Leila Rastegar Zegna , co-founder and general partner of Kindred Capital, joins Azeem Azhar for a deep dive into venture capital: how it really works, what’s broken, and how to fix it. They also explore a new model for venture capital, where founders become partners in the fund. This new approach aims to align incentives for both entrepreneurs and investors, in order to build a healthier innovation community. They also discuss: Why venture capital is a “people business,” not a finance business. ...
Dec 16, 2020•49 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast IKEA generates 0.1 percent of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Can this $40 billion multinational company become climate positive by 2030? Jesper Brodin , CEO of Ingka Group, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how to grow a business while investing in renewable energy, sourcing sustainable materials, and building a circular economy. They also discuss: How being a leader in the “green revolution” is a business opportunity. How mass production could actually expedite progress towards sustain...
Dec 09, 2020•44 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast “China is no longer a copycat. It’s an innovator,” says Kai-Fu Lee , CEO of Sinovation Ventures and former president of Google China. He joins Azeem Azhar to explore China’s rapidly evolving tech scene, their embrace of automation, and their journey to AI dominance. They also explore: How Covid has dramatically accelerated the use of consumer-facing robots. Why office workers are most vulnerable to replacement by AI. Why China is so attractive for tech investors. Further resources: “ China, an A...
Dec 02, 2020•45 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast As the world population grows and climate change intensifies, how can we transform the food supply chain to be more sustainable and resilient? Mike Zelkind , co-founder and CEO of 80 Acres Farms, is building a network of hyper-efficient, high-tech, indoor farms to provide local communities with fresh, nutritious produce. He joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the challenges of disrupting the farming industry to innovate the future of food. They also discuss: Why fruits and vegetables are now bred for l...
Nov 11, 2020•33 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Azeem Azhar speaks with Yale Professor of Social and Natural Science, Internal Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, Nicholas Christakis , whose latest book “Apollo’s Arrow,” lays out the three phases of the world’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Christakis argues that each phase will be fraught with risk and will leave an enduring impact on our society, economy, and politics. They also discuss: How a successful vaccine will influence global geopolitics as a soft power. How to deal with the p...
Nov 09, 2020•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Google and Facebook became multibillion-dollar juggernauts by stockpiling data and using it to sell advertising. Governments can now track their citizens en masse. Where will this “surveillance capitalism” lead? Dr. Carissa Véliz from the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford joins Azeem Azhar to consider what’s wrong with the data economy, and to explore her bold proposals for ending it. They also discuss: Why Google’s founders were initially opposed to selling ads. Why privacy...
Nov 04, 2020•36 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast When Facebook’s Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer joined the company in 2008, it was about to hit 100 million users – today they serve 2.7 billion. He joins Azeem Azhar to explore how they planned for infrastructure resilience to cope with such explosive growth, and why Facebook has invested so deeply in AI and virtual reality. They also discuss: How Facebook increasingly uses AI systems to moderate content, including hate speech. What Facebook is doing to address the need for greater div...
Oct 28, 2020•45 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Demis Hassabis , CEO and co-founder of DeepMind, dreams of using AI to solve fundamental problems in science. He joins Azeem Azhar to explore his own journey from world champion gamer to neuroscientist to building AI systems that can train themselves to solve real-world engineering challenges and, eventually, make Nobel-prize winning discoveries. They also discuss: Why games are the perfect training ground for AI algorithms. How DeepMind combines the dynamism of a startup with the “blue sky” cre...
Oct 21, 2020•45 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast “Democracy is a technology. Like any […] technology, it gets better when more people strive to improve it,” says Audrey Tang , Taiwan’s first digital minister. Minister Tang joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how the Taiwanese Government is using the Internet as a space for civic participation, dialogue, and consensus building. They also discuss: How the open Internet helped Taiwan proactively tackle the Covid-19 outbreak at the beginning of the pandemic. Algorithmic co-governance, and how it can keep...
Oct 14, 2020•41 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast OpenAI stunned the world with the release of Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), the world’s most impressive language-generating AI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joins Azeem Azhar to reflect on the huge attention generated by GPT-3 and what it heralds for the future research and development toward the creation of a true artificial general intelligence (AGI). They also explore: How AGI could be used both to reduce and exacerbate inequality. How governance models need to change to address the g...
Oct 07, 2020•45 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast As we wrap up the season and head off to a short summer break, Azeem Azhar reflects on what he learned from his conversations with technology and business leaders like Microsoft’s Brad Smith, social activist Hilary Cottam, and historian David Runciman. Plus, he shares the trends he will keep his eye on across the summer. We’ll be back with Season 5 this fall. Further reading: “ The Three Cleavages: Shaping the Post-Pandemic Order ” (Exponential View, 2020) “ Preparing for 2020 ” (Exponential Vie...
Jul 01, 2020•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast More than half of the world’s population believe capitalism is doing more harm than good. But is it beyond repair, or can it be fixed from within? Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson joins Azeem Azhar to share her vision of purpose-driven capitalism, where companies can make good profits by doing the right thing. They also explore: Why strong government and civil society are fundamental for healthy capitalism. Why highly-rated ESG companies have proved to be more profitable and r...
Jun 24, 2020•40 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast The increasing capabilities of computing have changed biology from a realm dominated by scientific discovery to one that intersects with engineering and innovation. Vijay Pande , a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the emergence of this novel industry at the interface of technology and biology. They also discuss: The most promising technologies to combat Covid-19 that are being tested. Why next-gen biotech companies look increasingly like tech startups. Why our...
Jun 17, 2020•39 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast Starting a company with a stranger is not the traditional path for many entrepreneurs, but this is one of the basic principles of Entrepreneur First (EF), the world’s leading talent investor. Matt Clifford , EF’s CEO and co-founder, joins Azeem Azhar to explain why he invests in founders before they have a business idea and other novel approaches to venture capital and innovation. They also discuss: The idea of the “venture customer” as a key player in the innovation ecosystem. Why Europe might ...
Jun 10, 2020•42 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast Operating a company with no managers, where everyone chooses their work, salary, and holiday entitlement may sound like chaos. But Daniel Hulme , CEO of Satalia, and his team of 250 people are making it productive. Daniel joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what a company that runs as a decentralize swarm looks like in practice. They discuss: The role of artificial intelligence and open innovation in a swarm organization. How a decentralized business creates accountability to ensure strong output. The ...
Jun 03, 2020•38 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast Companies increasingly use digital systems to hire, fire, and monitor their employees. But who is keeping employers in check? Former director at the service workers union, UNI Global, and one of the most influential thinkers in the ethics of AI, Dr. Christina Colclough joins Azeem Azhar to explore how to ensure that the increasingly digital workplace of the near future protects workers. They also discuss: How Covid-19 has affected the most vulnerable members of the global workforce. How manageme...
May 27, 2020•41 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Cities drive prosperity. But during the Covid-19 pandemic, they also have become crucibles of disease. Sameh Wahba , the World Bank’s Global Director of Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience, and Land, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how the World Bank partners with technologists to help cities on the frontline of the pandemic, and how the dynamism of urban density can be harnessed to build livable and inclusive cities of the future. They also address: Why the inexorable trend towards urbaniz...
May 20, 2020•41 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast After ImageNet transformed AI vision, superstar Stanford computer science professor Fei-Fei Li has turned her attention to advancing healthcare. Fei-Fei Li, co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute, is leading the next generation of interdisciplinary technologists. She joins Azeem Azhar to explore her journey from pioneering AI vision to her current focus on healthcare, and to discuss the need to craft AI systems that enhance human flourishing. They also discuss: How AI technologies...
May 13, 2020•36 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Nasdaq has evolved from being the world’s first digital marketplace to a global technology company. CEO Adena Friedman joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how their digital operation has become the model for markets around the world, the surprising importance of regulation as a driver of innovation, and how Nasdaq prepared to keep functioning during the pandemic lockdown. They also discuss: The infrastructure that allows Nasdaq to reliably maintain data rates thousands of times faster than the internet...
May 06, 2020•38 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Global supply chains are efficient, but fragile. How can we make them more robust, flexible, and sustainable? Pamela Mar , EVP for Knowledge and Applications at the Fung Group, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the technological and economic changes needed to improve these vital networks of production and distribution. They discuss: The lessons about mass production and specialization we’re learning with the Covid-19 crisis. How digitization can build trust along the supply chain. Why automation is a...
Apr 29, 2020•34 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast For the first time in history, there are more people on the planet over 65 years old, than under five. How do we adapt to this demographic transformation? Camilla Cavendish , award-winning journalist and former Director of Public Policy for UK Prime Minister David Cameron, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the immense cost and new potential of this brave old world. They discuss: The huge wealth gap opening up between older and younger people. What we can learn from the Okinawan concept of “ikigai” or...
Apr 27, 2020•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast We have long assumed aging is inevitable, but is it? Professor David Sinclair , founder of the Sinclair Lab at Harvard’s Medical School and author of the bestselling “Lifespan: Why We Age — and Why We Don’t Have To,” joins Azeem Azhar to discuss emerging research that promises to radically slow down aging. Their conversation covers: What the Information Theory of Aging is and how it shifts the paradigm on biomarkers of aging. Why periodically stressing your body can promote health and longevity....
Apr 22, 2020•48 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast In Estonia, the only public service not available online is marriage. Dubbed the “digital republic”, Estonia has the most advanced e-government in the world and nurtures a vibrant start-up community. Kersti Kaljulaid , President of Estonia, joins Azeem Azhar to explore how legal and technological innovations have helped to build e-Estonia, and how this digital republic is navigating the Covid-19 pandemic. They explore: How Covid-19 could accelerate technology development and implementation. How ...
Apr 20, 2020•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Clean energy is now cheaper than coal, and its uptake is accelerating. But can we get to zero emissions in time? Investor and technologist Ramez Naam joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how technological innovation and economies of scale are accelerating us towards a zero-carbon future, as well as the major challenges that remain. They also cover: The virtuous cycle that drove the falling price of clean energy. How the Covid-19 pandemic could be an opportunity for massive government investment in clean...
Apr 15, 2020•40 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast X, Alphabet Inc.’s “moonshot factory,” dares to solve big problems with breakthrough technologies. Most of their projects fail. But some — like self-driving cars and the AI that powers Google — are already changing the world. CEO Astro Teller joins Azeem Azhar to explain how he built a culture of radical creativity, where employees are encouraged to dream — and to fail — big. In this episode they explore: Why allowing the right amount of chaos is vital for flourishing creativity. The five basic ...
Apr 08, 2020•38 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Biotech is gathering pace: AI systems are simulating novel materials, new genomic technologies are enabling precision bioengineering, and automation is executing production on a massive scale. Softbank Vision Fund Senior Managing Partner, Deep Nishar tells Azeem Azhar why biotech is the next trillion-dollar market, and what breakthroughs to expect. In this episode they also discuss: Why emerging biotech and AI, together, would help control and stop coronavirus-like outbreaks in the future. What ...
Apr 01, 2020•38 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast The world is facing an economic crisis never seen before, says equity analyst Pierre Ferragu . Consumer demand remains strong and supply infrastructure is still healthy, but both are in lockdown and unable to function. In this wide-ranging conversation with Azeem Azhar , Ferragu explains how the pandemic will affect the technology industry and its major players. They also discuss: How “partial insuring” and “China + n” strategies could make for more resilient supply chains. How the crisis is acc...
Mar 30, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast The exponential growth of COVID-19 is threatening to bring down the world economy. To understand the pandemic, Azeem Azhar chats with professor Yaneer Bar-Yam , President of the New England Complex Systems Institute, who worked on the response to Ebola with pioneering complex-systems mathematics. In this conversation, they discuss: Why we need to crush, rather than flatten, the curve. What lessons the Ebola outbreak offers us for dealing with COVID-19. What complexity mathematics offers beyond t...
Mar 24, 2020•41 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast Data monopolies and abuses of privacy are only some of the flaws of Web 2.0. Muneeb Ali , co-founder and CEO of Blockstack, tells Azeem Azhar how the emerging Web 3.0 solves these challenges and gives users more control over their digital existence. In this conversation, they discuss: Why property rights and privacy are intimately linked. The emergence of a novel app ecosystem on the new internet. The role of the new crypto economy in the transformation of the internet. Further reading: “ Tech T...
Mar 18, 2020•35 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Existing social institutions are not adequate to meet the challenges of the exponential age. Social entrepreneur and author, Hilary Cottam , proposes a radical overhaul of the welfare system. In discussion with Azeem Azhar , she also argues that we must reject the old economic model for humanity, Homo econonomicus (guided by ration to maximize economic gains), and embrace Sapiens integra , a new theoretical human with stronger connections to nature and other humans. In this conversation, they di...
Mar 11, 2020•34 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast 
