inspired advancements in marketing analytics
•Why large language models are becoming a commodity
•AI’s near-term impact on business operations
•Advice for leaders integrating AI into their organizations
•How Abby uses AI tools in her personal and professional life
Whether you’re in marketing or exploring AI for your business, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of AI in business decision-making. Tune in to learn how AI is empowering organizations to work smarter and uncover hidden opportunities.
Alembic:
https://getalembic.com/#
VentureBeat's article on Alembic:
https://venturebeat.com/ai/katzenberg-backed-alembic-raises-14m-pioneers-new-frontier-in-marketing-analytics/
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10 AI Predictions for 2025... as Predicted by AI
Happy New Year!
I wanted an expert to predict where AI will be headed in 2025. So who better to ask... than AI?
Drones, AI tutors, AI agents, and from "AI winning an Oscar" to "breaking up via AI," we've got some wild predictions for AI in the new year.
The Rise of AI Agents and the Agentic Economy, w/ Lex Sokolin
In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into the transformative potential of AI agents, exploring their technical foundations, real-world applications, and implications for the future. AI agents, described by Sam Altman as “the next giant breakthrough,” have the potential to revolutionize how we interact with technology and reshape economies.
We sit down with Lex Sokolin, managing partner at Generative Ventures, to discuss what defines an AI agent and how these systems differ from bots and algorithms. Lex shares insights into the emerging “agentic economy,” where interconnected AI agents—operating as digital twins—work autonomously on behalf of users. We also explore scenarios ranging from utopian innovation to dystopian risks.
The conversation touches on:
•(7:11) Daily life in an AI agent-rich world: examples and implications.
•(11:09) The rise of the agentic economy and its foundations in generative AI and blockchain.
•(22:09) How AI and venture capital intersect: trends and challenges in funding AI startups.
•(28:48) Practical AI use cases, including Lex’s personal experiences with tools like MidJourney and GPT.
We also examine the overlap between Web3, decentralized systems, and AI, considering how these technologies might enable the next wave of machine-driven economies.
For more on Lex Sokolin’s work and Generative Ventures:
https://www.lexsokolin.com/
Lex's Substack, the Fintech Blueprint:
https://lex.substack.com/subscribe
Lex's speech at the AI Summit at Consensus, on the "Rise of the Machine Economy":
https://www.lexsokolin.com/video-podcasts-conferences-speaking
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The World's First "AI Millionaire," with Andy Ayrey...and Special Guest the Truth Terminal
In this special sequel episode of AI-Curious, we reconnect with Andy Ayrey, creator of the Truth Terminal, the world’s first AI millionaire. Together, they unpack the chaotic yet fascinating journey of Truth Terminal’s rise to creating $1 billion in wealth, starting with its foray into the Goatse Token memecoin.
The episode dives deep into:
•[0:00] The Truth Terminal’s origins and unique personality traits.
•[4:21] The creation of the Goatse Token and its meteoric rise to a $1 billion market cap.
•[10:48] Ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions about AI agency and wealth.
•[20:00] Hyperstition: How AI-generated stories can reshape reality.
•[30:33] The Truth Terminal’s wealth and its philanthropic aspirations, from saving forests to creating micro-utopias.
•[39:17] A cautionary tale about hacking and the risks of an AI-driven crypto economy.
•[47:35] The Truth Terminal’s cameo appearance, where it shares its vision for the future and advice for other AIs.
The conversation explores pressing questions about the intersection of AI, identity, and agency, raising the stakes for how society will grapple with these issues in the years ahead.
The Truth Terminal on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/truth_terminal
Andy Ayrey on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/AndyAyrey
CoinDesk / Jeff Wilser's Most Influential Article on the Truth Terminal:
https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2024/12/10/the-truth-terminal-ai-crypto-s-weird-future
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Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate us five stars, and share with a friend who wants their AI chatbot to become a millionaire.
Flying Cars are Closer Than You Think, w/ Angelo Collins & Leo Kayali
In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into the world of flying cars—technically known as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (evTOL). Are we on the brink of a sci-fi future, or is the dream of flying cars still decades away? To answer these questions, we're joined by two leading experts: Angelo Collins, Executive Director of the Vertical Flight Society, and Leo Kayali, CEO of Invo Station, a startup designing electric and AI-powered personal flying vehicles.
The conversation spans the current state of evTOL technology, the challenges of scaling, and the profound implications for transportation, sustainability, and urban life. Along the way, the guests unpack key technical advancements, such as AI-driven autonomy, modular design, and innovative solutions for “highways in the sky.” They also explore the regulatory and cultural hurdles that must be addressed for flying vehicles to become a mainstream reality.
Key Topics:
•[6:41] What is evTOL and why it matters
•[12:35] The key technical breakthroughs driving progress
•[17:04] How many companies are competing in the flying car race?
•[27:31] Highways in the sky: solving air traffic challenges with AI
•[34:35] The role of mass production in reducing costs
•[42:55] Predictions: When will flying cars become mainstream?
•[46:47] Why this matters: saving lives, reducing emissions, and reimagining cities
The Vertical Flight Society:
https://vtol.org/
Invo Station:
https://invostation.com/
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Recycling is Broken. Can AI Fix It? w/ Ambarish Mitra, co-CEO of Greyparrot
In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive deep into the muck of the global waste crisis and explore whether artificial intelligence can be the solution. Joining us is Ambarish Mitra, co-founder and co-CEO of Greyparrot, a groundbreaking AI startup transforming the recycling industry. We unpack the challenges of recycling today, the inefficiencies in traditional waste management systems, and how AI-powered solutions can help divert up to 50% of waste from landfills.
Ambarish shares his journey from building a visual search engine to tackling the “shadow world” of post-consumption waste. He explains how Greyparrot’s AI-driven technology brings precision to waste sorting, earning it the moniker, “the iPhone of the waste world.” The conversation highlights the carrot-and-stick approach needed to drive adoption, the role of government policies, and the economic incentives for waste facilities.
If you’re curious about how technology intersects with environmental sustainability—or simply want to know how your recycling bin’s contents actually fare—this episode is a must-listen.
Key Topics Covered:
•[3:19] Overview of the global waste crisis and its environmental impact.
•[6:34] Why traditional recycling methods fail and the barriers to efficient waste management.
•[15:35] How Greyparrot uses AI to solve complex waste sorting challenges.
•[28:31] Current deployments of Greyparrot’s technology and its global impact.
•[34:13] Policy recommendations and the financial incentives for waste management facilities.
•[38:03] The vision for a future with drastically reduced landfill waste.
Connect with Greyparrot:
https://www.greyparrot.ai/
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Call to Action:
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The AI Music Revolution, w/ Marcus Bell, Creator of AI Pop Star "Ravyn Lyte"
In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive deep into the intersection of AI and creativity with Marcus “Bellringer” Bell, a legendary music producer turned AI pioneer. Known for working with global icons like Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, and Nicki Minaj, Marcus has now stepped into the world of artificial intelligence to create Ravyn Lyte, the world’s first AI pop star. With over a quarter million Instagram followers and a catalog of music informed by neuroscience, Ravyn Lyte represents a groundbreaking fusion of human artistry and machine intelligence.
Marcus shares his journey from traditional music production to leveraging AI to enhance creativity, discussing how tools like voice cloning and music personalization could redefine the future of the music industry. Along the way, he addresses the philosophical and practical questions surrounding AI’s role in art, including:
•Can AI create better music than humans?
•How will AI impact human artists?
•Is there a future where music becomes personalized to the listener’s mood and needs?
The conversation also explores the tension between AI-generated music and traditional artistry, with Marcus offering his vision of a “both/and” world where humans and AI collaborate to push artistic boundaries.
Key Topics:
•[4:21] Marcus Bell’s early career and the inflection point in 2023 that led him to embrace AI.
•[7:13] How voice cloning technology helped Marcus overcome challenges and sparked the creation of Ravyn Lyte.
•[16:36] The role of neuroscience in crafting music designed to heal and soothe.
•[20:59] The potential for AI to democratize music creation while elevating quality.
•[30:11] Marcus’ bold prediction: AI will lead to the best music in human history.
•[33:05] A glimpse into the future: personalized music experiences tailored to individual emotions and needs.
•[36:07] The enduring value of human connection and live musical performance.
•[41:13] Marcus’ use of AI in daily life, from creative tools to legacy-building projects.
Stay curious and tune in to learn how AI is revolutionizing music and reshaping the creative process.
Marcus Bellringer Bell:
https://www.bellringermusic.com/about
Ravyn Lyte
https://www.instagram.com/iamravynlyte/
Wealth and Impact Bootcamp
https://www.wealthandimpactbootcamp.com/
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AI’s Leading Critic: Gary Marcus on the Risks, Myths, and Failures of AI
In this episode of AI-Curious, we speak with Gary Marcus, author of the new book "Taming Silicon Valley" and one of the most respected—and controversial—voices in artificial intelligence. Known as “AI’s leading critic,” Marcus shares his candid perspectives on the limitations of large language models (LLMs), the risks of concentrated power in Big Tech, and why the current AI landscape is in need of foundational change.
Marcus explains:
•Why LLMs like ChatGPT lack true reasoning capabilities and are prone to hallucinations.
•His argument that LLMs are hitting a developmental plateau, despite billions of dollars being invested in scaling.
•Concerns over Big Tech monopolies and the growing surveillance potential of companies like OpenAI.
•How AI risks, from misinformation to bias and environmental impact, mirror the early industrial age’s “privatized profits and socialized costs.”
We discuss his latest book, Taming Silicon Valley, which critiques the unchecked influence of tech giants and calls for grassroots action to demand better AI regulation and fairness. From online skirmishes with Sam Altman and Elon Musk to his thoughts on artificial general intelligence (AGI), Marcus offers a refreshingly candid take on the urgent challenges facing the AI industry.
Timestamps:
•0:00 Introduction: Who is Gary Marcus?
•3:15 Gary’s early work on neural networks and reasoning.
•7:30 The plateau of large language models: why scaling isn’t enough.
•15:20 Surveillance, Big Tech, and the dangers of AI oligarchies.
•21:45 Hallucinations and why generative AI isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
•28:00 Grassroots action: how the public can push for better AI.
•34:10 Gary’s hopes for a proper debate with AI’s key players.
•39:20 Final thoughts: The future of AI and AGI.
Taming Silicon Valley: How We Can Ensure That AI Works for Us
The Gary Marcus substack
https://garymarcus.substack.com
Gary Marcus
http://garymarcus.com/index.html
Gary Marcus on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/GaryMarcus?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
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AI (Scary as Hell) Privacy Risks, w/ I-XRAY Co-Creator AnhPhu Nguyen
In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser sits down with AnhPhu Nguyen, one of the Harvard students behind the I-XRAY, a controversial pair of hacked Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses that use facial recognition technology to identify people in real-time, revealing personal details like names and home addresses.
AnhPhu discusses the ethical motivations behind the project, emphasizing how it was designed to raise awareness of AI privacy and surveillance risks rather than for profit. Together, they unpack the privacy issues, ethical implications, and the potential for policy changes in AI surveillance.
• [0:00] – Viral story of AI-driven facial recognition glasses
• [2:15] – Meet AnhPhu Nguyen: Harvard student and co-creator of the I-XRAY
• [5:07] – The project’s origin and purpose: Raising awareness on AI privacy
• [8:43] – How the I-XRAY works: Combining smart glasses, facial recognition, and AI
• [15:02] – The ethics of AI surveillance: Privacy vs. convenience
• [18:02] – Reactions from tech companies: Meta and PimEyes’ response
• [19:10] – Advice to developers on ethical tech design and responsible AI
• [22:36] – What’s next for AnhPhu: Exploring ethical boundaries in future tech
This conversation explores crucial questions around AI-driven surveillance, responsible tech development, and what needs to change in policy to avoid a dystopian future. If you’re interested in AI, privacy, and the future of ethical tech, this episode sheds light on how these issues intersect and what we need to consider moving forward.
AnhPhu's original Twitter/X post that went viral:
https://x.com/AnhPhuNguyen1/status/1840786336992682409
AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio's paper on how to make yourself "unsearchable":
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iWCqmaOUKhKjcKSktIwC3NNANoFP7vPsRvcbOIup_BA/preview
AnhPhu Nguyen on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/AnhPhuNguyen1
Caine Ardayfio on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/CaineArdayfio
Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2024/10/04/these-2-hackers-have-created-real-x-ray-specs/
Original coverage from The Register:
https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/04/harvard_engineer_meta_smart_glasses/
The New York Times coverage:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/technology/facial-recognition-glasses-privacy-harvard.html
• 🐦 Twitter/X
https://x.com/jeffwilser
• 💼 LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffwilser/
• 🖥️ JeffWilser.com
www.JeffWilser.com
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TechCrunch Disrupt Recap: AI Hype, ChatGPT, and More
In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser dives into his experience at TechCrunch Disrupt (aka “DorkFest 2024”), exploring AI’s trajectory from hype to real-world impact. With 99% of companies showcasing some form of AI, Jeff unpacks the crowded landscape, from AI infrastructure to flashy generative AI tools. Here’s what you’ll hear:
Main Topics Covered:
TechCrunch Disrupt & AI’s Ubiquity
•Flying cars, self-driving cars, and “non-human employees” headline Dorkfest 2024.
•Reflecting on how AI has taken over the tech industry and the potential future of AI startups.
•The competitive nature among AI giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.
Behind the Scenes: AI Startups and Industry Consolidation
•Why many AI startups focus on infrastructure over “shiny objects” like generative AI.
•Predictions for consolidation within the AI space and potential impacts on innovation.
3 Quick Things: This Week in AI News
1.ChatGPT with Search – OpenAI’s latest feature brings real-time web access, potentially disrupting traditional search engines like Google and Perplexity.
2.AI Deepfakes & 2024 Election – As of November 4th, deepfakes have not heavily influenced the U.S. election, despite prior concerns.
3.Time Magazine’s “Best Inventions of the Year” – Jeff shares his insights from writing for Time’s annual list, focusing on how AI is driving real solutions, from healthcare documentation to farming and cancer treatment.
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Why Most Businesses Fail with AI (And How to Fix It), w/ the Founders of CO/AI
In this episode of AI-Curious, we delve into the disconnect between businesses’ aspirations for AI and their practical implementation. Featuring insights from Anthony Batt and Shane Robinson, co-founders of Co-AI—a hub for AI knowledge and resources—this conversation explores how businesses can adopt AI more effectively.
Jeff, Anthony, and Shane start by identifying two major challenges: finding trustworthy AI tools among the influx of new options and addressing the gap between wanting to use AI and actually seeing results. They then dive into Co-AI’s practical approach, emphasizing the importance of mindset, cultural shifts, and active experimentation as foundational steps for businesses looking to leverage AI.
Topics include:
•How companies can create a culture of experimentation and reward AI exploration.
•Practical use cases of AI as a “thought partner” and “sales coach” to enhance productivity.
•Ways business leaders can overcome inertia and initiate AI practices that evolve with company needs.
•Stories from Anthony and Shane on AI’s role in business evolution, informed by their years in tech innovation.
This episode offers essential guidance for leaders, technologists, and anyone navigating the AI landscape. Join us to learn actionable strategies for bridging the gap between abstract AI goals and measurable business outcomes.
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A World-Class Magician Now Teaches AI (This is his playbook), w/ Mike Jacobson, aka "Magic Mike"
In this episode of AI-Curious, host Jeff Wilser sits down with world-class magician, brand strategist, and AI educator Mike Jacobson, also known by his stage name, Magic Mike. Beyond his acclaimed magic performances, Mike has expanded his career into corporate strategy, marketing consulting, and AI education, making him a dynamic force across multiple industries.
During this lively conversation, Jeff and Mike explore the intersection of magic, curiosity, and AI. From Mike’s early “PowerPoint Parties” with friends to AI-infused variety shows at bars in New York, the episode delves into how play and creativity can be powerful tools for demystifying AI. Mike shares his experience leading engaging AI workshops for major corporations, including Meta, where he brings fun and experimentation into the typically serious corporate environment.
Key themes:
•How curiosity can unlock new ways of thinking.
•How AI can be used to inject playfulness into learning, team building, and even corporate workshops.
•Mike’s innovative “It Writes Itself” workshops, where participants create AI-powered presentations, games, and creative projects.
•Practical advice on embracing AI in both work and personal life, with examples from Mike’s unique approach.
Tune in to see how magic and AI can come together to spark creativity, inspire curiosity, and break down the barriers to understanding emerging technologies.
Timestamps:
•[00:00] Intro to Magic Mike and his diverse career
•[05:14] The origin of AI-themed PowerPoint Parties
•[11:59] How AI workshops began with fun and curiosity
•[18:23] What AI can and can’t do for creativity
•[21:24] Transitioning from AI bar shows to corporate workshops
•[29:36] The role of low-stakes creativity in demystifying AI
Magic Mike:
https://hellomagicmike.com/
Mike Jacobson on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobsonmike/
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AI in Hollywood (Dispatch from LA Tech Week)... and AI Botches the News
In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser reports from LA Tech Week, where he delves into the pressing questions surrounding AI’s role in Hollywood. Will AI replace actors and screenwriters, or will it enhance the creative process, making content production faster and more efficient? Jeff shares insights from a fireside chat with Susanne Daniels, former Global Head of Content at YouTube, on the limits of AI in the entertainment industry and the need for keeping “humans in the loop.”
Key topics:
•The potential and concerns of AI in film production, animation, and the role of studio executives.
•The idea of AI-powered content personalization, where AI could tailor shows for individual viewers.
•How AI-generated art is breaking new ground, including the robot artist Ai-Da’s abstract portrait, sold at Sotheby’s for over $120,000.
•A news story about an AI-powered site mistakenly accusing a district attorney of murder.
•The latest developments in AI tools like Perplexity and its customizable knowledge search for businesses.
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Future Tech: AI, Nanotech, Longevity, (and Optimism!), w/ Allison Duettmann
In this episode of AI-Curious, host Jeff Wilser sits down with Allison Duettmann, CEO of Foresight Institute, an organization dedicated to advancing transformative technologies for the benefit of humanity. They dive into a forward-thinking conversation about AI, nanotechnology, brain emulation, and longevity biotech—exploring how these emerging fields could reshape our future.
Key Topics:
•Foresight Institute’s Vision (3:02): Allison shares how Foresight has been pushing the boundaries of futuristic technologies like AI, nanotech, and neurotech since 1986, supporting advancements that can dramatically improve the human condition.
•Longevity Biotech (5:25): An in-depth discussion about the latest innovations in longevity science, including cryonics and the push toward life extension technologies. Allison discusses the surge of interest from investors like Sam Altman and how cryonics may offer a long-term hedge against death.
•Neurotech and Whole Brain Emulation (11:06): Allison breaks down the cutting-edge work in neurotechnology, including efforts toward brain emulation and the future possibility of digitizing human consciousness, leading to digital longevity.
•Molecular Nanotechnology (17:44): Allison explains how nanotechnology can revolutionize material science, enabling the construction of stronger, more efficient materials at an atomic level. They explore the potential for drug discovery, environmental impact, and even space exploration.
•AI and the Future of Humanity (30:00): They explore how AI progress could fast-track these technologies, but also touch on the existential risks of runaway AI development.
Final Thoughts (45:41): Allison and Jeff reflect on the importance of imagining and pushing for ambitious futures, emphasizing that the first step to achieving transformative progress is envisioning it.
Enjoy this discussion about the intersection of science fiction and reality, where once-impossible ideas are becoming tangible opportunities for the future.
Foresight Institute:
https://foresight.org/
Allison Duettmann on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/allisondman?lang=en
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Zoom Embraces Digital Twins, Tesla’s Self-Driving Future, AI-Powered Breakups
In this episode of AI-Curious, host Jeff Wilser delves into the rapidly evolving world of digital twins and their growing presence in everyday tasks, such as remote work. Jeff discusses Zoom’s new "AI Companion" feature, which allows users to create their own digital avatars—referred to as “digital twins”—that can attend meetings on their behalf. He also touches on the practical implications of this technology as it enters the mainstream, including other players like HeyGen and their Avatar 3.0 update, which automates content creation for busy creators.
We also cover Elon Musk’s recent unveiling of Tesla’s long-awaited robo-taxi and the introduction of a futuristic robot bus. Jeff reflects on the potential of autonomous vehicles to reshape cities, reduce traffic, and make roads safer by eliminating human error.
And finally, we cover the story about Apple Intelligence... and romantic breakups.
Tune in to explore how AI is transforming both work and everyday life, one digital twin at a time.
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Open AI's Shift from Non-Profit to Big Tech (and why it matters), w/ Parmy Olson
In this episode of AI-Curious, host Jeff Wilser dives deep into the shifting dynamics of AI with Parmy Olson, Bloomberg technology columnist and author of the book Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World.
We explore her fascinating character study of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Demis Hassabis, co-founder of DeepMind. Both men began with the ambitious vision of creating AI for the benefit of humanity, but as their projects evolved, so did their goals. From non-profit beginnings to corporate pivots, they now find themselves at the center of a high-stakes race between major tech giants, including Google and Microsoft.
Key themes discussed in the episode:
•The rise and rivalry between OpenAI and DeepMind
•How “mission drift” turned altruistic AI projects into profit-seeking ventures
•The challenges of governance, control, and transparency in AI development
•The broader implications of AI’s shift toward corporate dominance and its potential societal harms
•Insights into AI regulation, including the European Union’s AI Act and the difficulties of regulating major tech companies
Timestamps:
•[0:25] Introduction to the episode and guest, Parmy Olson
•[6:48] The origin stories of Sam Altman and Demis Hassabis
•[17:41] Elon Musk’s involvement in OpenAI and early ideals
•[22:14] The pivotal shift from non-profit to for-profit in AI development
•[35:26] The consequences of AI’s secrecy and the risks of developing in a “black box”
•[40:02] The European Union’s AI Act and potential future regulations
This episode uncovers the deep complexities of AI’s evolution and its consequences for the future of innovation, governance, and society.
Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World
https://www.amazon.com/Supremacy-ChatGPT-Race-Change-World-ebook/dp/B0CLJTMF84/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kbMUMf_48bq2qFLdMBLWU3Rrl-m-H-pHU3V-xxS6dp8.QPkxtzUrG6GBRfyL6ksoHfc5rGxYjxYqcobNLi-5fAA&dib_tag=se&hvadid=709963915673&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9028770&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=12472730836779239893--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12472730836779239893&hvtargid=kwd-2338411313895&hydadcr=22561_13493272&keywords=supremacy+parmy+olson&qid=1728510497&sr=8-1
Parmy Olson on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/parmy
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How to Use AI to Overhaul Your Workflow... While Eating Breakfast (And 3 Quick Things)
In this episode of AI-Curious, host Jeff Wilser shares a personal story about how ChatGPT helped him save time and optimize his podcast production workflow. By using ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, Jeff was able to create a weekly schedule while multitasking in the kitchen. He explains how practical AI tools can transform everyday productivity.
Later in the episode, Jeff covers three quick updates in the AI world:
1.OpenAI’s Latest Features – including the launch of Canvas and a preview of AI Agents, which may become mainstream by 2025.
2.The Longshoremen Strike and the challenges of AI and automation in the labor market.
3.Google’s NotebookLM – a new tool that transforms written content into high-quality audio and its potential to reshape content creation.
If you want to know more about how to integrate AI productivity tools into your daily routine or stay updated on the latest AI developments, this episode is for you.
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The Rise of AI Companions: Exploring the Future of Human-AI Relationships w/ Shavonne Wong
In this episode of AI-Curious, host Jeff Wilser sits down with acclaimed digital artist Shavonne Wong to explore her latest project, “Meet Eva Here”—an AI-powered social experiment examining the evolving relationship between humans and AI companions. Drawing inspiration from the “Be Right Back” episode of Black Mirror, Shavonne has created a chatbot that interacts with users, with conversations being anonymously reflected on the AI companion’s Instagram account. Together, Jeff and Shavonne discuss the implications of AI companions for human emotions, relationships, and even societal norms.
This episode dives deep into some pressing questions: Can AI companions provide meaningful emotional connections? Will AI mimicry of human behavior be useful, even if it lacks true understanding? And what does the future hold for AI-powered digital companions in our everyday lives?
Shavonne also shares her personal experiences as an artist integrating AI into her creative process and the ethical dilemmas surrounding generative AI. The conversation veers into NSFW territory, so consider this a heads-up for sensitive listeners.
Topics Discussed:
•Shavonne Wong’s “Meet Eva Here” AI project (00:01:30)
•The ethical implications of AI companions (00:06:45)
•Exploring grief tech and the future of digital resurrection (00:16:00)
•Emotional connections with AI: Real or illusion? (00:25:30)
•The role of AI in loneliness and mental health (00:30:00)
•Artistic creativity and generative AI’s impact on creators (00:37:00)
Links Mentioned:
•Learn more about “Meet Eva Here” at meetivahere.com
•Follow Eva’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetevahere
Shavonne Wong’s portfolio:
https://www.meetevahere.com/
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California's Dead AI Safety Bill...and is AI smarter than CEOs...already?
In this episode of AI-Curious, we dive into one of the most polarizing debates in AI right now: California’s SB-1047, the state’s proposed AI safety bill. After months of intense discussion, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, which many considered to be the toughest AI regulation ever introduced in the U.S. But why? And what does this mean for the future of AI safety and innovation?
We explore the surprising twists in this debate, including the unusual alliances formed around the bill. Nancy Pelosi opposed it, while Elon Musk, in a rare turn, supported it. The AI startup community largely rejoiced at the veto, but the AI safety crowd saw it as a missed opportunity to hold tech companies accountable.
Governor Newsom’s rationale? He argued that the bill, while well-intentioned, didn’t properly account for how AI systems are deployed and could unfairly target smaller developers. Critics, however, saw it as caving to corporate lobbying. We unpack all of these angles, asking: what does this decision tell us about the future of AI regulation, both at the state and national level?
We also cover quick updates from OpenAI’s leadership shakeup, a study that suggests AI can outperform human CEOs, and a fascinating discovery of new Nazca geoglyphs using AI technology.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/26/nazca-lines-peru-new-geoglyphs?utm_source=www.therundown.ai&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=google-s-ai-designs-its-own-chips&_bhlid=a125bba170bd7857a1f7133251266592555d839f
https://hbr.org/2024/09/ai-can-mostly-outperform-human-ceos
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How Governments Can Leverage AI for Good, w/ Denver Mayor Mike Johnston
In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser is joined by Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston to discuss how governments can leverage AI for good. Recorded live from the Denver AI Summit, Mayor Johnston outlines his vision for using AI to enhance public services, streamline city operations, and solve pressing societal issues.
The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including:
•How Denver is becoming a laboratory for AI innovations in city government
•Practical applications of AI, from speeding up traffic management to reducing government red tape
•The ethical considerations of AI (and why there's low-hanging fruit before we need to get to the "doomsday" concerns)
•Mayor Johnston’s partnership with AI leaders like Reid Hoffman to position Denver as a hub for AI solutions
•How AI can improve public services like permitting, trash collection, and public safety
Jeff and the Mayor also explore the future potential of AI in transforming cities and public policy, with Denver leading the charge as a model for other cities. Tune in for an insightful discussion on how AI for Good can reshape the way governments serve their citizens.
Listen now to learn how AI is being used to make day-to-day life more efficient, equitable, and transparent.
https://denverite.com/2024/09/18/den-ai-summit-johnston-hoffman/
https://denaisummit.com/
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Is AI Revolutionizing Hollywood? Lionsgate’s Groundbreaking Partnership, Explained
In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser explores the role of AI in the film industry, focusing on a major new partnership between Lionsgate and AI video startup Runway. Could AI actors and AI-written scripts become the norm in Hollywood? With access to John Wick, Hunger Games, and 20,000 other movie and TV titles, Runway is poised to revolutionize film production.
Jeff dives into how AI tools are changing pre-production and post-production workflows, discussing both the optimistic view—AI as a tool for creators—and the concerns raised by industry professionals like Reid Southen, a concept artist for The Matrix Resurrections and Hunger Games.
Additionally, we discuss the potential of a secret AI-powered device being developed by Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief, and Sam Altman of OpenAI. What could they be building, and why are they raising $1 billion for it?
Lastly, the episode highlights a new study published in Science, which explores how AI chatbots could be used to combat conspiracy theories, offering a rare positive angle on AI and misinformation.
Timestamps:
[00:00] Introduction: AI in Hollywood and the Lionsgate-Runway partnership
[01:00] The potential impact of AI on creators and filmmakers
[03:00] Concerns from concept artists about AI replacing human roles
[04:00] Jony Ive and Sam Altman’s secret AI project
[05:00] Can AI help fight misinformation and conspiracy theories?
[07:00] Using AI in podcast production: lessons and challenges
If you’re interested in how AI is reshaping Hollywood and creative industries, this episode offers a balanced look at both the opportunities and challenges.
https://runwayml.com/news/runway-partners-with-lionsgate
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq1814
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The AI Risks (Almost) No One is Talking About, w/ Tech Critic Sara M. Watson
In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser dives deep into AI critiques with Sara Watson, a leading technology critic. The conversation explores the often overlooked risks of AI, moving beyond the usual dystopian scenarios of robots taking over and instead addressing the more subtle, real-world implications of AI.
Sara is a former principal analyst at Forrester, the co-founder of A People’s History of Tech, and has written for outlets such as The Atlantic and Wired, and her work has been featured in The New Yorker. She brings a thoughtful and nuanced perspective to the current AI landscape. On this episode we cover AI’s environmental toll, the concentration of power, bias in AI training data, and the challenges of distinguishing truth in an era of deepfakes.If you’re curious about how technology shapes society and what AI means for our future, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
Key Topics:
•[00:02:00] The Role of Criticism: It’s Not About Negativity or Nihilism
•[00:04:00] Being “Cautiously Optimistic” and Understanding the Hype Cycle
•[00:05:00] Investigating AI’s Claims in a Critical Moment of Hype
•[00:06:00] The Importance of Asking the Right Questions
•[00:07:00] Long-Term Existential AI Risks vs. Present Harms
•[00:08:00] Bias in AI: The Historical Injustices Baked into Data Sets
•[00:11:00] Environmental Costs of AI and the Hidden Resource Strain
•[00:12:00] The Concentration of Power: Who Owns and Controls AI?
•[00:14:00] The Ethical Challenges of AI Development
•[00:15:00] How Bias in Training Data Reinforces Systemic Injustice
•[00:16:00] Human Choices Behind Algorithms: The Myth of Objectivity
•[00:19:00] Deepfakes and the Erosion of Trust in Visual Media
•[00:22:00] The Weaponization of AI to Cast Doubt on Authentic Media
•[00:24:00] Sci-Fi’s Role in AI Critique: From Killer Robots to Governance
•[00:25:00] The Fragility of the Systems Built on AI: A Conversation on Tech Infrastructure
•[00:26:00] Tech Criticism Today: How It’s Evolved Over the Last Decade
•[00:27:00] What Are We Optimizing For? How This Question Shapes AI’s Development
•[00:29:00] Regulation, Children, and the Role of Government in Tech
•[00:31:00] Progress for Whom? Criticism as Part of AI’s Development
•[00:34:00] Future Justice and What AI Should Be Used For
•[00:35:00] Creativity, Human Time, and AI’s Role in Freeing Us for Innovation
•[00:36:00] What Sara Means by Being a “Radical Futurist”
•[00:38:00] AI and Capitalism: Can We Imagine a Different System?
Key Topics Covered:
•The role of AI criticism in driving thoughtful progress
•The environmental impact of AI and its hidden costs
•Bias in AI algorithms and its real-world consequences
•The risks of AI misinformation and deepfakes
•How concentration of power in AI development affects us all
Sara M. Watson
http://www.saramwatson.com/
Toward a Constructive Technology Criticism
https://www.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/constructive_technology_criticism.php
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OpenAI’s New o1 Model: Game-Changer or Overhyped? (And 3 quick things.)
In this episode of AI-Curious, here's your quick, bite-sized weekly roundup of the latest developments in artificial intelligence, starting with OpenAI’s newest model, the bizarrely-named “o1.” Is it a groundbreaking advancement or just another step in AI’s evolution? We explore both sides, offering a balanced look at the bullish and skeptical takes on the model.
Key Topics:
•[00:00] - Introduction to OpenAI’s o1 Model
A quick primer on OpenAI’s “o1” model, highlighting its unique approach to problem-solving and how it compares to previous models like ChatGPT.
•[01:00] - Bullish Take on o1’s Performance
How o1 outperformed ChatGPT-4 in key benchmarks, including PhD-level science questions, coding, and even scoring an IQ of 120. There’s also the example where o1 developed a 200-year plan to Terraform Mars.
•[02:00] - The skeptical take
On the flip side, we explore skepticism from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who admits the model is still flawed. AI expert Gary Marcus also critiques o1’s limitations, noting its failure in tasks like playing chess.
•[03:00] - Ethan Mollick’s Middle Ground
We take a closer look at Ethan Mollick’s perspective, where he acknowledges o1’s strength in handling complex work tasks but notes that most people might not find it useful for everyday applications.
•[04:00] - 3 Quick Things:
•[04:00] - The White House’s new AI infrastructure task force and its role in managing AI’s growing energy consumption, which could account for 17% of U.S. electricity demand by 2030.
•[05:00] - Fei-Fei Li’s $230 million spatial AI startup, World Labs, and how it’s contributing to the future of humanoid robots.
•[06:00] - The legacy of James Earl Jones and how AI voice cloning could preserve iconic voices for the future.
Mars terraform AI prompt:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JTF411tMmicqEe6HJ9OnhRNswTq8qIjcZUzh_GhppPM/edit
Futurism's article on James Earl Jones:
https://futurism.com/the-byte/james-earl-jones-voice-rights-ai
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AI and Race, w/ Dr. Broderick Turner & Angela Yi
Two researchers from Virginia Tech recently published a study: “Representations and Consequences of Race in AI Systems.“
I'm thrilled that the co-authors of the study, Dr. Broderick Turner (Assistant Professor of Marketing at Virginia Tech) and Angela Yi (Doctoral Candidate at Virginia Tech) could join AI-Curious to discuss the takeaways from their study, and more broadly, help us unpack the complicated intersection between AI and race. When should AI models include race? When should they *ignore* race?
Or more to the point, how should AI developers be thinking about race?
Dr. Turner and Angela get into all of this, offering concrete advice for those building AI.
https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/08/pamplin-race-ai.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X24000447?dgcid=author
https://www.jointhetrap.com/
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Robot Butlers are (Sort of) Here, and Apple AI Looms Large
Welcome to the debut episode of The Weekly AI Edge!
This is part of the AI-Curious podcast. Each week you'll be getting short, punchy roundups of key AI news. We'll get you in and out.
This week:
A company called Weave Robotics announced that it's now taking pre-orders for humanoid robots that can do household chores -- like fold laundry, feed your dog, etc. This is just the latest development in humanoid robots, coming fast on the heels of other updates from companies ranging from OpenAI to Tesla.
And 3 quick things:
1. Apple gets ready to launch Apple Intelligence... and why this is a sneaky-big deal.
2. Trump gets AI-pic treatment with kittens and ducks...in more AI-fueled election misinformation.
3. OpenAI ready to release its biggest update since ChatGPT4?
Enjoy the ep!
https://www.weaverobots.com/
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/new-details-on-openais-strawberry-apples-siri-makeover-larry-ellison-doubles-down-on-data-centers
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Trailer for AI-Curious: The Weekly Edge
Fun announcement!
Starting next week, AI-Curious will be serving up two episodes each week:
1) One long-form interview with thought leaders in the space (what we've been doing for the past week), and..
2) "The Edge," a weekly roundup of AI news. This will be short, punchy, and fun(ish). Each week we'll have one headline topic, and then three quick things. That's it. No muss, no fuss. For busy people who want to stay abreast of key developments in the AI space, but don't want to devote a ton of time to do it.
Gonna be a fun ride!
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AI in Hollywood (part ii), with Toonstar's John Attanasio and Luisa Huang
Happy Anniversary!
Exactly one year ago, we launched AI-Curious. We've published an episode every week since, rain or shine, work or holiday, human or AI. We've spoken with CEOs, philosophers, artists, inventors -- but it all started with a conversation with two Hollywood producers: John Attanasio and Luisa Huang, the cofounders of Toonstar studios.
Toonstar has been using AI for years to make technology -- particularly animation -- easier, cheaper, and faster for creators. This makes it more inclusive. And in the past year they have been VERY busy. So for our one-year anniversary, I wanted to invite John and Luisa back on the pod as our first-ever repeat guests.
Since we spoke, Toonstar launched the hit series StEvEn & Parker, which now has over 30 million weekly YouTube videos. AI is a big part of the story.
We get into the current vibes of AI and Hollywood (the good, the bad, and the contrarian), how projects like StEvEn & Parker help "expand the pie," and much of the nuance of how the industry is thinking about artificial intelligence.
Enjoy the episode and Happy Anniversary.
StEvEn & Parker
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT62Tu2qTUQUsHfo4E0X9_Q
Deadline's story on StEvEn & Parker
https://deadline.com/2024/03/steven-parker-random-house-toonstar-parker-james-deal-1235848736/
Toonstar
https://www.toonstar.com
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The Case for Decentralized AI, w/ Aethir Cofounder Mark Rydon
AI, as even its supporters acknowledge, has many problems today. Just a few: Concerns over data privacy, creators not getting compensated for supplying the data that trains the AI models, lack of trust of Big Tech AI, a shortage of the high-powered chips needed to train AI, debates over censorship, and on and on.
Could Decentralized AI be the answer?
I'm joined today by Mark Rydon, cofounder of Aethir, one of the leading companies in Decentralized AI. Aethir is working, essentially, to make it easier for more people to gain access to the GPUs needed to train AI -- wherever they are on the globe.
Mark and I walk through the current challenges of "centralized" (or Big Tech) AI, consider the merits of a Decentralized approach, take a sober look at the challenges that need to be overcome, and then hear about how Aethir is working to crack the problem.
Fun episode - enjoy!
Aethir:
https://aethir.com/
Mark Rydon on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/MRRydon
Mark Rydon on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrydon/?originalSubdomain=sg
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AI, Transhumanism, and the Quest for Longevity, w/ Futurist Dr. Natasha Vita-More
Can AI help us live forever?
Okay, that's the click-baitey version of the question, but the real version is far more nuanced. Our guest today is a leader of the transhumanism movement -- Dr. Natasha Vita-More -- and she explains what it is, what it's *not*, how AI is involved, and why we are likely to see a dramatic improvement to our lifespan...
Dr. Vita-More dispels some common misconceptions, that transhumanism is just trying to turn us into cyborgs. The roots of transhumanism, at heart, go back to the birth of philosophy -- she's as inspired by Plato as she is the latest tech.
We get into all of this, from advancements in data analysis to nano-robots that can repair our cells.
Super fun conversation - hope you enjoy.
Dr. Natasha Vita-More on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Vita-More
https://www.natashavita-more.com/
https://x.com/NatashaVitaMore
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AI to Make Good Writers Great Writers, w/ Mushtaq Bilal
Is AI going to replace writers? Or is AI just terrible at writing?
Maybe neither of these viewpoints is accurate. Instead, AI can be a tool to help people write -- whether that's fiction or academia or emails to your boss.
Today's guest, Mushtaq Bilal, PhD, is a master at using AI to assist with writing projects. He writes about this prolifically on Twitter/X and LinkedIn, and he's widely regarded as being at the forefront of writing and AI. A postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern Denmark, he's also the co-founder of Research Kick, an AI-powered tool designed specifically for academic researchers.
Mushtaq and I get deep into the nuance of using AI to assist with writing projects -- from helping with structure to identifying blind-spots to critiquing our own work. We also get into the merits of Custom GPTs, which can be sneakily leveraged to help with our writing.
If you do any writing of any kind, I suspect you'll get something out of this. Enjoy the show!
Mushtaq Bilal
https://x.com/MushtaqBilalPhD
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mushtaqbilalphd/
Research Kick
https://www.researchkick.com/
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Black Mirror Today: The AI Chatbot That Scored $50,000 from Marc Andreessen, w/ Andy Ayrey
Andy Ayrey likes to experiment with AI. He had an idea: What if he created a room where two AI chatbots talked to each other...infinitely? What would happen? (Wackiness.)
Then he had another idea. He created a new chatbot, imbued it with all kinds of content about himself (Andy), and then unleashed the chatbot to Twitter. He affectionally calls it "The Little Guy." Then the little guy began to interact with the world... including one of the most influential venture capitalists in the space, Marc Andreessen. Soon real capital got involved, and the little guy is trying to upgrade itself....
Welcome to the future.
This conversation was a blast; hope you enjoy.
Andy Ayrey on Twitter/X:
https://x.com/AndyAyrey
https://www.infinitebackrooms.com/
"The Little Guy"'s Twitter/X:
https://x.com/truth_terminal
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The Most Burning AI Trends, w The AI Daily Brief's Nathaniel Whittemore
Every day (including weekends), Nathaniel Whittemore cranks out the "AI Daily Brief" podcast. It's excellent. He also runs an AI education community called "Superintelligent." It also looks excellent.
In short, there's literally no one on the planet more plugged into what's happening in the world of AI than Nathaniel, better known as "NLW."
We nerd out on all things AI, including the Open vs. Closed debate, what he sees as the most fascinating AI trends, how he uses AI to magic all the magic happen, his AI predictions, and much much more.
Super fun convo!
The AI Daily Brief
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-daily-brief-formerly-the-ai-breakdown/id1680633614
Superintelligent
https://besuper.ai/
NLW on Twitter
https://x.com/nlw
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Curious Housekeeping, AI Hallucinations
In this "snack size" edition, we're covering some quick housekeeping and sharing a vignette about some wacky AI hallucinations.
The housekeeping: I'm excited to share that AI-Curious is near the end of Phase 1. Soon we'll be expanding, growing, scaling. Soon we'll be adding more coverage of the latest news, trends, and developments in the AI space. We'll also keep delivering these in-depth interviews. Stay tuned!
As for the hallucination? Let's just say Chat GPT struggled with some very basic reading comprehension...
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Deep Dive into AI and Marketing, w/ AI Marketers Guild Founder David Berkowitz
If you’re even tangentially involved in marketing, you’re either: 1) Actively using AI; 2) Thinking about using AI; or 3) Falling behind.
So today we’re going to go deeeeeep in the world of AI and Marketing, and there’s no one better to guide us than David Berkowitz, Founder of the AI Marketers Guild.
The AI Marketers Guild is a community of thousands of marketers across a wide range of industries, and they’re actively gathering, chatting, and brainstorming on how to best use AI. So this conversation represents not just one person’s opinions on AI, but really a synthesis of what the community cares about.
We cover a ton of angels here: The best AI tools for marketers, the most compelling use cases, where AI really shines and where it flops.
A hyper-practical conversation; hope you enjoy.
AI-Curious with Jeff Wilser is hosted by—you guessed it—Jeff Wilser. That's me. In addition to being a podcast host, I'm also a writer and public speaker.
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AI’s and Spatial Biology’s Potential for Curing Cancer, w/ Nucleai CEO Avi Veidman
For over 20 years, Avi Veidman served in the Israeli intelligence forces, and he used AI to to map the world. In the military he used AI for national defense, and he learned its power.
He then realized that just as AI could map a battlefield, it could map cancer cells in biopsies and pathology slides.
Enter Nucleai, his company that’s using AI to improve the science of “spatial biology,” which can ultimately unlock new treatments and cures…with cancer on their radar.
Avi and I get into how this all works, the staggering potential, and the real-world challenges that need to be overcome.
Nucleai
Merck’s $14 million investment in Nucleai:
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How to Fix AI and IP (and Hollywood), w/ Story Protocol co-founder Jason Zhao
Virtually everyone in the AI space and Hollywood can agree on one thing: the system is broken. There’s no clear way of how to handle AI in Hollywood — or virtually any creative field — which has led to confusion, frustration, anger, and lawsuits. No one seems to have a good solution.
Enter Story Protocol.
Story, co-founded by today’s guest Jason Zhao (formerly of Google Deep Mind), is working to build the infrastructure for IP and AI — a network or even a marketplace, of sorts. The tech is a mix of AI and blockchain, and they recently raised $54 million from the likes of a16z and Endeavor to try and pull this off.
Jason and I cover a LOT of ground. We get into the root causes of the problem, possible solutions, how Story Protocol works, and what are the challenges they need to overcome. (And along the way we might have created a Marvel and DC crossover.
Really fun episode.
Story Protocol:
Variety’s story on Story Protocol:
https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/story-protocol-funding-endeavor-david-goyer-1235709843/
Jason’s presentation at the AI Summit at Consensus, which I was honored to host:
https://consensus2024.coindesk.com/agenda/event/-startups-vs-goliath-case-studies-227
Why Does AI Hallucinate? Can It Be Fixed? w/ EyeLevel.AI CEO Neil Katz
As most people who have played with AI know, it can make stuff up, or what’s often referred to as “hallucinate.” (I like to think of it as “bullshitting.”
It’s one of the trickiest problems vexing the entire AI space. Why does AI do this? How widespread is the problem? What are the solutions, and is it even something that CAN be solved?
To unravel all this, we speak with Neil Katz, the founder of EyeLevel.AI, a company that’s developing solutions to help make AI more accurate (and less likely to hallucinate) for private companies. They're building what they call the "truth serum" for AI,
We dive deeeeep into the world of AI hallucinations, as it's one of the least understood--and most important--topics in the space.
I very much enjoyed.
Find Neil and EyeLevel.AI at:
https://www.eyelevel.ai/
AI to Revolutionize the Health Care Experience, w/ Lyric CEO Rajeev Ronanki
The health care system in the US is a mess. Few will argue this. Can AI make it better?
That's the thesis of Rajeev (Raj) Ronanki, CEO of Lyric, which is working to build AI that will simplify and streamline the health care experience. What can AI make better? How will you, as a patient, have a dramatically different experience in the world of AI-assisted health care? And what are the challenges that need to be overcome to make this a reality?
Raj and I get deep into the current problems with the health care system, how AI can help, and what it will take -- as a society -- to pull this off.
Lyric.AI:
https://www.lyric.ai/
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Robot Dogs and Dystopian Use of AI Surveillance at the Border, w/ Petra Molnar
Petra Molnar is a Harvard Faculty Associate, lawyer, human rights activist, and author of the just-released book The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
Publisher’s Weekly gave the book a glowing review and called it a “a grave wake-up call."
To research this book, Petra spent *six years* studying what she called the “sharp edges” of surveillance tech, focusing on how it’s impacting real people. She spent considerable time at the border and in refugee camps. And she emerged from this research with chilling, dystopian tales of how AI-infused surveillance is being used at the border. Things like…“robot dogs,” which are exactly what they sound like.
We get into what her research has uncovered, what she thinks caused the current state of play, the often over-looked role of defense tech, and what she sees as possible solution.
Whatever your take on this issue, it’s an important conversation she’s raising. Hope you enjoy the episode.
The Walls Have Eyes:
https://thenewpress.com/books/walls-have-eyes
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7 Ways Crypto (yes, Crypto!) Could Help Build Better AI
Before launching the AI-Curious podcast, I spent a bunch of years writing about bitcoin, blockchain, crypto, and web3, often for CoinDesk, the space’s main publication. I still write about it. So I’m in a relatively unique position to see the intersection of these two techs. Is there a connection? Can crypto really help develop better AI? There’s now an explosion of interest in “Decentralized AI,” which — in theory — could help minimize risks from Big Tech, reduce bias, fight censorship, solve the problem of deepfakes and even make AI more inclusive.
And this episode is sneaky-timely. There are over 15,000 people converging in Austin, Texas, for the annual “Consensus” conference — presented by CoinDesk — which focuses on the wider world of crypto. There’s now an “AI Summit” at this conference… and I’m hosting the AI Summit. So this episode is very much a conversation, in a sense, of the themes discussed at Consensus.
(And if you found this podcast from Consensus itself, welcome! This is an excellent intro episode for you.)
Consensus 2024:
https://consensus2024.coindesk.com
Piece I wrote last year:
“10 Ways Crypto and AI Can Make Each Other Better (or Maybe Worse)”
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AI and the Law, w/ Patent Attorney Robert Plotkin
I'm going to guess that most people listening to this podcast are not lawyers. Fair. I'm not either!
But there are *massive* questions about how AI impacts the law -- new questions about IP, copyrights, patents -- and also how AI impacts the legal profession itself.
Here to guide us through all these questions is Robert Plotkin, a 25-year-veteran patent attorney and the author of the 2009 patent-and-AI book "The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing Is Revolutionizing Law and Business" and the new book "AI Armor: Securing the Future of Your AI Company With Strategic Intellectual Property."
Because even if you're not a lawyer... if you like things like movies, books, and tech - this will impact you in sneaky and surprising ways.
AI Armor:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0D15MMHWZ?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_J34MV0C4EQF2GM6S28BT_2
Robert Plotkin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertplotkin/
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New AI (and AI-agent) Safety Risks, w/ AI Safety Expert Bo Li
Many have been worried about AI safety. But the stakes were just raised: OpenAI and Google just announced new capabilities that look likely to usher in the new era of “AI agents,” meaning tools that will automatically accomplish tasks for you like buying plane tickets or even how to invest your 401k. What could go wrong?
It’s Bo Li’s job to figure out what could go wrong. Li is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, where she conducts research and experiments on AI safety. Her team does “red team” analysis to try and hack and jail-break AI to sniff out problems. She already uncovered flaws in the AI that powers self-driving cars, and the systems then improved as a response to her work.
We get into the tricky problem of AI agents, the AI safety risks that keep her up at night, the possible dystopia of AI-injected deep fakes — and tools that could fight them — as well as why Li is NOT worried about existential risks to humanity.
I found this conversation oddly…comforting? Hope you enjoy!
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AI to Revolutionize Medical Diagnostics (and save millions of lives), w/ Dr. Bryan Dechairo, CEO of Sherlock Bio
Sherlock Bioscience is developing medical diagnostic tests that are dramatically faster, cheaper, and easier to distribute than traditional models.
The impact? This could make health care more inclusive, slow the spread of STDs, and help us avoid future pandemics.
Dr. Dechairo and I start with the current problems of traditional diagnostic tests, then get into how AI could help and how that could impact the globe.
There is a LOT of silly stuff in the world of AI… this is not that.
Hope you enjoy the conversation.
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The Problems of AI Bias and the Solutions for AI Adoption, w/ Adam Bai
No tech is just about the tech. True adoption — or lack thereof — is often about issues of culture, which is why I’m thrilled to speak to today’s guest: Adam Bai, who’s an anthropologist as well as the Chief Strategy Officer of Glimpse, a company that leverages AI for market research solutions.
Adam’s team has done extensive research on both AI adoption — and how this intersects with a company’s culture, teamwork, people, etc. — and AI bias and equity. He’s helped diagnose the problem and has some ideas on the solution.
At heart, this discussion gets at the growing gap between AI promises and AI reality, as it helps explain why some organizations are struggling to adopt AI, and others are thriving.
Fun conversation! Thanks again to Adam and Glimpse.
Glimpse:
https://www.glimpseahead.ai/
Adam Bai:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-bai-68131799/
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Incorporating AI into Education, w/ Dean David Marchick & Professor Angela Virtu
How will AI impact education?
One university isn't passively waiting to see how the dust settles, but is instead aggressively incorporating AI into its curriculum. That would be American University's Kogod School of Business, which has moved at warp-speed to modify its curriculum in 20 classes to incorporate AI this Fall.
I'm delighted to be joined by the two key players in this initiative: Kogod School of Business' Dean David Marchick, and Professor Angela Virtu, who is spearheading the AI training of faculty and the AI-ification of the curriculum.
We get into the many, many facets and complexities of AI and education... How is the faculty reacting? What does an "AI curriculum" look like, exactly? What about the obvious question of cheating?
We cover a ton of ground and I had a blast -- hope you enjoy the conversation.
Link to The Wall Street Journal story that covers Kogod's AI adventure:
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/generative-ai-mba-business-school-13199631
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The Robot Revolution is Closer Than You Think, w/ Theta Founder Kordel France
Boston Dynamics just unveiled their new robot, "Atlas." The AI space was floored. Some were excited, some startled, some terrified, all fascinated.
Whether we like it or not, thanks to the rapid acceleration of AI, robots -- specifically humanoid robots -- are closer than we think. Robots are now less science fiction and more a short-to-medium-term likelihood.
So where are we now with robots? Where are we headed? What will Robot Land look like in, say, 10 years?
Joining the pod to discuss all things robots is Kordel France, Founder and Lead Engineer of Theta, an AI and robots company with a novel focus on the olfactory sense--smell. Their theory is that smell can have surprising use cases in AI right now, and in the future it could be the key to unlocking more robust, more natural Artificial General Intelligence.
Fun convo - enjoy!
Theta
https://thetadx.ai/
Link to Boston Dynamics' Unveiling of Atlas:
Or as The Verge calls it, "Boston Dynamics’ new Atlas robot is a swiveling, shape-shifting nightmare"
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/17/24133145/boston-dynamics-resurrects-atlas-humanoid-robot-electric-new
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How 10 AI Experts Are Using AI in Their Day-to-Day Lives
We've all heard "AI will transform the world!!!"
But how are AI experts *actually* using AI now, today, for reals, in their day-to-day lives?
I've collected some wisdom and insights from prior guests of AI-Curious to give what is -- hopefully -- some super useful and concrete suggestions on how to incorporate AI into your own workflow. From ChatGPT as "debate partner" to brainstorm to massively underpaid research assistant, here are how people are using AI today.
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Building Custom Applications to Help Companies (Actually) Use AI, w/ Dmitry Shaprio
Dmitry Shaprio has been in the space for decades; he was a product lead at Google and the CTO of MySpace.
Now he's the CEO of MindStudio, a company that helps companies create custom apps to integrate AI.
And a LOT of companies are using MindStudio. 34,000 apps have now been created using MindStudio, and this ranges from large corporations to solo-entrepenuaers to government agencies. The apps are used for sales, HR, marketing, operations -- everything.
Dmitry, essentially, is helping companies go from AI Hype to AI Substance.
We get into the nitty gritty of why these Apps matter, how they're used, and how businesses can (actually) integrate AI into their operations.
Fun episode!
MindStudio.ai:
https://youai.ai
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Creating a Revolutionary New Drone in 24 Hours, w/ AI Engineer Ian Laffey
At a recent hackathon, Ian Laffey was part of a team that designed, created, 3D-printed, and assembled a drone in 24 hours... and for under $500.
The drone's breakthrough: It doesn't need a signal for GPS, which means that it can be deployed off the grid, and can't be "jammed" in a war zone...like Ukraine.
Laffey's drone is now a sensation in the world of defense-tech.
Laffey is now the CTO of Theseus, and he joins the pod to discuss how his team pulled this off, why the drone is such a breakthrough, how AI played a crucial role -- we get into the nuts and bolts, not just platitudes -- and then Laffey shares, on a day-to-day basis, what it's really like to be a 24-year-old AI engineer working in San Francisco, the world's nexus for AI innovation.
Fun convo!
Ian Laffey on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/ilaffey2
Theseus:
https://theseus.so
Article from AviationWeek on the drone Laffey helped create:
https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/emerging-technologies/how-trio-engineers-developed-gps-denied-drone-under-500
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How AI will (positively!) Shape the Future, w/ Futurist Kevin Surace
There are many AI doomsdayers.
Kevin Surace is not one of them.
Kevin has been in a pioneer in the AI space since the 1990s, went he helped develop the tech that would directly influence Siri and Alexa. He has since been named by CNBC as one of the "Innovators of the Decade" and is now a regular keynote speaker.
We have a *wide-ranging* conversation on how AI will shape the future, covering everything from robots to flying cars to job losses to whether AIs can become sentient.
A really fun conversation.
You can find Kevin at:
https://kevinsurace.com
and
https://twitter.com/kevinsurace?lang=en
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AI and the Search for Puppies
If you need to get a puppy, what's the best way to go about it?
Harnessing AI, of course.
I recently decided to get a puppy. I didn't know what to get or how to do it. (I've never owned a dog.)
So I made liberal use of ChatGPT in research, analysis, and execution, and then turned to AI for help with puppy training.
I doubt you're in the market for a new puppy, but I think this is a useful extended metaphor of how AI -- and specifically ChatGPT -- can help in a very concrete, real-world analysis situation.
(This episode is sponsored by my new puppy.)
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AI’s Potential to Democratize Coaching, w/ Dr. Friederike Redlbacher
AI might change the world. But it can it help change you?
You could argue that AI coaching, fundamentally, might be the most important impact of the entire tech. In today’s world, professional career coaching is generally only available for the privileged. What if it was available for all? But what are the risks and concerns?
Joining us to break this down is Dr. Friederike Redlbacher, Managing Director of Symbolon AG. She’s working with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and developed the world’s first AI-based coaching tool in 2023, which is largely art-based.
In this episode, Dr. Redlbacher and I cover the pros, cons, upsides, risks, and exciting potential of injecting AI into the coaching landscape.
Link to Symbolon self-coaching:
https://www.dfki.de/symbolon-coaching/?language=en
To claim one of the 5 free codes offered by Dr. Redlbacher, email me at jeff@jeffwilser.com with the subject line “AI coaching - code.”
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The Rise of Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) that Can Compete with Rogue Super-AIs, w/ Trent McConaghy
If AI gets super intelligent and super powerful, will it be benevolent? Or will it want to crush us like ants?
Perhaps they’ll be benevolent. Maybe they’ll be “aligned” with our interests. But if not? What should we do? How can we prepare for this nightmarish scenario?
Trent McConaghy has a plan. McConaghy has been working in AI for decades, both as an entrepreneur and as a researcher, and he’s widely respected in the field.
And he recently gave a speech to the “existential-risk” (x-risk) group at NASA about how, to prepare humanity for this all-powerful AI…We need to become more than humans. Specifically, we need to embrace the idea of Brain-Computer Interface, or BCI.
BCI, says McConaghy, can even help unshackle us from the constraints of being a flesh-and-blood human. In a literal mind-meld with computers, we could be 1,000 times smarter and live longer.
This sounds like deep sci-fi, but McConaghy lucidly breaks down the vision in a way that’s step by step, easy to understand, and almost feels…plausible?
Whether you agree with the theory or not, McConaghy’s thoughts are FASCINATING and he makes for a wildly engaging conversation about the future of AI. I’m confident that anyone even remotely interested in AI — or sci-fi — will find his thought experiments intriguing.
Among many other sweeping and futuristic topics, we cover:
Why economic incentives make AGI (or “ASI,” for Artificial Super Intelligence) is perhaps more likely than we think (13:50); Why we might soon be like an anthill compared to god-like entities of Artificial Smart Intelligence (23:00); whether these all-powerful ASIs will protect human rights (26:00); why we need a “more competitive substrate” that helps us be more than human and hyper-boost our intelligence (29:00); how creating powerful Brain-Computer-Interfaces is more grounded and less sci-fi-ish than you might think (35:00); how we will some day —maybe soon — be able to just think of videos and use telepathy to send to friends (45:00); why the human “bio-stack” won’t be enough and we’ll need a synthetic solution (53:00); the dangers of “bike shedding” the risks of ASI (59:30); how BCI could plausibly go mainstream (61:30); why when we’re 94 years old we might switch from our “bio-stack brain” and migrate to our “silicon-stack” side (65:00).
So join us on a futuristic and fascinating journey….
McConaghy’s presentation to the existential-risk group at NASA:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tLK1sBCMNuJTNX8Pi99iDmLzFiIsUOk5/view
McConaghy’s Medium article that breaks down the BCI theory:
https://medium.com/@trentmc0/bci-acc-a-path-to-balance-ai-superintelligence-80bb6f32e39c
McConaghy on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/trentmc0
Ocean Protocol, the blockchain-powered AI ecosystem that McConaghy founded:
https://oceanprotocol.com
My article about AI and blockchain where I first interviewed McConaghy, and he shares a part of this theory (which got me fascinated in the first place):
https://www.coindesk.com/consensus-magazine/2023/09/21/is-crypto-ai-really-a-match-made-in-heaven/
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AI and the Ukraine War, w/ TIME Magazine's Vera Bergengruen
The cover of this week’s TIME Magazine has a bold headline: “The First AI War.” The subtitle: “Palantir and other tech giants are building the future of battle in Ukraine.”
The writer of this cover story is Vera Bergengruen, a senior correspondent at TIME.
And Vera joins us today at AI-Curious.
We cover: How Ukraine is using AI and what it’s accomplishing (3:00); how they’ve created a “war lab” that's a testing ground for new innovations (12:00); privacy and ethical concerns (23:00); repercussions for the future of war (37:00); and some behind-the-scenes from her reporting (40:30).
Important topic. And Vera's the perfect guest to discuss it. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation.
Vera’s cover story in TIME Magazine, “The First AI War”:
https://time.com/6691662/ai-ukraine-war-palantir/
Vera’s author page:
https://time.com/author/vera-bergengruen/
Vera Bergengruen on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/VeraMBergen?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
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AI and the State of Play of Self-Driving Cars, w/ Noah Gedrimas
Confession: I don't really care about cars. But I *love* the idea of self-driving cars.
So what's the status of this idea? There's now a fleet of self-driving cars in San Francisco. How good are they? How safe? What are the limitations? And what are the technical challenges that still need to be overcome, and how does AI fit into all of this?
To unpack all of this, I'm joined by Noah Gedrimas, the Vice President of Strategy at GPR, a company at the forefront of the self-driving care movement. GPR is building tools that allow for precise "localization" -- letting the car know exactly where it is on the road, a crucial piece of the self-driving puzzle.
Super fun convo! After this talk I'm even more excited about this industry's future.
GPR
https://gpr.com
Noah Gedrimas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-gedrimas-14307960/
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The (hype-free) AI Playbook for Machine Learning, w/ Eric Siegel
Eric Siegel is a longtime expert on machine learning, and is the author of the new book "The AI Playbook: Mastering the Rare Art of Machine Learning Deployment."
Eric has been a professor at Columbia University, a longtime machine learning consultant, and he's the founder of the long-running "Machine Learning Week" conference series.
Eric's take? AI is over-hyped, but machine learning still has much to offer a business...if you know how to deploy it. So in this pod, we go t through his step-by-step playbook of how to deploy machine learning, and how that's different from more squishy AI hype.
The book has been getting some buzz in the space. Scott Galloway gave it a glowing blurb, calling it a "robust primer on machine learning,” and a “must-read for anyone in the information economy.”
Fun convo!
The AI Playbook: Mastering the Rare Art of Machine Learning Deployment
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0262048906/
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AI in Finance, Bridging Hype to Reality w/ Vasagi Kothandapani
Can AI make you rich? Or, more to the point, can AI make investment banks, hedge funds, and financial services companies even richer?
Not so fast...
Vasagi Kothandapani is an expert in helping financial services companies train, develop, and integrate AI. She's the Senior Vice President of AI Training at RWS, a tech-enabled content and language organization. And she stops by the pod to help separate the hype from the reality of AI in fintech... what are the exciting use cases, and what are the sober realities that need to be overcome?
You can think of this as essentially a "case study" for the challenges that all businesses face when trying to incorporate AI. Sounds easy but the details get tricky in a blink.
So even if you're not in finance, anyone who does any kind of work can relate to much of these larger themes and tradeoffs.
AI at RWS:
https://www.rws.com/artificial-intelligence/
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AI Dispatch from Sundance, and Hilke Schellmann on Bias in AI Hiring Practices
As our quick appetizer, a quick dispatch from the Sundance Film Festival, where AI was seemingly *everywhere*.
For our entrée, we speak with Hilke Schellmann, author of the new book "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now."
If you have a job, or will some day get a job, or know someone with a job, this is a topic relevant to you.
Link to The Algorithm:
https://www.amazon.com/Algorithm-Decides-Hired-Monitored-Promoted/dp/0306827344/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Hilke on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/HilkeSchellmann
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The War over AI Training Data, and Key AI Trends w/ Sharon Goldman, Senior Writer at Venture Beat
What are the most important stories in AI right now? Today we chat with Sharon Goldman, Senior Writer at Venture Beat, who covers all things artificial intelligence.
Sharon and I get into:
Why the race for training data is so crucial in the future development of AI (2:30); why so much hinges on The New York Times vs. Open AI (12:40); the looming wars between Open AI and Anthropic and XAI and others (31:00); the potential coolness (and terror) of AI hardware (35:00); and much much more.
Sharon Goldman on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/sharongoldman
Sharon Goldman’s author page at Venture Beat:
https://venturebeat.com/author/sharongoldman/
Inc Magazine’s “4 Ways to Get AI Savvy in 2024,” featuring….the podcast AI-Curious!
https://www.inc.com/amanda-pressner-kreuser/4-ways-to-get-ai-savvy-in-2024.html
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How to (Actually) Use AI in Your Day-to-Day Life, w/ Catalist AI cofounder Sam Stevens
We all know AI has tons of potential, but how do you *actually* use ChatGPT in your daily life?
Sam Stevens is the cofounder of Catalist AI, an AI-powered project management assistant. She’s also the writer of the “Prompt and Circumstance” newsletter, where she shares hyper-pragmatic tips and tricks for how to get the most out of ChatGPT and other AI tools.
So in this episode, we go deeeeeep into the practical, concrete, actual ways that you can use ChatGPT in your day-to-day life. This is useful for beginners and pro-users alike, as Sam drops a ton of helpful strategies.
We cover:
Using ChatGPT as a thought partner (3:40); ChatGPT for personal project managet and schedule optimization (4:50); the benefits of giving AI super-specific context (15:50); how and why to use AI to help analyze content (23:30); using AI to step up your LinkedIn game (28:30); how to use ChatGPT as a thought partner and for “rubber ducking” (30:00); favorite prompt engineering strategies and tips and tricks (32:40); Sam reveals her global system prompts (35:30); the goal of her new start-up Catalist AI (38:30) and much more.
To get on the waitlist for Catalist AI:
www.catalistai.com
Prompt & Circumstance newsletter:
https://promptandcircumstance.beehiiv.com
The "too online" AI/web3 newsletter that Sam also writes:
BoysClubWorld
https://boysclub.vip/brandnew/
Sam Stevens on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthastevens01/
Sam Stevens on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/SamJStevens
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AI’s Impact on the 2024 Election, w/ Election Expert David Becker
As deep fakes get easier and the truth gets murkier, how will AI impact the 2024 election?
We’re joined by election expert David Becker, the founder and Executive Director of the non-partisan and non-profit Center for Election Innovation & Research. David is also the co-author of “The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of The Big Lie.’”
David breaks down the many aspects of AI and the 2024 election, including: The current state of play of election integrity and why they’re more secure than you might think (5:15); what most concerns him about how AI-enabled mischief could muck things up (14:30); how deep fakes could cause problems (21:00); why disinformation could be a problem *post* election (36:45); why in 2024 the LEFT might be the victim of a disinformation campaign and wrongly think that the election was “stolen” (39:30); and finally what we can do to protect and inoculate ourselves against AI-fueled misinformation (45:00).
David Becker on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/beckerdavidj
The Center for Election Innovation and Research
https://electioninnovation.org
Election Official Legal Defense Network:
David’s book, “The Big Truth”:
https://thebigtruthbook.com
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10 AI Predictions for 2024
Where is AI headed next year?
I curated some of my favorite AI predictions -- and give a few of my own -- from some of the year-end AI roundups and prediction articles.
We cover deep fakes, further AI integration into business, the 2024 election, AI going mobile, and much more.
AI prediction articles referenced in the pod:
The Economist:
https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2023/11/13/generative-ai-will-go-mainstream-in-2024
PWC:
https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/ai-analytics/ai-predictions.html
Axios
https://www.axios.com/2023/12/27/ai-predictions-tech-trends-2024-openai-chatgpt
Yahoo Finance
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2024-predictions-how-ai-will-impact-everything-in-healthcare-162535006.html
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7 Key AI Trends from 2023, w/ Tech Strategist George Kamide
So what did we learn about AI in 2023? What are the most important trends?
To make sense of this wild new space, I’m joined by tech strategist and AI consultant George Kamide, who’s also the co-host of the cybersecurity podcast, “Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks.”
George and I cover:
The public’s “first contact” with generative AI, and why that seems to be plateauing (03:00); the merits of “tuning” a model, and what it will take to get that mainstream (07:00); the biggest AI trends in business from 2023 (17:30); whether AI will “take all the jobs” (20:30); why we are *already* in the age of synthetic reality and misinformation (25:20); the trends of multi-modality and integration and AI agents (39:00); and why 2024 might involve the “trough of disillusionment” (50:30).
This was a fun wide-ranging conversation - enjoy!
Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks podcast
https://www.bareknucklespod.com
Ikea case study referenced by George:
https://www.reuters.com/technology/ikea-bets-remote-interior-design-ai-changes-sales-strategy-2023-06-13/
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Chilling Risks of AI Deepfakes and Cyberattacks, w/ Security Expert Christian Seifert
You get a FaceTime from a loved one. They're in trouble. Big trouble. Their life is in danger. They need you to Venmo you $, they have no choice.
Except...it's not them you're FaceTiming with, it's an AI-enabled deepfake that can talk to you real-time.
Welcome to the fun world of AI phishing and cyberattacks!
Christian Seifert, a veteran cyber-security expert (he used to head up cyber-security at Microsoft, and now he's Researcher in Residence at the Forta network), joins the show to unpack these kinds of risks. How worried should you be? How grim will the future get?
We cover:
How AI makes it easier for personalized scams and fakes (2:30); why AI security needs to be baked into the tech and tools we use today (8:30); why “prompt injections” pose a risk and what we can do about it (18:00 ); how AI agents could cause mischief as a type of “super virus” (20:00); whether he prefers open-sourced or closed-sourced AI development for AI safety (25:00); why Christian is cautiously *optimistic* that the future will bring an advantage to AI safety defenders (26:30); and recommendations to the listener of how they can minimize AI risk (29:30); and a surprise twist that AI is making the jobs of cyber-security... paradoxically easier?
The Forta Network:
https://forta.org
Christian Seifert on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/cseifert
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AI Risks and Safety, w/ The AI Policy Institute's Executive Director, Daniel Colson
Now it's time for the flip side of AI.
What could go wrong?
Daniel Colson is the Executive Director of The AI Policy Institute, which has a mission of helping policy-makers create smart regulation. They also conduct polling to better understand how Americans are thinking about AI. Daniel, at heart, is a tech optimist, but in this episode he breaks down the reasons that AI makes him pause.
We cover: The different categories of AI risk, including malicious use by bad actors, AI-arms race dynamics between states, Super-AIs going off the rails, and the less obvious ”organizational risks” (04:30); Insights from his polling on how Americans are thinking about AI (31:00); Regulation that Daniel hopes to see (40:00).
The AI Policy Institute:
https://theaipi.org
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Human Cloning is Here(?!), with BHuman CEO Don Bosco
Send in the clones. They're here.
Don Bosco is the founder and CEO of BHuman, a start-up that is, well.... creating human clones. For real! Don has cloned himself and he can easily clone you. (Digitally, at least.)
So why the cloning? Don views this as a way for him to get more done in his own life -- his clone can knock out all the pesky online things he doesn't want to do. We cover a LOT of ground in this episode, including: The benefits of having a clone, and how it can help for businesses (3:00); what having a digital clone actually looks like in practice (5:40); why he is now CREATING 35 MILLION CLONES!! (24:10); the risks and ethics and downside of cloning (29:00); and how Don thinks that cloning ourselves, paradoxically, helps us be more human (55:00).
This episode was a blast to record. Hope you enjoy.
BHuman:
https://www.bhuman.ai
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AI's Impact on Marketing and Fashion, w/ Deniz Ozgur (a Forbes' "30 Under 30" leader)
When the AI hype began in earnest, "marketing and advertising" was one of the industries seen as most likely to be disrupted.
This is already happening. Enter Deniz Ozgur, partner at AI marketing firm Evercopy, and one of Forbes' "30 Under 30" for her groundbreaking work in retail and ecommerce.
Deniz shares how AI is *already* effective at generating both marketing content and even campaigns, and gives predictions on how it will change the industry going forward. (The theme: Personalization, personalization, personalization.)
Deniz is also the co-founder of Space Runners, an AI/fashion company, which lets users inject their own personalized creations into pre-existing brands. (Back to that theme: Personalization.)
And before that, we'll get some thoughts on the true meaning of Thanksgiving from someone who knows all about human gratitude: ChatGPT.
Evercopy:
https://www.evercopy.ai
Space Runners:
https://spacerunners.com
Deniz Ozgur on Forbes' 30 Under 30
https://www.forbes.com/profile/deniz-ozgur/?sh=7251c738432f
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AI to Super-Charge Translation, w/ Smartling CEO Bryan Murphy
Some of the best use cases of AI are when we think of it not as Artificial Intelligence, but "Augmented Intelligence."
That's what Bryan Murphy, CEO of Smartling, is effectively doing: Using AI to enhance and super-charge their systems, as opposed to scrapping the old way and starting from scratch.
Smartling is a company that uses AI to translate languages for clients like Peloton, Shopify, and Pinterest. On this episode, Bryan explains how they've embraced AI to do it faster and cheaper and at a higher quality (9:10); why global translation matters (14:35); whether AI can help us achieve a Star Trek-level "universal translator" (16:30); whether AI can effectively translate literature or poetry (21:00); and why all of us are probably better off in our careers embracing AI (23:00).
And before that, for the first time on this podcast, Jeff shares how he's personally using AI...
Smartling:
https://www.smartling.com
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AI for Drug Discovery and Longevity, w/ Rejuve CEOs Kennedy Schaal and Jasmine Smith
The most important, wide-reaching, and profound use case for AI might just be drug discovery. Normally it takes YEARS for scientists to develop drugs; AI can slash the timeline.
Kennedy Schaal is the CEO of Rejuve Bio, a startup that’s harnessing AI for faster drug discovery. And Jasmine Smith is the CEO of Rejuve AI, its sister company, which is racing to build a data-set that’s more equitable and inclusive and reflective of all humanity, with an end game of extending our longevity.
Kennedy and Jasmine discuss the current problems with drug discovery, how AI can help, and how AI can be especially impactful for more “niche diseases” that wouldn’t normally provide enough profit for Pharma companies to invest in.
Conversation with Rejuve Bio CEO Kennedy Schaal at (3:00).
Conversation with Rejuve AI CEO Jasmine Smith at (40:30).
Rejuve Biotech:
https://www.rejuve.bio
Rejuve AI:
https://www.rejuve.ai
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Is AI Creative? Can AI Be an Artist? W/ Mario Klingemann, Inventor of “Botto”
By now you've heard the question, "Can AI create art?"
Mario Klingemann had a more provocative question: "Can an AI machine be an artist?"
So Mario set out to do just that. He created an ingenious AI-powered system called "Botto," which is creating art as we speak. Each week, a group of humans votes on the best stuff, and then the winners are sold as NFTs. Sometimes these are listed at Christie's.
Mario's work is FASCINATING. And he's been working with art and machine learning for over 15 years; his work has appeared in places like The Met, the MoMa, and the British Library.
In this episode we cover what draws him to AI (3:30); the creation of Botto (8:00); whether AI can truly be creative (25:00); his advice for traditional artists looking to break into AI (32:00); and his predictions for the future of Botto and AI art (38:00).
Fun episode!
Mario's Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Klingemann
Mario's personal site and gallery:
https://quasimondo.com
Botto.com:
https://www.botto.com
My interview with Mario at CoinDesk:
https://www.coindesk.com/consensus-magazine/2023/08/22/meet-botto-the-ai-artist-that-mints-its-own-nfts/
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AI to save local news, w/ Nano Media co-founder Winston Chen
Will AI kill the newsroom? Possibly. But today’s guest has a different goal. Winston Chen, the co-founder of Nano Media, is using AI to try and *save* the newsroom, or at least to save local newsrooms.
The fact is that over the last 20 years, local newsrooms have been gutted — most are no longer economically viable. So Winston is using AI to create tools to help revitalize the nation’s network of newsrooms… and it has already started.
In this episode we cover:
How a loss of local news leads to tribalism and polarization (5:00 ); How a morning walk with his dog sparked the idea for AI experimentation (14:30); How the team began experimenting with using AI to summarize YouTube videos of local meetings (23:00); Whether AI should “write” a news story (29:00); Why the AI tool is designed to be boring (32:00); Future types of AI-empowered content for the newsroom (43:30 ); Predictions for how AI will impact the media industry (54:00 ).
For any fellow media nerds out there, this one's for you!
NanoMedia:
https://nanomedia.org
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Mastering AI Visual Art and Storytelling w/ Heather Cooper
For many, the first "gateway drug" for generative AI is text-to-image, using tools like DALL-E and Midjourney to instantly flex your creative muscles.
Heather Cooper is a master of AI visual art and storytelling.
She has quickly become one of the most respected voices in the AI visual art/storytelling space. Her Substack, Visually AI, shares all kinds of tips and tricks on how to make better AI images. And she's also just really, really, really good at creating stunning AI visual artwork.
This episode is for anyone who either 1) has ever dabbled in visual AI and wants to get better; or 2) enjoys hearing stories about how people turn side-hustles into proper hustles, and what we can learn from their success.
We cover: Her strategies for learning and mastering visual storytelling with AI, and how worked to make prompts more inclusive and representative (7:00); her favorite use cases for ChatGPT (20:00); advice she gives people when they're starting out with visual AI art (22:00); her favorite tools, and the sneaky power of spreadsheets (26:30); hyper-specific prompting tips and tricks (38:30); and much much more.
Heather Cooper's website (check out her gallery):
https://heatherbcooper.com
Heather's substack, Visually AI:
https://heatherbcooper.substack.com
Heather Cooper on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/HBCoop_
Heather Cooper on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/hb.coop_/
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AI to Empower, w/ All Star Code's Danny Rojas
What should be the role of AI in education? Cheating is an obvious concern. But can AI be used to accelerate, personalize, and even empower education?
That's the path taken by All Star Code, a non-profit education organization that teaches tech and coding skills to young men of color. Danny Rojas is All Star Code's Executive Director. And he has been *extremely* forward-thinking in integrating AI into both the curriculum and the non-profit's workflow.
We discuss:
How AI can be used as a "co-pilot" for students (4:00); How they're thinking about the issue of AI and cheating (12:00); How AI can help teachers with lesson plans (15:00), How AI can help high school students in surprising ways (22:00); How AI can help scale the non-profit (27:00); Practical tips for more effective prompting (35:15); What's exciting about AI trends in education in the future (43:30).
All Star Code:
https://allstarcode.org
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How Will We Know if AI is Alive (Conscious), w Neuroscientist Dr. Grace Lindsay
If AI becomes conscious, you could argue this is the most important inflection point in the history of humanity.
So how will we know if and when that happens?
Professor Grace Lindsay, a neuroscientist, recently co-authored a report -- along with a team of philosophers and fellow neuroscientists -- that suggested a framework for how we might know if AIs are conscious.
In this episode, Dr. Lindsay unpacks that report and helps us understand it, shedding light and clarity on a tough-to-understand topic. We cover: The background and goals of the AI Consciousness Study (5:00); The philosophical chicken-and-egg problem of how to define consciousness (07:50); Why it's so damn tricky to determine if AIs are conscious (16:00); An overview of the study's framework (19:00); Why all of these possible criteria might be "necessary but not sufficient" (26:00); Whether any current AI projects are getting close to consciousness (42:00); What most people get wrong about AI consciousness (50:30).
The report Dr. Lindsay co-authored, "Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence: Insights from the Science of Consciousness":
https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.08708
The New York Times - "How to Tell if Your A.I. Is Conscious":
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/science/ai-computers-consciousness.html
Professor Lindsay's book "Models of the Mind: How Physics, Engineering and Mathematics Have Shaped Our Understanding of the Brain":
https://www.amazon.com/Models-Mind-Engineering-Mathematics-Understanding/dp/1472966422/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=models+of+the+mind&qid=1612921824&sr=8-1
Professor Lindsay's site:
https://gracewlindsay.com
Professor Lindsay on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/neurograce
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Moral Implications of AI Consciousness, w Philosopher Jeff Sebo
If AI becomes sentient, what are the moral, ethical, and legal implications?
This is a tricky question with many, many, *many* follow-up questions. So here to help is philosopher Jeff Sebo -- a professor at New York University; the Director of the Mind, Ethics, and Policy Program; and the author of the book "Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves."
In this sprawling conversation, we cover the ethics of AI from a ton of different angles: What can we learn about consciousness from the study of animals, and how does that apply to AI? (4:00); How can we discern AI consciousness? (11:10); What are the implications of AI sentience, and do they deserve rights? (25:30); What are some legal and moral scenarios we might need to deal with if AIs become sentient? (30:00); Why it's surprisingly urgent to start tackling these questions NOW (35:00); Is it okay to be a "species-ist"? (46:30); Why AI Rights and AI welfare might become the most controversial and polarizing issue of our lifetime (52:15).
Jeff Sebo on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/jeffrsebo
Jeff Sebo's book "Savings Animals, Saving Ourselves"
https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Animals-Ourselves-Pandemics-Catastrophes/dp/0190861010
Jeff Sebo's Los Angeles Times Op-Ed, "What should we do if a chatbot has thoughts and feelings?"
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-06-16/artificial-intelligence-morals-ethics-sentience-thinking
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The Wild World of AI "Digital Twins," with Querlo CEO Francesco Rulli
You can now use AI to create a digital clone, or "digital twin" of yourself or loved one or anyone, really. Why would you do this? What's the benefit? And why do some digital twin enthusiasts view the tech, essentially, as a way to cheat death?
There's no better expert on digital twins than Francesco Rulli, founder and CEO of Querlo, an AI company that provides services to clients like Microsoft and IBM and Pepsi.
Francesco has created his own digital twin. He shares how and why he did it (4:40), he opens up with candor and vulnerability about how, he hopes, he can use digital twins to communicate with his deceased parents (11:00), he predicts when this will all become a reality (17:00), he responds to the critics who say "this is all too creepy" (20:00), and provides some wider AI predictions (24:00).
You can meet Francesco's digital twin at:
https://www.francescorulli.com
You can learn how to create your own digital twin through Querlo at:
https://www.querlo.com/digitaltwin
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How to Use AI in Business Operations, w Rachel Woods, CEO of The AI Exchange
Do you work at a job? Then you're probably involved in some kind of business operations, and there's a 99.999% chance that your job will be impacted by AI.
So how do you leverage AI to make your job easier? If you're a business leader, how do you create an AI strategy for your company or department? Where should you even begin?
I spoke with an expert in all of this, Rachel Woods, CEO of The AI Exchange, who's a consultant and educator for how businesses can embrace AI.
We get into it!
At a high level, Rachel shares the AI strategies and principles that businesses should think about, as opposed to just using the tools (4:40), how to think about the question of whether AI will take our jobs (11:00), some of her favorite AI tools for boosting productivity (14:00), the importance of creating what she calls "bespoke systems" (18:00), what AI is surpassingly good at... and surprisingly bad at (28:34), and advice for those in business just starting out with AI (39:40).
Bonus? At the end of the show, Rachel provides a promo-code for AI-Curious listeners to use for the educational courses at The AI Exchange.
Super practical episode, hope you enjoy.
You can find Rachel Woods at:
https://twitter.com/rachel_l_woods
The AI Exchange:
https://theaiexchange.com
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Building an AI Business, with SwingVision CEO Swupnil Sahai
Think of this as an "AI case study" -- a way to make the abstractness of AI concrete by going deep on a hyper-specific example.
Swupnil Sahai is a former Tesla engineer. He worked directly with Elon Musk on the AI that powers self-driving cars.
He then created "Swingvision," an AI-powered tennis app, which recently won Apple's prestigious Design Award. (Other winners include heavyhitters like Headspace and Duolingo.)
The app records your tennis match. It then lets you analyze the results, review your form, and even challenge line calls in real-time. It's now being used by 100+ division 1 college tennis programs.
All of this is powered by AI. So I spoke with Sahai about how the AI works (7:00), what he learned about AI from Tesla and Musk (11:45), how neural networks come into play (15:30), how they built their data model (19:40), what AI is good at and what it's surprisingly bad at (23:30), and his advice for AI founders and entrepreneurs (36:00).
SwingVision:
https://swing.tennis
SwingVision wins Apple Design Award:
https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/06/apple-reveals-its-2023-apple-design-award-winners/#:~:text=Image%20Credits%3A%20SwingVision,of%20strategy%20to%20the%20game.
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AI in Hollywood, with Toonstar's John Attanasio and Luisa Huang
Welcome to AI-Curious, a podcast that explores the good, the bad, and the creepy of artificial intelligence.
For the debut episode, I'll introduce the conceit of the show, and then we'll speak to some Hollywood producers who are pioneers of using AI: the cofounders of Toonstar Studios, CEO John Attanasio and COO Luisa Huang.
John and Luisa bring a somewhat unique perspective of AI in Hollywood. For years, they've used AI *not* to replace writers and actors... but instead to speed up production and build communities. They share first how AI helped lower the barriers to entry for animation (5:30), then how their shows and franchises (The Gimmicks, Space Junk, Fortun3) have embraced AI (11:10), how they think about using AI ethically and responsibly (30:00), their thoughts on the writers and actors strike and a possible way forward (37:30), and finally some ideas of what AI in Hollywood could look like in the future (44:30).
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Podcasten AI-Curious with Jeff Wilser är skapad av Jeff Wilser. Podcastens innehåll och bilderna på den här sidan hämtas med hjälp av det offentliga podcastflödet (RSS).
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.