When you’re hungry and you need something in a pinch, a meal kit or pre-made entree is tough to beat. But it turns out that getting them from the factory to your refrigerator is difficult when there aren’t enough people to do the prep. Rajat Bhageria, founder and CEO of Chef Robotics has an answer for that. Chef Robotics utilizes embodied AI, the intersection of AI and robotics, to make unlimited kinds of meals with a smart and flexible approach that’s revolutionizing the production line. Bhager...
Jan 15, 2025•34 min
Integrating AI into human society means balancing so many uncertainties. The questions we ask as we develop the AI tools of today will shape the reality of tomorrow. As Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, Eric Horvitz takes this responsibility to heart. He joins Pioneers of AI as a longtime colleague of host Rana el Kabliouby in the AI space, to talk about the principles that guide him and his team as they steer breathtaking innovation. He explores AI’s circles of influence, and how humans ca...
Jan 08, 2025•33 min
What does it take to make AI? This is a question Dr. Rana el Kaliouby explored in a moderated discussion at this year’s Fortune Brainstorm AI featuring Daniela Braga, founder and CEO of Defined AI; Benjamin Plummer, CEO of Invisible Technologies; and Jonathan Ross, founder and CEO of Groq. In this special presentation of the live panel, we dive into the nuts and bolts of making artificial intelligence, how to ethically source the data we need to power large language models, and why we should kee...
Jan 01, 2025•19 min
Happy holidays from the Pioneers of AI team! Enjoy the premiere episode of the Artful Intelligence miniseries, from our friends at Possible! In this episode, Chris McLeod introduces us to Montreal-based filmmaker Malick Lombion, whose groundbreaking technique, Hyperlapse X AI, is redefining video art. Malick combines hyperlapse cinematography with cutting-edge AI tools like DALL-E to compress time, space, and reality into surreal and mesmerizing visuals. Malick pushed AI to its creative limits, ...
Dec 25, 2024•52 min
The human microbiome plays a large role in our health, but it’s something we don’t yet fully grasp. Understanding microbes and how they affect our health requires a lot of computing power, which is expensive and time-consuming. Kevin Slavin says AI can help. Slavin, an entrepreneur and dynamic thinker in the field of metagenomics, believes understanding microbiomes is key to improving our health and even our communities. With AI, he has worked to uncover how microbiomes impact our bodies and the...
Dec 18, 2024•31 min
As consumers continue to move towards healthier and more sustainable options when shopping for food, new and established food brands are looking to fill that need— with varying success. Riana Lynn thinks AI is the solution. As the CEO and founder of Journey Foods, Lynn has created an AI-powered platform that features a patented recipe generator that can help brands develop new products and source the ingredients. Her platform also helps companies build a brand for their health-forward products a...
Dec 11, 2024•31 min
Creating and sharing art is a uniquely human experience. With the rise of AI, creative processes are shifting, but Taryn Southern doesn’t think that means art becomes any less human. As a storyteller and technologist, Southern uses AI to push the limits of her creativity. She also works to help fellow artists and everyday people embrace the potential of AI. Southern joins Pioneers of AI to talk about what partnering with AI to make art looks like, how she assembled a team of chatbots to create a...
Dec 04, 2024•36 min
With every cutting-edge technology, it feels like the responsibility to use it safely takes a back seat to the speed of development. When it comes to AI, Navrina Singh wants to change that. As the founder and CEO of Credo AI, Singh introduces companies to AI governance and provides a platform to help those companies make their AI tools less biased, more secure, and more trustworthy. Singh joins Pioneers of AI to talk about what AI governance looks like, our government’s role in it, and how respo...
Nov 27, 2024•36 min
To deliver excellent customer service, you need excellent service reps — agents who can meet a customer’s needs and accurately answer their questions, all while representing and elevating the company's brand. Bret Taylor thinks that AI agents are the answer. As the co-founder of Sierra, Taylor is partnering with companies like Weight Watchers, Sonos, and SiriusXM to build AI agents that uniquely represent a brand’s mission and voice. As tech industry innovator and leader for two decades, and cur...
Nov 20, 2024•36 min
Modern technology gives us the ability to connect with more people in more places than ever before. Despite this, we are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and increased isolation. Eugenia Kuyda thinks AI can help. As the co-founder and CEO of Replika, Kuyda has built an app that allows users to create, customize, and talk with their own AI companion. For many users, AI companions are not just novelties but a source for deep and meaningful feelings of connection. Kuyda joins Pioneers of AI t...
Nov 13, 2024•38 min
Cutting-edge special effects have brought some of the highest-grossing films, like “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame,” to life. Historically, these effects are time-consuming and expensive to produce, but that’s changing. Now, AI offers more options. Co-founder and CEO of Metaphysic, Tom Graham, is at the forefront of reshaping Hollywood using AI — building tools that provide more fidelity and realism at a cheaper price. Graham joins Pioneers of AI to talk about how AI is transforming the entertai...
Nov 06, 2024•31 min
AI is ushering in a new era for humanity. And for Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at Alphabet’s X, AI’s transformative power is not just about technology; it’s about our human mindset. At X (no relation to the social media platform of the same name!), the Moonshot Factory’s audacious projects include Taraa, Google Glass, and Waymo. Teller says he cultivates a “10x mindset” for his team to find breakthrough solutions to the world's biggest challenges. Host Dr. Rana el Kaliouby sat down with Te...
Oct 30, 2024•26 min
We have all experienced searching for a job. Online platforms have made it easier than ever to share your resume, but harder to stand out in the sea of applicants. AI plays a growing role for job seekers and hiring managers alike. Journalist and author Hilke Schellmann spent years diving into the impact of AI on who gets hired and moves up – or doesn’t – in writing her book "The Algorithm." Schellmann joins Pioneers of AI to talk about how and why she began reporting on AI and jobs, how AI has c...
Oct 23, 2024•31 min
We all know what it’s like to call a medical office and wait on hold, just to provide basic information that only takes a few minutes once someone picks up. Medical workers face this, too, spending hours on calls to share patient details or billing codes. Elad Ferber, co-founder and CEO of Synthpop, is deploying AI agents to take those calls, using synthetic human voices with AI behind them to reduce administrative tedium in healthcare. Hear a Synthpop agent handle a call and more from Elad on h...
Oct 16, 2024•26 min
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to AI. There’s a belief that AI will replace our jobs and friendships or even take over the world. But Jeremy Kahn sees things differently. To him, AI can augment human potential when used strategically. Khan’s new book, Mastering AI , gives a birds-eye view of the state of AI and highlights how this tech can transform our classrooms and medical systems for the better. Kahn joins Pioneers of AI to share his honest concerns about AI and ideas for ho...
Oct 09, 2024•37 min
It’s always tough for parents to navigate challenges with their kids, especially amid a widespread shortage of mental health workers. Sam Gardner, a seasoned tech leader and mom of two, has faced parenting struggles herself. She found therapy to be so helpful that she built an AI-powered app, Happypillar, to democratize therapeutic tools. Sam talks about how the platform analyzes child-caregiver interactions, makes recommendations guided by professionals, and seeks to improve outcomes for famili...
Oct 02, 2024•35 min
Tech journalist for the New York Times and Hard Fork podcast host Kevin Roose has always been interested in AI, particularly the social side. What is it like to talk to an artificial intelligence, and to have it talk back? How will fast-evolving AI chatbots change our social lives? To find out, Roose invited 18 AI companions into his life, using popular apps like Kindroid and Replika. Roose joins Pioneers of AI to unpack the experience, introduce us to his “friends,” and share the best (and wors...
Sep 25, 2024•38 min
For Dr. Joy Buolamwini, addressing bias in data sets and algorithms, especially in facial recognition, is crucial to AI’s future. How do the data sets we use to train AI play into that? After years of research at MIT, founding of the Algorithmic Justice League, and becoming the “poet of code,” Dr. Joy has made it her mission to ask questions about inclusion in AI design, and address the answers. Dr. Joy joins Pioneers of AI to share how she uncovered the deep roots and impacts of bias in AI, and...
Sep 18, 2024•37 min
As Pioneers of AI kicks off, host Rana el Kaliouby sat down with longtime friend, mentor, and Masters of Scale host Reid Hoffman for a wide-ranging conversation on their hopes, concerns, and the opportunities they see as AI develops. Rana shares key moments of her journey in AI research and entrepreneurship that led to her role as an innovator in the field of emotion AI and now an investor in ethically-minded AI start-ups. Learn what Rana and Reid think the next AI strides will be and what topic...
Sep 18, 2024•32 min
Coming soon, Pioneers of AI will be your definitive guide to the forefront of artificial intelligence. Each week, host Rana el Kaliouby will engage with leading creators, critics, and thinkers shaping this transformative technology. Subscribe today to never miss an episode and stay connected to the latest in AI. At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be fe...
Aug 30, 2024•2 min
