Shows
Azeem Azhar's Exponential View2025 AI reality check: Are we in a bubble?At the start of the year, I made seven predictions about how 2025 would unfold. Six months in, it's time to mark my own work. From AI capability breakthroughs to autonomous vehicles, climate extremes to workforce transformation, I examine what I got right, what I missed, and why the 2027-2028 period will be when vertical AI hits the real economy in force.In this episode you’ll hear:The AI wall that never came: Ten-million-token models exist, O3 scores 25% on Frontier Math vs GPT-4's 2%, but some models are inconsistent and overthink problemsWhen bots officially out-talk humans: My...
2025-07-0924 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewWhat 72hrs in China taught me about the future (AI, EVs, more)In this episode, I reflect on a whirlwind three-day visit to China - my first in over 20 years. And what I saw was remarkable. The infrastructure puts most of the West to shame. The AI isn't just hype - it's working at serious scale. And the electric vehicles? They're about to steamroll the global auto industry. Here's what really struck me during my whirlwind trip to Beijing and beyond.In this episode you'll hear:Infrastructure built at speed: Beijing's immaculate airport, 300 km/h rail to Tianjin for £17, and pristine expressways that put US infrastructure to shame.Ve...
2025-07-0222 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe problem with Altman’s “gentle singularity,” Apple’s AI missteps, and Google’s fading ad model | Live with Azeem AzharBroadcasting live from Paris, I tackle three massive technology stories that are reshaping our digital future. From Apple's stunning interface redesign to the collapse of traditional search advertising, and Sam Altman's vision of an AI singularity that's already begun - this episode captures the tectonic shifts happening in tech right now.I cover:(1:32) WWDC 2025: Apple’s AI challenges and new UI(6:06) The decline of Google’s ad model(10:08) Sam Altman’s Gentle Singularity essay(19:37) Live audience Q&A(19:45) Is the singularity really about Altman?(22:13) Is France c...
2025-06-1829 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewOpenAI’s CPO on what’s coming next: Hardware, GPT-5, Jony Ive, agents, moreThis week, I'm speaking with Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer at OpenAI, who is steering product development at what might be the world's most important company right now.We talk about:(00:00) Episode trailer(01:37) OpenAI's latest launches(03:43) What it's like being CPO of OpenAI(04:34) How AI will reshape our lives(07:23) How young people use AI differently(09:29) Addressing fears about AI(11:47) Kevin's "Oh sh!t" moment(14:11) Why have so many models within ChatGPT?(18:19) The unpredictability of AI product progress(24:47...
2025-06-1053 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewTyler Cowen on how AI will reorder economies, schools, and spiritualityEconomist and polymath Tyler Cowen challenges Silicon Valley's optimistic projections about AI-driven economic growth. We explore what could slow AI's economic impact, despite its remarkable capabilities – and where humans find the new normal amidst major shifts.Timestamps: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:47) The problem with Silicon Valley's AI-driven growth projections (06:02) The institutional bottleneck to AI progress (10:49) Markets aren’t pricing in a radical AI future (12:53) Are we heading for a great job displacement? (17:02) Is GDP still worth talking about? (19:11) Who does AI benefit most? (21:11) Will AI cause...
2025-06-0448 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewGitHub CEO on what AI means for developer salaries, SaaS, and moreThomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, joins Azeem to explore how AI is fundamentally transforming software development. In this episode you'll hear: (01:50) What’s left for developers in the age of AI? (04:54) How GitHub Copilot unlocks flow state (07:09) Three big shifts in how engineers work today (10:47) Is software development art or assembly line? (15:26) Why developers are climbing the abstraction ladder (19:35) Have we already lost control of the code? (23:15) What it’s actually like to work with AI coding agents (39:35) Welcome to the age of ultra-personalized software(45:37) Building the next-generation web Thomas's links:GitHub: https://github.com/LinkedIn: https://www.l...
2025-05-2853 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewInside Box’s AI playbook with founder & CEO Aaron LevieAaron Levie, CEO & co-founder of Box, joins Azeem Azhar to explore how an “AI-first” mindset is reshaping every layer of Box – from product road-maps to pricing – and what that teaches the rest of us about building faster, smarter organisations.Timestamps:(00:00) Episode trailer(02:04) The "lump of labor fallacy" in sci-fi books(07:37) When individual productivity gains don’t translate to teams(12:32) Box’s Friday AI demos(21:23) How agents might redefine 100 years of management science(26:37) A lesson on AI innovation from the early days of Ford(29:52) Sundar Picha...
2025-05-2148 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewChina’s catching up to US AI… Here’s why it won’t matterLennart Heim, a researcher and information scientist at RAND Corporation, joins Azeem Azhar to unpack a provocative claim: China is catching up with US AI capabilities, but it doesn't matter. Timestamps: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:19) Lennart’s core thesis (03:26) Why compute matters so much (07:31) The investment split between model R&D and model execution (11:18) How test-time compute impacts costs (16:14) The geopolitics of compute (21:32) Why does the U.S have more compute capacity than China? (25:01) The trade-off between economic needs and national-security needs (31:54) How technolog...
2025-05-1449 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewSir Niall Ferguson decodes Trump, China, and the new world orderSir Niall Ferguson, renowned historian and Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the evolving relationship between the U.S. and China, Trump's foreign policy doctrine, and what the new global economic and security order might look like. (00:00) What most analysts are missing about Trump (05:43) The win-win outcome in Europe–U.S relations (11:17) How the U.S. is reestablishing deterrence (15:50) Can the U.S. economy weather the impact of tariffs? (23:33) Niall's read on China (29:29) How is China performing in tech? (33:35) What mig...
2025-04-2352 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewWhat it’s like on the frontlines of Trump’s tariff’s warIn this episode, Azeem Azhar speaks with Ryan Petersen, CEO and founder of logistics platform Flexport, about the current state of global trade amidst escalating tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and technological disruption. Ryan offers unique insights from the frontlines of the US-China trade war and explores how businesses are adapting to a rapidly changing landscape. (00:00) Episode trailer (01:12) Ryan's overall thoughts and predictions (03:40) Why shipping is crucial to your everyday life (08:07) Why tariffs may actually increase global shipping (11:34) Who’s pausing their China shipments? (14:29) The mindset of Flexport customers right no...
2025-04-1643 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewA tour of the tech boom — 5 waves you need to understandAzeem Azhar welcomes Packy McCormick, founder and investor at Not Boring, to discuss the current tech landscape. In this episode you'll hear: (01:50) What Packy got wrong (and right) about Web3 (10:17) The shift to "know thyself and know thyself-nots" (14:28) Europe just woke up (18:46) Bits and atoms are cool again (21:10) London airport shutdown reveals a deeper challenge (23:32) A new kind of home energy infrastructure (29:28) A theory on Eric Schmidt's new CEO role (34:08) What's the role of nuclear in a solar + battery world? (40:33...
2025-04-1042 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAre we ready for human-level AI by 2030? Anthropic's co-founder answersAnthropic's co-founder and chief scientist Jared Kaplan discusses AI's rapid evolution, the shorter-than-expected timeline to human-level AI, and how Claude's "thinking time" feature represents a new frontier in AI reasoning capabilities.In this episode you'll hear:Why Jared believes human-level AI is now likely to arrive in 2-3 years instead of by 2030How AI models are developing the ability to handle increasingly complex tasks that would take humans hours or daysThe importance of constitutional AI and interpretability research as essential guardrails for increasingly powerful systemsOur new show This was originally recorded for "F...
2025-04-0152 min
Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie (patio11)AI, data centers, and power economics, with Azeem AzharPatrick McKenzie (patio11) is joined by Azeem Azhar, writer of the Exponential View newsletter, to discuss the massive data center buildout powering AI and its implications for our energy infrastructure. The conversation covers the physical limitations of modern datacenters, the challenges of electricity generation, the societal ripples from historical largescale infrastructure investments like railways and telecommunications, and the future of energy including solar, nuclear and geothermal power. Through their discussion, Patrick and Azeem explain why our mental models for both computing and energy systems need to be updated.–Full transcript available here: www.complexsystemspodcast.com/ai-llm-data-center-power-economics/...
2025-02-271h 13
Exponential View by Azeem Azhar🔮Yoshua Bengio: Towards AI’s humanistic futureEarlier this week, I spoke with Yoshua Bengio. In 2018, he, Geoff Hinton and Yann LeCun were awarded the Turing Award for advancing the field of AI, in particular for their groundbreaking conceptual and engineering research in deep learning. This earnt them the moniker the Three Musketeers of Deep Learning. I think Bengio might be Aramis: intellectual, somewhat pensive, with aspirations beyond combat, and yet skilled with the blade. With 750,000 citations to his scientific research, Yoshua has turned to the humanistic dimension of AI, in particular, the questions of safety, democracy, and climate change. Yoshua and I sit...
2024-02-1448 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Science of Making Truthful AIArtificial Intelligence is on every business leader’s agenda. How do we make sense of the fast-moving new developments in AI over the past year? Azeem Azhar returns to bring clarity to leaders who face a complicated information landscape.
This week, Azeem speaks with Richard Socher, CEO and founder of You.com, an AI chatbot search engine at the forefront of truthful and verifiable AI. They explore approaches to building AI systems that are both truthful and verifiable. The conversation sheds light on the critical breakthroughs in AI, the technical challenges of ensuring AI’s reliability, and Soch...
2024-02-0743 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem’s 2024 Trends: AI, Energy, and DecentralizationAs 2024 begins, leaders are facing increasing uncertainty and a host of difficult decisions. Azeem Azhar returns to bring clarity amid a complicated information landscape, with his analysis of 12 core themes that will shape the year ahead, including AI adoption, geopolitics, decentralization, the energy transition, and more.
The discussion specifically touches on:
What will drive widespread corporate adoption of AI.
How to think about the emergence of new business models around AI.
What you need to know about the new wave of decentralization technologies.
How leaders should think about an electrified world of stable and declining power...
2024-01-3120 min
Exponential View by Azeem Azhar🔮 Opening the AI black box with Richard SocherThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.exponentialview.coOne of the biggest concerns surrounding the rollout of large language models is their complicated relationship with the truth, exemplified through their tendency to hallucinate. To gain a deep understanding of this technological, philosophical and business challenge, I spoke to one of the most cited AI researchers-turned founder, Richard Socher. One of Richard’s most impactful early contributions was working alongside Fei-Fei Li and other researchers on the ImageNet paper, and the development of this vast, structured image database that significantly ad...
2024-01-3105 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Challenges and Benefits of Generative AI in Health CareArtificial Intelligence is on every business leader’s agenda. How do we make sense of the fast-moving new developments in AI over the past year? Azeem Azhar returns to bring clarity to leaders who face a complicated information landscape.
Generative AI has a lot to offer health care professionals and medical scientists. This week, Azeem speaks with renowned cardiologist, scientist, and author Eric Topol about the change he’s observed among his colleagues in the last two years, as generative AI developments have accelerated in medicine.
They discuss:
The challenges and benefits of AI in h...
2024-01-1735 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewManaging AI’s Carbon FootprintArtificial Intelligence is on every business leader’s agenda. How do we make sense of the fast-moving new developments in AI over the past year? Azeem Azhar returns to bring clarity to leaders who face a complicated information landscape.
This week, Azeem joins Sasha Luccioni, an AI researcher and climate lead at Hugging Face, to shed light on the environmental footprint and other immediate impacts of AI, and how they compare to more long-term challenges.
They cover:
The energy consumption and carbon impact of AI models — and how researchers have gone about measuring it.
The...
2024-01-1034 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAI Takes the Wheel: New Advances in Autonomous DrivingArtificial Intelligence is on every business leader’s agenda. How do we make sense of the fast-moving new developments in AI over the past year? Azeem Azhar returns to bring clarity to leaders who face a complicated information landscape.
This week, Azeem joins Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of autonomous driving start-up Wayve, to uncover how the AI revolution is enabling new strides in self-driving. They delve into the implications of these advancements for urban mobility and the transformation of cities in the future.
They discuss:
How business models in the automotive industry are sh...
2023-12-2732 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAI Is Transforming Businesses (with Andrew Ng)Artificial Intelligence is on every business leader’s agenda. How do we make sense of the fast-moving new developments in AI over the past year? Azeem Azhar returns to bring clarity to leaders who face a complicated information landscape.
Organizations across the world have been grappling with the opportunities and challenges of generative AI. This week, Azeem joins AI pioneer and entrepreneur Andrew Ng to discuss the intricacies of this moment and debate whether we’re at an inflection point in the AI revolution.
They consider:
What have organizations learned about AI, and what comm...
2023-12-2028 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewA.I. Is Driving an Information RevolutionArtificial Intelligence is on every business leader’s agenda. How do we make sense of the fast-moving new developments in AI over the past year? In new episodes released throughout December and January, Azeem Azhar returns to bring clarity to leaders who face a complicated information landscape.
This week, Azeem speaks with Aravind Srinivas, the co-founder and CEO of Perplexity.ai, about the looming challenges in AI research and product development, such as user-centric design and the importance of open-source models.
They discuss:
AI as a tool for democratizing information access.
The “innovator’s dilemm...
2023-12-1333 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewUnderstanding the Schism at OpenAIArtificial Intelligence is on every business leader’s agenda. How do we make sense of the fast-moving new developments in AI over the past year? Azeem Azhar returns to bring clarity to leaders who face a complicated information landscape.
In new episodes released throughout December and January, Azeem and other AI experts will address questions like: What really matters when it comes to AI? How do you ensure the AI systems you deploy are harmless and trustworthy? How can we find the signal amidst so much noise?
The upheaval at OpenAI sent shockwaves through the te...
2023-12-0645 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem’s Picks: Creating AI Responsibly with Joanna BrysonArtificial Intelligence (AI) is on every business leader’s agenda. How do you ensure the AI systems you deploy are harmless and trustworthy? This month, Azeem picks some of his favorite conversations with leading AI safety experts to help you break through the noise.
Today’s pick is Azeem’s conversation with Joanna Bryson, a leading expert on the questions of AI governance and the impact of technology on human cooperation.
They discuss:
The concept of intelligence and AI as a “cognitive prosthetic.”
The scale of development and the benefits of developing AI.
The problem of...
2023-11-1531 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewIntroducing Exponentially with Azeem AzharNever before has it been harder for leaders to make sense of what’s going on in the world. As exponential technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) march on, the ability to make future-proof decisions is all the more important for leaders.
Azeem Azhar’s new TV show and podcast, Exponentially with Azeem Azhar (created in partnership with Bloomberg Originals), goes beyond mainstream conversations about technology to explore new ways of thinking about our collective future.
In eight episodes, released weekly starting September 6, Azeem speaks with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of Anthropic Dario Amod...
2023-09-0701 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem on AI: What Can the Copernican Revolution Teach Us about the Future of AI?In his brief commentary, Azeem Azhar discusses the increasing complexity and capabilities of large language models (LLMs) and the transformative potential they hold. Just as the Copernican Revolution forced us to reassess our understanding of the universe and led to numerous societal and scientific changes, Azeem proposes that rapid advancements in AI could lead to a similar paradigm shift that challenges established norms and systems.
@azeem
@exponentialview
Further resources:
Exponential LLMs and the Copernican Moment, Azeem Azhar, 2023
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2023-05-2610 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem on AI: Are Large Language Models the Future of the Web?In his brief commentary, Azeem Azhar lays out why the future of the Web is underpinned by AI, and what this means for the traditional business model of the internet. He considers whether there will be a single dominant player, like Google in Web 2.0, or a more fragmented landscape, as in social media?
@azeem
@exponentialview
Further resources:
AI is the Real Web3, Azeem Azhar, 2023
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2023-05-2408 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem on AI: Where Will the Jobs Come from After AI?In his brief commentary, Azeem Azhar shares his outlook on how artificial intelligence could change the labor market, drawing on research published by Goldman Sachs, titled “The Potentially Large Effect of Artificial Intelligence on Economic Growth.” The paper suggests a positive impact on economic growth, alongside a shift to automation that could affect two-thirds of US occupations.
Twitter:
@azeem
@exponentialview
Further resources:
The Potentially Large Effect of Artificial Intelligence on Economic Growth, Goldman Sachs, March 2023
After AI, Where Will the Jobs Come From? Azeem Azhar 2023
The Future of AI in the Work...
2023-05-1908 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem on AI: Will Large Language Models Reshape Our Economies?Drawing on Carlota Perez’s framework, Azeem Azhar considers whether large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s GPT-4, will drive a paradigm shift across our economies. His discussion touches on LLMs’ wide applications, their reliance on affordable computation and digital data, and their compatibility with existing and potential future digital infrastructures.
Twitter:
@azeem
@exponentialview
Further resources:
LLMs and Technological Revolutions, Azeem Azhar 2023
Technological Revolutions and Techno-Economic Paradigms, Carlota Perez, 2010
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2023-05-1707 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem’s Picks: AI’s Near Future with Jürgen SchmidhuberArtificial intelligence (AI) is dominating the headlines, but it’s not a new topic here on Exponential View. This week and next, Azeem Azhar shares his favorite conversations with AI pioneers. Their work and insights are more relevant than ever.
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, taped in 2019, Jürgen and Azeem Azhar discuss what the next thirty years of AI will look like.
They also discussed:
The role...
2023-05-1230 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem’s Picks: Beyond Deep Learning (with Gary Marcus)Artificial intelligence (AI) is dominating the headlines, but it’s not a new topic here on Exponential View. Azeem Azhar shares his favorite conversations with AI experts. Their work and insights are more relevant than ever.
Gary Marcus is well known as a deep learning critic. A neuroscientist, founder, and the author of Rebooting AI: Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust, Marcus believes that researchers need to move past deep learning in order to make true advances in machine intelligence. In 2019, he joined Azeem Azhar to discuss why, how, and when we can expect progress.
Th...
2023-05-1035 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem’s Picks: Demis Hassabis on DeepMind’s Journey from Games to Fundamental ScienceArtificial intelligence (AI) is dominating the headlines, but it’s not a new topic here on Exponential View. This week and next, Azeem Azhar shares his favorite conversations with AI pioneers. Their work and insights are more relevant than ever.
Demis Hassabis, CEO and co-founder of DeepMind, dreams of using AI to solve fundamental problems in science. In 2020, he joined Azeem 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.
In 2023, DeepMind’s parent compa...
2023-05-0543 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem’s Picks: Sam Altman on How GPTs Are Shaping Our AI FutureArtificial intelligence (AI) is dominating the headlines, but it’s not a new topic here on Exponential View. This week and next, Azeem Azhar shares his favorite conversations with AI pioneers. Their work and insights are more relevant than ever.
OpenAI has stunned the world with the release of its language-generating AI, ChatGPT-4. In 2020, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined Azeem Azhar to reflect on the huge attention generated by the precursor to GPT-4 and what that could mean for the future research and development toward the creation of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
They also explored:...
2023-05-0344 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Science and Economics of Carbon Recycling (with LanzaTech’s Jennifer Holmgren)Carbon recycling takes our polluting carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide and, with the help of bacteria, turns them into ethanol. This can replace oil as the basis for carbon-based chemicals industries (e.g., fertilizers, plastics, clothing, health and beauty products, etc.), as well as offering sustainable fuel and animal feed.
Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, joins Azeem Azhar to share her vision of the future where greenhouse gases provide a core contribution to our sustainable life.
Jennifer and Azeem dig deep into the science of fermentation and how to manage, at scale, the bacteria that...
2022-06-0143 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Meaning of Life in the Metaverse (with David Chalmers)We could soon be living more of our lives in immersive virtual worlds, but what will that look like and how will it affect us? New York University professor of philosophy and neural science David Chalmers joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what the metaverse might offer us, the moral quandaries it could pose, and what our rights there might look like.
They also address:
What the consequences of wrongdoing in the metaverse might be.
How governance and society could develop in virtual worlds.
The philosophical precedents for virtual worlds.
@Azeem
@exponentialview
David Chalmers
2022-03-2350 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewCrypto and the Future of Money (with Terra’s Do Kwon)Some people see cryptocurrencies as speculative assets with no real utility at best, a Ponzi scam at worst. For others, blockchain-based currencies represent the bright future of the financial system. Do Kwon, founder and CEO of Terraform Labs, the company behind the Terra blockchain, is firmly in the second camp.
He and Azeem Azhar discuss the Terra stablecoin and its attendant suite of protocols, the growth of the Terra ecosystem, and how Terra eventually could become the currency of a future lived mostly online.
They also discuss:
How a “decentralized dollar” could rewrite the rule...
2022-01-1246 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAzeem’s 2022 Trends: Web 3.0, Sci-Fi Tech, and the MetaverseAzeem Azhar sets out his vision for 2022 and shares the trends he thinks will change our world this year. Some changes are hurtling down the pike, like the growth of Web 3.0 and the metaverse, while others are rumbling along more slowly: the continued dominance of Big Tech, and the tireless march of artificial intelligence.
Azeem’s discussion touches on:
Why we should differentiate between “tech crypto” and “money crypto.”
Why the metaverse is so much more than Meta.
Why the “climate tech” tag might become obsolete.
@Azeem
@exponentialview
Further resources
Exponential Vi...
2022-01-0524 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewLearning from 2021: Azeem’s TakeawaysAs 2021 draws to a close and Covid cases spike, it’s easy to think not much has changed. But in between pandemic waves, we’ve made major progress in science and technology. And that progress gives us clues about how the future might play out.
Host Azeem Azhar reflects on the tech trends we’ve seen this year and key shifts in industry and society that are changing cities, the labor market, and the semiconductor business.
He also discusses:
Why semiconductor chips were hot property (and will only get hotter).
What people got wrong about...
2021-12-2926 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewFrom Tech Investor to Author (with a16z’s Andrew Chen)Andreessen Horowitz general partner Andrew Chen and host Azeem Azhar have something in common: they were both tech company insiders and early-stage investors before becoming authors. They explore why they decided to write their books, how writing intersects with their day jobs, and whether they’d do it all again.
They also discuss:
What selling a book online has taught them about e-commerce.
How the future for factual books has changed as publishing has decentralized.
What books can communicate that other media can’t.
@Azeem
@AndrewChen
@ExponentialView
Further resources:
Mary...
2021-12-2244 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewLearning from 2020: Azeem’s TakeawaysIn his reflection on this tumultuous year, Azeem Azhar finds hope in our reaction to the pandemic. The achievements made through collective action and the latest technologies have been life-saving.
Azeem also explores:
What businesses will need in order to thrive in 2021.
How new multi-stakeholder institutions will emerge to meet the challenges in the coming period of friction and fragmentation.
Questions sent in by subscribers to the Exponential View Newsletter.
Further reading:
IKEA: Making a $40 Billion Company Climate Positive (Exponential View Podcast, 2020)
What if Every Day Was Pandemic Day (Exponential View, 2020)
Your Technologies of...
2020-12-3028 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewFacebook’s Tech Chief: How We Built It and Where We’re GoingWhen 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 diversity in its workforce and culture.
Why Facebook has committed to open source platforms such as PyTorch and Reac...
2020-10-2844 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewDeepMind’s Journey from Games to Fundamental ScienceDemis 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” creativity of a lab.
Why “deep reinforcement learning” is the basis for artificial intelligence systems.
Further reading:
“How GPT-3 Is S...
2020-10-2144 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewHow Taiwan is Using Technology to Foster Democracy (with Digital Minister Audrey Tang)“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 social media platforms in check.
How the values of radical transparency and digital openness shape new forms of decision-making.
Furthe...
2020-10-1441 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewHow GPT-3 Is Shaping Our AI FutureOpenAI 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 growing power of technology companies.
How Altman’s experience leading Y Combinator informed his leadership of OpenAI.
Furthe...
2020-10-0745 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewSeason 4 Finale: Azeem’s Favorite Episodes and Trends to WatchAs 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 View, 2020)
@Azeem
@exponentialview
Exponential View newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...
2020-07-0104 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewReimagining Capitalism for a Broken WorldMore 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 resilient.
The flaw in relying on a few philanthropists to fund public services.
Further reading:...
2020-06-2439 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewEngineering Biology: The Next FrontierThe 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 long-term health depends on regulators and society engaging with this tech.
Further reading:
“The Next Trillion Dollar Market” (Exponential View podc...
2020-06-1738 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewRethinking the Innovation EcosystemStarting 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 have the edge when it comes to the next generation of startups.
The exam...
2020-06-1042 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewUsing AI to Decentralize OrganizationsOperating 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 potential for the model to scale to larger organizations, and even countries.
Further reading:
“Swarm Intelligence: Ho...
2020-06-0337 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewEmpowering Workers in the Digital FutureCompanies 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 management by algorithm erodes trust in the workplace.
Why trade unions should employ data analysts and digital experts.
2020-05-2741 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewBuilding Better Cities After Covid-19Cities 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 urbanization will not be stopped by Covid-19.
Why more densely populated cities are not necessarily the worst af...
2020-05-2041 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewFei-Fei Li’s Mission to Transform Healthcare AIAfter 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 could support the isolated and elderly during the pandemic.
Why machine values must mirror human values, and how to embed that co...
2020-05-1335 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewHow Nasdaq is Growing the World’s Digital MarketplaceNasdaq 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 and traffic volumes many times higher than Google searches.
How smart regulation played a vital role in the ev...
2020-05-0637 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Digital Future of the Supply ChainGlobal 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 an opportunity to move from mass production to mass customization.
Further reading:
“Reinventing Fashion” (Chatham House Panel Discussion, 2018)
“Meet the...
2020-04-2933 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewLessons for an Aging WorldFor 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 “life purpose”.
Why meaningful relationships are the single most important factor in long-term wellbein...
2020-04-2734 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe New Science of AgingWe 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.
Which supplements might arrest the three biochemical pathways implicated in aging.
Further reading:
2020-04-2247 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewNavigating Covid-19 in a Digital Republic (with President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid)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 Estonia has achieved astonishing transparency and privacy in digital government.
How Estonia combats constant cyber threats.
Further reading:
“Estonia, the Digital Republic” (New Yorker...
2020-04-2038 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Drive to DecarbonizeClean 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 energy infrastructure.
Three strategies to overcome the renewable energy storage problem.
Why industrial production of...
2020-04-1540 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewInside Alphabet’s X: Nurturing Radical CreativityX, 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 principles at the heart of X.
Why innovation dies if only success is rewarded.
What inspiration As...
2020-04-0838 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Next Trillion-Dollar MarketBiotech 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 new materials and medicines are coming out of the “virtuous cycle” of research and funding that is now taking off.
What the rest of the wor...
2020-04-0138 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewTechnology Companies and the New RecessionThe 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 accelerating the next generation of technologies.
The winners and the losers of the pandemic.
Further reading:
“Tesla has yet anothe...
2020-03-3035 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewScience Fights the CoronavirusThe 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 traditional epidemiological modelling.
Further reading:
“A Better Way: Building Capacity, Adaptation and Resilience” (Exponential View, 2020)
End Coronavirus: Map, Guidelines, Community (2020)
“Corona...
2020-03-2440 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Redecentralized WebData 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 Thinks It Has a Fix for the Problem it Created: Blockchain” (The New York Time...
2020-03-1834 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewWelfare in the Exponential AgeExisting 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 discuss:
The New Industrialists and their role in the social revolution.
How a switch from the mindset of efficiency to the...
2020-03-1134 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewHow Humans Judge Machines“People judge humans by their intentions, and machines by the outcome,” says physicist and author Cesar Hidalgo. He is one of the creators of the field of Complexity Economics. Hidalgo joins Azeem Azhar to explain how he applies this complexity approach to understanding how we judge decision-making in machines.
They also discuss:
What the Shenzhen electronics market reveals about the economics of megacities.
How we unconsciously ascribe morality to machines, and what this implies for innovation.
Algorithmic aversion and how it will influence the implementation of AI.
Further reading:
“A Bold Idea to Replace Politi...
2020-03-0442 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewCan Airtable Democratize Software Development?Airtable, valued at $1.1 billion, is carving out a new product category that could compete with cloud computing in value. The founder of Airtable, Howie Liu, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what creating a new market category looks like in practice.
They also discuss:
How Airtable is democratizing software development.
Why investors were initially skeptical, and how Howie got them on board.
How Airtable treats its competition, including the tech giants.
Further reading:
“Move Slow and Make Things: Airtable’s Howie Liu Built A $1B Software Giant Emphasizing Substance Over Speed” (Forbes, 2018)
“No-one understood our idea, bu...
2020-02-2630 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewGeopolitics, Technology, and RiskSome would argue that the world is more volatile today than it was during the Cold War, and technology is catalyzing a number of fundamental changes to the world order. Geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer joins Azeem Azhar to dissect the top risks for the decade ahead.
They also discuss:
How technology is influencing global decoupling.
How the China-U.S. relationship will shape the world in the next decade.
How we should think about global challenges in a multipolar world.
Further reading:
“Top Risks for 2020” (Eurasia Group, Jan. 6, 2020)
“Preparing for 2030” (Exponential View, Jan. 5, 2020)
“Predictions for 2030” (Talking Poli...
2020-02-1942 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewSurviving a Crisis During the TechlashCrisis management is not only about cleaning up after a disaster, but also about establishing a healthy company culture. Judy Smith, renowned crisis management expert, joins Azeem Azhar to explore why large tech companies seem to stumble into crises as they mature, and what every founder can do to avoid catastrophic reputation damage.
They also discuss:
Why corporate culture is the most important element of good reputation management.
How to navigate a crisis while focusing on growth.
How to communicate controversial issues to different stakeholders.
Further reading:
“Managing High-Stakes Situations: 5 Lessons from the Pentagon” (HBR...
2020-02-1232 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewLeading a Technology Giant During the TechlashMicrosoft’s president, Brad Smith, argues for multilateral cooperation across borders and sectors in order to advance the regulatory framework for technology companies. In this conversation, he joins Azeem Azhar to discuss:
Why regulation is necessary to advance innovation.
How to maintain greater purpose at a company’s core while scaling.
Why employees organizing is a positive force in every company.
The case against the facial recognition ban.
Further reading:
“Tools and Weapons: The Promise and Peril of the Digital Age” (Brad Smith, 2019)
“The Real Reason Tech Companies Want Regulation” (Exponential View newsletter, Jan. 26, 2020)
“Thinking About Innovation” (E...
2020-02-0535 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewSuperintelligence Already Rules the WorldArtificial decision-making machines have been with us for hundreds of years. We call them corporations and states, and they have hugely accelerated the development of our societies. That’s the argument David Runciman makes in conversation with Azeem Azhar in this week’s episode. Runciman is professor of politics at Cambridge University and host of the “Talking Politics” podcast. He and Azeem discuss what this reframing of artificial intelligence can teach us about navigating the hurdles it presents.
In this podcast, they also discuss:
How the current dynamics between private enterprises and states will shape the future o...
2020-01-2239 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewBuilding Unicorns in EuropeSeedcamp has backed close to 400 European startups at the seed stage. The fund’s co-founder and managing partner Reshma Sohoni joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what it takes to build a thriving startup ecosystem outside Silicon Valley, and how some of Europe’s most successful startups were created.
In this episode, they also discuss:
The “next big thing” from an investor’s perspective.
How regulators use “sandboxes” to help entrepreneurs innovate.
How the cultural diversity of Europe benefits both investors and founders.
Further reading:
“2020 Vision: predictions from 28 big-hitters in Europe’s startup scene” (Sifted, Dec. 16, 2019)
“Why...
2019-12-1834 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe State of NanotechnologyNanotechnology has long been hailed as a means of eradicating diseases and delivering other healthcare solutions. University of Oxford professor Sonia Contera, a nanotechnology pioneer, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how scientific and technological developments in her field are bringing about another tech revolution that will change our lives.
In this podcast, they also discuss:
Which nanotechnology applications are already available in healthcare and materials engineering.
How machine learning and AI are crucial in the new era of nanotechnology.
How advances in biological physics are reshaping our understanding of life.
Further reading:
“Structurally designed DN...
2019-12-1131 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewCybersecurity in the Age of AIAI is reshaping the landscape of cyber defense. As new security fissures open up, threat analysts deploy more powerful tools to prevent and respond to attacks. Nicole Eagan, CEO of Darktrace, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the escalating arms race in this new cybersecurity landscape.
In this podcast, they also discuss:
What security experts can learn from the human immune system response.
Why trust in automated decision-making technology is a crucial step in implementing AI-first security systems.
How a parked Tesla in your company parking lot can be a security flaw for the entire organization.
...
2019-12-0427 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewGrowth and the Energy Transition with Vaclav SmilFor the first time in history, we have to tackle a truly global problem: climate breakdown. Energy transition away from fossil fuels is imperative, but there is no consensus on how to achieve this. The preeminent expert on energy history and development, Vaclav Smil, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the limits of renewables, the consequences of megacities, and why waste reduction is a game-changer.
In this podcast, they also discuss:
Whether the massive amounts of information we gather today has purpose.
What possibilities Moore’s Law predicts for biology and chemistry.
The limits of nuclear power.
...
2019-11-2736 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAI, Accountability, and PowerIn November 2018 mass protests by Google workers drew attention to deep problems with bias and discrimination at some of the largest Silicon Valley companies. Meredith Whittaker, co-director of the AI Now Institute and one of the organizers of the Google Walkout, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how technology workers can influence progress in culture and technology.
In this podcast, they also discuss:
How discriminatory culture influences the values embedded in AI.
Whether ethics officers can actually influence firms and their products.
Why responsible AI design must include recognition of the shadow workforce helping to create it.
2019-11-2030 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewTechnology and the New World of WorkThe nature of work is undergoing tremendous changes, influenced by aging populations, the digital revolution, and a paradigm shift away from Fordism. Laetitia Vitaud, author of “Du Labeur à l’ouvrage (From Labour to Work),” and Azeem Azhar discuss how the reinvention of craftsmanship is creating a new deal to ensure more equitable, sustainable, and fulfilling jobs.
In this podcast, they also discuss:
How Silicon Valley is bringing back the values of craftsmanship.
What the single most important skill in the new world of work is.
Why the jobs of tomorrow will largely be in proximity services.
Furth...
2019-11-1335 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewHow Free-Market Economists Got It WrongThe late 1960s saw a revolution in public policy, as economists began to play an important role in shaping politics. On the wings of ideas popularized by Milton Friedman and other economists, the world was forever changed by free markets, dominant corporations, and stakeholder capitalism. Azeem Azhar discusses this with New York Times editorial writer and author Binyamin Appelbaum, whose recent book, “The Economists’ Hour,” is a deep dive into the history of ideas that formed capitalism, as we know it.
In this podcast, they also discuss:
Why supply-side economists were able to drive home their ideolo...
2019-11-0636 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewBeyond Deep Learning with Gary MarcusGary Marcus is well known as a deep learning critic. A neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and the author of “Rebooting AI: Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust,” Marcus believes that researchers need to move past deep learning in order to make true advances in machine intelligence. Marcus and Azeem Azhar discuss why, how, and when we can expect progress.
In this podcast, they also discuss:
What newborn ibexes can teach us about intelligence and learning.
How deep learning widens the gap between big companies and startups.
What we need for a breakthrough in AI.
Further reading:
“How to...
2019-10-3036 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAI and the Future of WarfareIn our rapidly changing world, peace is increasingly fragile. The only way to ensure we keep it and foster it around the world is to educate citizens to become its resilient stewards. General Sir Richard Barrons is the former Commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command, and he joins Azeem Azhar to discuss why the definition of warfare is changing with the development of technology and why our society’s resilience in the face of threats to peace must be founded on education.
In this episode, they also discuss:
What societal resilience is, and how it c...
2019-10-2339 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewBubbles, Golden Ages, and Tech RevolutionsHow do we exploit the technological revolution for green growth and global development? Celebrated economist, author, and scholar, Carlota Perez joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the nature of techno-economic paradigm shifts and current progress in the cycle of technological revolution. Perez is the author of one of the most influential books on the subject, “Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital.”
In this podcast, Carlota and Azeem also discuss:
The new welfare state.
How universal basic income could increase innovation.
If we’re on the verge of a new Golden Age.
Further reading:
“Technological Revolutions and Financia...
2019-10-1639 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewCreating an AI-First Business with Andrew NgArtificial 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 with strategy first when implementing AI into your business.
Further reading:
“How to C...
2019-10-0934 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewTony Blair: Governing in the Age of AIIf 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 needs to change to be at the forefront of the technology revolution
How th...
2019-10-0233 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewIntroducing Season 4In 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 digs into nano-tech, the future of work, and the nature of complexity.
Comi...
2019-09-2503 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewGovernance in the Age of AIArtificial 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 establishing common values to guide the governance of AI globally.
The role of the leading technology companies in regulating the industry.
...
2019-08-1424 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewDisrupting the Insurance Industry with AI“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 susceptible to transformations through AI, big data, and machine learning.
Why the corp...
2019-08-1431 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewBeneficial Artificial IntelligenceIn 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 the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Further reading:
Stuart Russell, “The Long-Term Future of AI” (Berkeley)
“Moral technology” (Aeon, March 21, 2019)
“Concerns of an...
2019-06-2647 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewSurveillance CapitalismShoshana 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 technology, while preventing its covert use by surveillance capitalists.
Further reading:
“The Secrets of Surveillance Capitalism” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, March 2016)
“Beyond Sur...
2019-06-1933 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAI’s Near FutureFor 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- and third-order consequences of bringing these more sophisticated artificial neural networks into our world.
F...
2019-06-1229 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Autonomous EconomyOne 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 artificial intelligence outside the proprietary enclaves of Silicon Valley monopolies.
Increasing Returns Theory and how to generate good governance in a...
2019-06-0532 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewDisrupting FinanceArtificial 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 social networks, the smartphone, and AI grew exponentially and converged to mount a challenge to the traditional banking in...
2019-05-2942 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewEmbedding AI in BusinessAI 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 application.
How critical it is to have data at the heart of your busi...
2019-05-2236 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Truth About AutonomyDirector 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 of time and money, the final advancements demand exponentially more.
The psychology behind why we will al...
2019-05-1538 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAI and the Genetic RevolutionMichigan 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, Azeem and Stephen also discuss:
FDA approval of the first genetic treatment for monogenic conditions and the work towards developing treatments...
2019-05-0836 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewWhen AI Meets MedicineWith 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 differential patient capability when participating in digital therapeutics.
The impact of GDPR on the need for ‘explainable AI’ in medicine.
Algorithmic surveillance and whether the tradit...
2019-05-0133 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewThe Innovation Economy“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 Azeem also discuss:
The role of the entrepreneurial state: moving away from the concept of the state as a fac...
2019-04-2430 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewCreating the Data EconomyOur 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 and organizations to share, monetize, and access data.
In this conversation, Trent and Azeem Azhar discuss:
The real-world impact of deep learning...
2019-04-1732 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewDesigning Responsible AI“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, and biology in her work.
In this podcast, Azeem Azhar and Joanna explore:
The role of goals in conceptualizing and programming intelligence system...
2019-04-1031 minAzeem Azhar's Exponential ViewInvesting in Disruptive InnovationIn 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 discuss the multi-trillion-dollar opportunity in exponentially-developing industries, the role of incumbents, and how investors can shift gears to find comfort in ri...
2019-04-0336 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewUBI, Automation, and Society in the U.S.Azeem Azhar speaks with Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur and author who is running for president in the 2020 U.S. election. At the heart of Andrew’s platform is the “freedom dividend,” a universal basic income of $1,000, payable to all Americans every month.
Azeem and Andrew discuss the core ideas behind Andrew’s platform, why they are necessary, and how to get there.
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2018-10-3154 min
Azeem Azhar's Exponential ViewAI, Warfare, and Global SecurityAzeem Azhar speaks with Dr. Mariarosaria Taddeo, deputy director of the Digital Ethics Lab at the Oxford Internet Institute. Dr. Taddeo is a philosopher, an ethicist, and a researcher focusing on cyber conflicts, cybersecurity, and the ethics of data science. Cyber attacks are escalating in frequency, sophistication, and impact.
Azeem and Dr. Taddeo unpack the state of cybersecurity and warfare, the complex symbiosis between governments and criminal actors, and the ways digital technologies are changing cyber warfare.
www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
2018-10-1153 min