Hosted by Jennifer Strong, SHIFT is a weekly podcast taking a closer look at the far-reaching impact of automation on our daily lives.
From policy to process, we seek to understand how lives are changing alongside rapid breakthroughs in frontier technologies and artificial intelligence. Join us as we navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by this reshaped reality.
A look at how generative AI is being used in the drug discovery process in this latest installment of our oral history project. We Meet: Insilico Medicine Founder and CEO Alex Zhavoronkov Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green.
Cornell University’s Elephant Listening Project has been trying to get real-time monitoring of the Central African Republic’s forest elephants for years. FruitPunch AI and a roster of other AI researchers are closer than ever to making that a reality. This week’s show is a special feature episode from our friends at the Click Here Podcast. We’ll be back with a new episode of SHIFT next week. Thanks for listening!
A look at how AI is helping and hurting cybersecurity in this latest installment of our oral history project. We Meet: Palo Alto Networks Chief Product Officer Lee Klarich Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green.
In this bonus episode, we tour Google's Project Starline at this year's TED Conference in Vancouver, Canada. We Meet: Andrew Nartker from Google’s Project Starline Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green.
The way we pay for things is changing dramatically, and it’s only going to become more invisible and integrated into our experiences going forward—like a car that can pay for gas or electric charging all on its own. We Meet: Mastercard President and CTO Ed McLaughlin Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green.
AI is being used to write stories that flood the internet with trash and spam, but it can also help journalists tell stories that can be personalized and updated automatically. In the latest installment of our oral history project, we look at how journalism story structures are evolving with AI. We Meet: Computational Journalist Francesco Marconi, co-founder of real-time information company Applied XL Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was m...
As more people try ChatGPT and other AI tools, our thoughts about what's fair or what to trust with generative AI are evolving. The Pew Research Center offers some of the most comprehensive surveys of American public opinion and has been studying these questions. We Meet: Alec Tyson, Associate Director at Pew Research Center Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art...
The current AI ecosystem has plenty in common with the early days of the web. So, what have we learned? We Meet: Mark Surman, President of Mozilla Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green.
Our trust in people, government, science and even our trust in technology—we have a lot less trust in all of it than we used to. Our lack of trust might even turn out to be the most bi-partisan thing about this US election cycle, especially our lack of trust in AI. We Meet: Richard Edelman, the president and chief executive officer of the public relations company Edelman Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, wit...
Frank McCourt is an American executive and philanthropist. He’s also the author of a new book about the internet, called “Our Biggest Fight: Reclaiming Liberty, Humanity, and Dignity in the Digital Age”. We talk to him about that fight before a live audience in New York City at a gathering held by the responsible technology non-profit, All Tech Is Human. We Meet: Frank H. McCourt, Jr., civic entrepreneur and executive chairman of McCourt Global, founder and executive chairman of Project Liberty ...
Join EngineEars founder Derek "MixedByAli" Ali and EMPIRE founder Ghazi Shami as they deep dive into the convergence of innovation and artistry, discuss the latest trends in the music industry, and explore how tech is revolutionizing the creation and distribution of music around the world. We Meet: Derek Ali, EngineEars, Founder and CEO Ghazi Shami, EMPIRE, Founder & CEO Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang,...
In this second of a two-part series, we meet people fighting to build an open internet. We Meet: Digital Medusa Founder Farzaneh Badiei Internet Society President & CEO Andrew Sullivan Vivaldi CEO Jon Von Tetzchner ICANN Interim President & CEO Sally Costerton Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green....
The infrastructure underpinning the internet is increasingly under threat, but how many of us stop to consider how or why the internet works? We Meet: Internet Society President & CEO Andrew Sullivan ICANN Interim President & CEO Sally Costerton Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green.
Activists are fighting back against generative AI and reclaiming a misunderstood label in the process, says Brian Merchant in a new piece for The Atlantic. We Meet: Tech Journalist & Author Brian Merchant Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green.
Software can make it easier for people to file their own taxes, but what if you have a question? Would you trust generative AI to give you the answer? We Meet: H&R Block VP of Technology Aditya Thadani Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Anthony Green.
An analysis by Consumer Reports suggests that every person on Facebook is being monitored by thousands of companies, but new tools and laws are starting to make it easier for people to take back their privacy. This episode was recorded in New York City at an event hosted by the responsible tech nonprofit All Tech Is Human. We Meet: Consumer Reports R&D Director Ginny Fahs New York Times Contributing Opinion Writer & Investigative Journalist Julia Angwin Block Party Founder & CEO Trac...
Artists are starting to use AI to fight back against AI with free tools that let visual artists deter–even poison–AI models that use their work without permission. We Meet: Carl Franzen, Head of News at VentureBeat Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski.
A new study explores how an AI model that’s been taught to lie might be brought back into line. We Meet: Brown University Professor of Computer Science Michael Littman Credits: This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski.
In the latest installment of our oral history project we meet one of the central figures behind generative coding tools. We Meet: GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke Credits: SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong and Anthony Green, with help from Emma Cillekens. It’s mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski.
In the latest installment of our oral history project we meet one of the key figures behind Rwanda’s national AI policies. We Meet: Esther Kunda, Director General, Innovation & Emerging Technologies for Rwanda’s Ministry of Information Communication Technology and Innovation Credits: SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong and Anthony Green, with help from Emma Cillekens. It’s mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski.
In the latest installment of our oral history project we meet Ryan Graciano, a co-founder of the personal finance company, Credit Karma. We Meet: Ryan Graciano, Co-founder & CTO of Credit Karma Credits: SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong and Anthony Green, with help from Emma Cillekens. It’s mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski, with special thanks this week to the folks at TED AI.
As this year draws to a close we’re bringing you a look at the tech trends we’ll be watching in 2024. We Meet: Deloitte’s Chief Futurist Mike Bechtel Credits: SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong, Anthony Green, and Emma Cillekens. It’s mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski.
Language translation increasingly falls to artificial intelligence—but AI still doesn’t speak many of the world’s languages. We Meet: Vasco Pedro, CEO, Unbabel Paulo Dimas, VP Product Innovation, Unbabel Pelonomi Moiloa, CEO, Lelapa AI Credits: SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong, Anthony Green, and Emma Cillekens. It’s mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski.
In this third installment of our oral history project we meet a man working to build edtech programs in under-resourced languages for children without access to traditional schooling. His company, Taleemabad, was awarded the WISE award in 2021 and has been recognized by Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai and the late Queen Elizabeth. We Meet: Haroon Yasin, the Co-founder & CEO of Taleemabad Credits: SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong and Anthony Green, with help from Emma Cillekens. It’s mixe...
Potentially a quarter billion children worldwide lack access to an education. Advances in education tech and AI programs for learning can help students who have access to tools and internet. This episode, we bring you a conversation with members of the International Rescue Committee, an aid group developing tailored learning experiences for children in crisis. It was taped before a live audience at Web Summit, Europe’s largest tech conference, in Lisbon, Portugal. We Meet: Atish Gonsalves, Globa...
In this second installment of our oral history project we meet a man trying to solve AI’s black box problem with symbolic AI, a subfield that communicates how decisions are made. We Meet: Casper Wilstrup, the Founder & CEO of Abzu Credits: SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong and Anthony Green, with help from Emma Cillekens. It’s mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski.
In an increasingly digital world, ensuring equitable access to broadband and digital tools has become a pressing societal issue—particularly within the Black community. This episode, a conversation moderated by our show’s co-creator and senior producer, Anthony Green. It was taped in front of a live audience at The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, DC. We Meet: Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, director of the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings, and also serves as Co-...
Privacy officers from Google, Microsoft, Meta and IBM discuss how they approach AI governance before a live audience at the general meeting of the IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals) on November 3, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. We Meet: Julie Brill, Chief Privacy Officer, Corporate Vice President, Global Privacy & Regulatory Affairs, Microsoft Keith Enright, Global Chief Privacy Officer, Google Christina Montgomery, Chief Privacy and Trust Officer, IBM Rob Sherman, Vic...
We explore what impact the U.S. President's executive order on artificial intelligence might have as governments across the globe move to regulate AI. We Meet: Khari Johnson, senior writer, Wired Suresh Venkatasubramanian, director of the Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination, and Redesign with the Data Science Institute at Brown University Credits: SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong, Anthony Green and Emma Cillekens. It’s mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and...
The hardest part of making something in space right now might just be getting it back to Earth. A conversation with Quartz’s Tim Fernholz about the opportunities and challenges of making goods in orbit.
