Artificial General Intelligence won’t be with us for at least another 100 years, but former Baidu chief scientist and Google Brain cofounder Andrew Ng argues that AI will radically alter most industries within the coming decades. Ng joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the progress of AI and how it’s altering businesses and the future of work. They also discuss: How billionaires decide to invest in overly ambitious and unrealistic ideas. What makes a company an AI-first business. Why you shouldn’t start...
Oct 09, 2019•35 min•Ep. 2
If the UK’s former Prime Minister, Tony Blair , was in the government today, he says that he would mobilize his whole office around the technology revolution. Tony Blair and Azeem Azhar discuss why the tech leaders must collaborate with policy makers — whether they want to or not — and why regulating big technology is only a small part of the solution. In this podcast, Tony and Azeem also discuss: Why Silicon Valley needs to share societal responsibility with the public sector How the government...
Oct 02, 2019•34 min•Ep. 1
In the new season of the Exponential View podcast, Azeem Azhar speaks to an eclectic group of leaders in technology, business, politics, economics, and science to help us break through the complexity of our world and understand how it’s changing. The world’s top AI researchers discuss what the technology is really capable of, a 4-star general shares his concerns about the future of war in the AI age, and a leading economist untangles what economics has got wrong about the tech revolution. Azeem ...
Sep 25, 2019•3 min
Engineering biology holds the key to improving the lives of people across the world. It promises solutions to disease, food production, and pollution amongst other deep-seated problems. But this engineering is immensely difficult. CEO of LabGenius James Field , partner at NFX Gigi Levy-Weiss , partner at the investment firm Episode 1 Carina Namih , and science writer Oliver Morton come together to discuss the merging field of bioengineering. Carina, James, Gigi, and Oliver also discuss: How mach...
Aug 14, 2019•24 min
Artificial intelligence is a powerful technology with capabilities that are open to use by state and non-state actors. In this conversation Azeem Azhar , De Kai , and Joanna Bryson discuss how governance should adapt as our institutions are challenged by unintended consequences of the technology and its creators. Joanna, De Kai, and Azeem also discuss: Why rule-based systems fall short of protecting us against the unintended consequences of technology. The value of cross-cultural dialogue in est...
Aug 14, 2019•24 min
“At a fundamental level, insurance is a social good. It’s about a community of people pooling their resources to help the weakest members in their hour of need. That should be the most loved industry, but it’s 180 degrees away from that,” says Daniel Schreiber , the cofounder and CEO of the InsureTech startup Lemonade, in conversation with Azeem Azhar . Daniel and Azeem also discuss: How insurance is a business of probability theory, which is why the sector as a whole will only get more suscepti...
Aug 14, 2019•32 min
In 2015, computer scientist and AI pioneer, Stuart Russell , became the first signatory of an open letter calling on researchers to ensure “that increasingly capable AI systems are robust and beneficial.” Stuart joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the possible AI futures and how to ensure technology serves the good of humanity. Stuart and Azeem also discuss: The nature of intelligence and re-creating intelligence in machines Algorithmic fairness and regulating AI Embodied intelligence Using AI to reach...
Jun 26, 2019•48 min•Ep. 13
Shoshana Zuboff coined the term “surveillance capitalism” to describe the new way companies claim private human experience as products. Shoshana joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the emergence of surveillance capitalism, its pernicious and beneficial aspects, and the future for human autonomy and agency. Shoshana and Azeem also discuss: The evolution of the first surveillance capitalist. The economics of scale, scope, and action as forms of harm. How we can safeguard the beneficial aspects of technol...
Jun 19, 2019•33 min•Ep. 12
For Jürgen Schmidhuber , a recognized pioneer in AI, artificial intelligence is much more than another technological revolution. He sees it as the opportunity to transcend humanity and biology. In this conversation, Jürgen and Azeem Azhar discuss what the next thirty years of AI will look like. Jürgen and Azeem also discuss: The role of Long Short-Term Memory architecture in recent AI breakthroughs. Why the next AI wave will see machines actively shaping the data that they perceive. The second- ...
Jun 12, 2019•30 min•Ep. 11
One of the founders of complexity economics, W. Brian Arthur , joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how artificial intelligence is ushering us into the age of the autonomous economy with radical implications for our society. In this podcast, Brian and Azeem also discuss: Why the decision-making ability of AI will have a different class of impact on the economy than previous ‘landmark’ technologies like the printing press. Whether it is possible to have publicly available decision-making enabled by artif...
Jun 05, 2019•33 min•Ep. 10
Artificial intelligence is unlocking new value in the banking and finance industry, but incumbents are struggling to keep pace. Azeem Azhar discusses what this means for the industry and its customers with Citi Research’s Global Sector Head for Banks Ronit Ghose , and the founder-CEOs of two leading innovators: Daniel Schreiber of Lemonade Insurance and Rishi Khosla of OakNorth Bank. Paul and Azeem also discuss: The huge role technology debt plays in obstructing legacy banks from innovating. How...
May 29, 2019•43 min•Ep. 9
AI is the fastest-growing industry that Accenture’s CTIO Paul Daugherty has ever experienced. He joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how AI can help businesses across a broad range of industries enhance the value they offer customers. Paul’s 2018 bestselling book Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI laid the foundations for companies that want to harness AI to help innovate and grow quickly. Paul and Azeem also discuss: AI as a general-purpose technology and how to set priorities for its ...
May 22, 2019•36 min•Ep. 8
Director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University and one of the first female fighter pilots, professor Missy Cummings debates the current state of autonomy with Azeem Azhar . Taking a stance of techno-realism, Missy explains why we’re not even close to developing Level 5 autonomy in driving and why robotic surgery is still not safe. In this podcast, Missy and Azeem also discuss: The nonlinear upward movement across levels of automation. While early developments may take similar amounts...
May 15, 2019•39 min•Ep. 7
Michigan State University senior vice president Stephen Hsu , a theoretical physicist and the founder of Genomic Prediction, demonstrates how the machine learning revolution, combined with the dramatic fall in the cost of human genome sequencing, is driving a transformation in our relationship with our genes. Stephen and Azeem Azhar explore how the technology works, what predictions can and cannot yet be made (and why), and the ethical challenges created by this technology. In this podcast, Azee...
May 08, 2019•36 min•Ep. 6
With healthcare under extreme commercial and political pressure, the doctor-patient relationship is at a low point — and risks further deterioration. But digital technologies promise to revolutionize the daily delivery of care. Renowned digital medicine pioneer Dr. Eric Topol and Azeem Azhar discuss what this could mean for medical professionals, patients, and national healthcare systems. In this podcast, Eric and Azeem also discuss: Issues of access: equality of access and coping with different...
May 01, 2019•33 min•Ep. 5
“We haven’t really understood the power of the state,” argues economist Mariana Mazzucato , warning that this has impacted the rising inequality in wealth creation and distribution. Mariana and Azeem Azhar discuss the role of government in innovation and business growth, risk-taking as the new mentality of bureaucracy, and how the benefits of entrepreneurial innovation have been misread. Above all, the case is made for a new theory of value in today’s economy. In this conversation, Mariana and A...
Apr 24, 2019•31 min•Ep. 4
Our society has become increasingly reliant on data, but its value is not accessible to all. Of the 16 billion terabytes of data created globally in 2016, only 1% was analyzed. Among other discrepancies, the growing data monopolies concentrate power over certain technologies such as artificial intelligence precluding their positive impact on society. Trent McConaghy , AI researcher and the founder of the decentralized data exchange, Ocean Protocol, is aiming to solve this by enabling individuals...
Apr 17, 2019•33 min•Ep. 3
“Intelligence is central to everything humans do, and artificial intelligence should be no exception.” With these words, Joanna Bryson urges for stronger professional standards for software engineers and experts designing intelligent-like systems. Joanna is a tenured associate professor at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, where she founded the Bath Intelligence Systems group. She is one of the world’s leading AI researchers, uniting the perspectives of computer science, psychology, ...
Apr 10, 2019•32 min•Ep. 2
In the late 1800’s, three innovation platforms shaped the world as we know it today: the telephone, electricity, and the internal combustion engine. Today, five powerful innovation platforms are accelerating at the same time: DNA sequencing, robotics, energy storage, deep learning, and blockchain technology. Cathie Wood , CEO and CIO of ArkInvest, is leading the way in investing in disruptive technologies at a time when many investors are holding back due to uncertainty. Azeem Azhar and Cathie d...
Apr 03, 2019•37 min•Ep. 1
Parag Khanna is a leading international relations expert and the author of The Future Is Asian: Commerce, Conflict and Culture in the 21st Century . Azeem Azhar and Parag discuss the law of technology diffusion, break common myths about Asia’s development, and question whether the future belongs to cities or nation-states. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Feb 06, 2019•35 min•Ep. 18
Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish author and human rights activist. She has published 16 books, 10 of which are novels. The New York Review of Books called her latest novel, Three Daughters of Eve , a “marvelous lesson in multiculturalist angst, the clash between modernity and tradition, and the vicissitudes of personal struggle.” Elif and Azeem Azhar discuss the polarization of culture springing out of the foundations of the open internet, and the ways to tackle the pervasive issu...
Jan 30, 2019•27 min•Ep. 17
Marietje Schaake is a Dutch politician and member of the European Parliament (MEP) from the Netherlands. The Wall Street Journal called her “Europe’s most wired politician,” and Politico named her the “ultimate digital MEP.” Marietje is a member of the Committee on International Trade and the vice chair of the Delegation for Relations with the U.S. She established a Digital Agenda intergroup, gathering members of the Parliament who are interested in addressing the future of digital technologies....
Jan 23, 2019•37 min•Ep. 16
Emil Eifrem is the CEO and cofounder of Neo4j, the graph database platform powering some of the largest companies today. Emil is the creator of the property graph model, and he coined the term “graph database” to describe the technology that would change how we understand big data. Neo4j’s technology was used to reveal the rogue offshore financial relationships in the largest journalist leak ever, the Panama Papers. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz...
Jan 16, 2019•51 min•Ep. 15
Jack Clark serves as the policy director at OpenAI. He has contributed to the development of the AI Index, an AI forecasting and progress initiative that is part of the Stanford One Hundred Year Study on AI. Azeem Azhar and Jack discuss the state of artificial intelligence development, the geopolitics of technology, and the implications of automation on society. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pe...
Dec 26, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 14
Gina Neff is a senior research fellow and associate professor at the University of Oxford. She studies innovation, the digital transformation of industries, and how new technologies impact work. Gina has published three books: Self-Tracking in 2016, Surviving the New Economy in 2015, and Venture Labor in 2012. Gina and Azeem Azhar discuss technology development from a sociological perspective, as well as the implications of self-tracking for the individual and society. www.exponentialview.co Hos...
Dec 19, 2018•40 min•Ep. 13
Michael Liebreich is a leading global expert on clean energy and transportation, smart infrastructure, technology, climate finance, and sustainable development. He founded New Energy Finance in 2004, which was acquired by Bloomberg in 2009. Michael and Azeem Azhar discuss the significance of the U.S. National Climate Assessment and IPCC’s report, the importance of staying below two degrees, and the role of exponential technologies in transitioning to renewables. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by ...
Dec 13, 2018•57 min•Ep. 12
Casper Klynge is the world’s first tech ambassador, with a global mandate and staff in Copenhagen, Silicon Valley, and Beijing. His appointment as the Danish tech ambassador in 2017 marked a new phase in diplomacy and international relations, and was the first time a nation-state deployed an ambassador to represent its citizens to the world’s most powerful technology companies. Casper and Azeem Azhar assess the current alignment between some of the largest technology companies and nation-states,...
Dec 06, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 11
Kate Raworth is a senior visiting research associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, where she teaches environmental change and management. She is also a senior associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Kate is focused on exploring the economic mindset needed to address the 21st century’s social and ecological challenges. Kate and Azeem discuss the Doughnut economics framework as the essence of rethinking economics for a world inhabited by 10 bill...
Nov 28, 2018•55 min•Ep. 10
Anousheh Ansari is the world’s first female private space explorer and the first Iranian astronaut in space. She is the CEO of XPrize Foundation, an organization that supports radical breakthrough solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. Azeem Azhar and Anousheh discuss the ways space development could help us tackle climate change and pollution and achieve sustainable crypto mining. Anousheh shares about her journey to become a space explorer and her time at the Inter...
Nov 21, 2018•45 min•Ep. 9
Lisa Witter is an award-winning executive, a serial entrepreneur, and the cofounder and executive chairman of Apolitical, a network that helps public servants around the world share inspiring ideas, solutions to challenges, and the best professional resources and opportunities. Azeem and Lisa discuss reviving trust in government, the road map for building the public service workforce of the future, and the role of agile in governance. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compa...
Nov 14, 2018•35 min•Ep. 8
