Shows
Commonwealth Club of California PodcastPlot Twist: Could Artificial Intelligence Be the Transformative Force for Justice?Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, from predictive analytics to advanced data systems, has emerged as a catalyst for innovation. Yet, the criminal justice system lags decades behind, as more than 3,000 counties in the United States continue to rely on outdated and manual case management systems, making the path to justice far from linear. This technological gap means that while other sectors move forward, many parts of the criminal justice system continue to struggle with inefficiencies and disparities that hinder true progress.Imagine a world where communities have access to the reliable data they need to...2025-01-261h 00
Foundations with Larisa HovannisianEpisode #3: Raffi Krikorian: Tech for Transformation – Driving Social Impact Through InnovationFor this episode of Foundations, I’m thrilled to welcome Raffi Krikorian. Raffi currently serves as the CTO of Emerson Collective, where he harnesses the power of technology and data to lead social impact initiatives. Prior to Emerson, Raffi held key leadership roles, including CTO of the Democratic National Committee, Head of Uber's Advanced Technologies Center, and VP of Platform Engineering at Twitter. Join us as we explore the foundations of his incredible career and discuss how technology can drive meaningful, positive change.2024-10-221h 16
CDT Tech TalksTalking Tech on Bias and Equity in AI Systems with Alexandra Givens & Raffi KrikorianIn this episode, we explore the vital topic of bias and equity in AI systems. Joining the conversation are two esteemed guests: Raffi Krikorian, Chief Technology Officer at the Emerson Collective, and Alexandra Givens, President and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology. Tune in as we unpack the challenges and opportunities in making AI more equitable for all.In this episode, we explore the vital topic of bias and equity in AI systems. Joining the conversation are two esteemed guests: Raffi Krikorian, Chief Technology Officer at the Emerson Collective, and Alexandra Givens, President and CEO of the Center...2024-10-2231 min
Technically OptimisticWhat's next for dataThe way we use and understand data is rapidly evolving. So what does the future hold? Will backlash against surveillance capitalism result in protections that empower people to take control of their data? What’s going on with the new American Privacy Rights Act that’s currently moving through Congress? Raffi talks to experts about how we can understand — and help shape — the future of data, exploring new policy, digging into the concept of “digital doubles,” and assessing how data collection might play a role in coalition-building and reform. Guests include Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA); Brandon Pugh, policy direct...2024-06-191h 01
Technically OptimisticThe India episode — tech and data in the Global SouthThe data boom has had an outsized impact on India and the Global South. This episode explores how the data economy has changed life on the ground in South Asia — and for tech workers in the US. What does the future of caste look like for the South Asian diaspora, and in the tech world at large? What can be done to mitigate the harms of caste discrimination? How can tech help resource marginalized populations, enable social mobility, and design a more sustainable, empowered future? Raffi speaks with caste and technology scholar Murali Shanmugavelan; anthropologist Sareeta Amrute; Man...2024-06-121h 04
Technically OptimisticWho's watching the kids?Whether we like it or not, the kids are online — and they’re being tracked just like the rest of us. Who’s after their data, and why? We examine the harms minors face online — from how tech companies profit off addictive usership, to the consequences of social media on kids’ mental health and emotional development — and we explore some new proposals for how to protect their privacy. Are more parental controls the answer? Will newly-proposed laws be the key? Or will these bills cause more harm than good?In this episode, Raffi is joined by U.S. Senator R...2024-06-051h 03
The MachinistDigital surveillance and reproductive rights Podcast: Technically Optimistic (LS 36 · TOP 2.5% what is this?)Episode: Digital surveillance and reproductive rightsPub date: 2024-05-15Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationDigital surveillance is becoming increasingly threatening to the reproductive rights of women and pregnant people in America after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Behavioral data collected from apps can be used to catalog — and criminalize — our health care choices. In this “wild west” surveillance economy, who is responsible for safeguarding our privacy? Could more and more of our data be weaponized...2024-05-2356 min
Technically OptimisticPoliced by our dataNew technologies, such as facial recognition, are being used by law enforcement to identify, locate, and convict people. Powered by data gathered from across the internet, these imperfect programs can sometimes get it wrong, resulting in wrongful arrests. Are these surveillance systems making us safer, or just the opposite? How can we conceptualize the relationship between data and criminal justice? Does the Fourth Amendment protect us from data-driven policing? And how can we maintain our own “cyber hygiene” to keep our data secure? In this episode, Raffi talks to experts about these new technologies as they relate to ou...2024-05-221h 02
Technically OptimisticDigital surveillance and reproductive rightsDigital surveillance is becoming increasingly threatening to the reproductive rights of women and pregnant people in America after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Behavioral data collected from apps can be used to catalog — and criminalize — our health care choices. In this “wild west” surveillance economy, who is responsible for safeguarding our privacy? Could more and more of our data be weaponized against us in this same way? How can technology be harnessed to help protect privacy, rather than further jeopardize it? Host Raffi Krikorian talks to people working to protect reproductive freedom in an ever-changing landscape. Guests in...2024-05-1556 min
Technically OptimisticYour data, your voteModern political campaigning has become a massive data operation. In the US, candidates from both parties frequently use data to try and better understand voters, in hopes of swaying them on election day. But how, exactly, is voter information being acquired, analyzed, and employed to influence voters? Do modeling and targeting really move the needle? And how are political campaigns a microcosm of the data economy, illuminating how data can transform society? In this episode, Raffi talks to election veterans, data specialists, and former colleagues from his time as CTO at the Democratic National Committee, to talk a...2024-05-081h 00
Technically OptimisticHow to save social mediaWhen social media is at its best, we get genuine human connection, built-in audiences, and exciting avenues for creativity and exchange. But our current social platforms are built on a surveillance model, where our data is used to predict our behavior, show us ads, and train the algorithms that keep us perpetually on the platform. It’s time to explore a new vision for social media, where we don’t have to give up on privacy in order to connect. In this episode, Raffi talks to prominent critics of existing social media — and the people actively reimagining it, wit...2024-05-011h 00
Technically OptimisticHow your behavior became the world's biggest resourceHow has our data become the world’s most valuable resource? What privacy tradeoffs are we making when we engage with personalized apps, recommendations, and always-connected smart devices? Is our personal data being used to make things better, or to make tech giants even more powerful? And what do “cookies” have to do with all this? Host Raffi Krikorian chats with experts about data’s role in AI, “big data” and the data economy, surveillance capitalism, and much more. Guests include AI researcher Amba Kak, executive director of the AI Now Institute; data scientist Chris Wiggins, co-author of How Data Ha...2024-04-2450 min
The Harry Glorikian ShowRaffi Krikorian Says "We Don't Have Much Time Left" to Rein in AIHarry's guest this week is Raffi Krikorian, chief technology officer and managing director at Emerson Collective, the social change organization founded by Laurene Powell Jobs. Krikorian is the former vice president of engineering at Twitter (now X), where he was responsible for getting rid of the Fail Whale and making the company’s backend infrastructure more reliable; the former director of Uber's Advanced Technology Center in Pittsburgh, where he oversaw the launch of the world's first fleet of self-driving cars; and then the chief technology officer at the Democratic National Committee, where he helped rebuild the party's technology infrastructure af...2024-04-0959 min
Shortcast over CoffeeEp 74 Raffi Krikorian on Twitter, Uber, AI policy and ethicsToday, my guest is Raffi Krikorian. Raffi has had a distinguished career in tech, a career most would dream of. He graduated from MIT and went on to work in senior leadership positions at Twitter and Uber. He was the Senior Director of Engineering at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center and the first-ever Chief Technology Officer of the Democratic National Committee.
Raffi is currently serving as the Chief Technology Officer of Emerson Collective, where he works on developing opportunities and solutions in education, environment, immigration, and many more pressing problems in the world today. Ch...2024-03-1257 min
Technically OptimisticSeason Two is all about your dataThe second season of Technically Optimistic is all about your data. Who’s taking it? What are they doing with it? And how can you gain back some control?Join host Raffi Krikorian, CTO of Emerson Collective, down this road. It’s going to lead to some predictable places — like AI and social media — but also to stories about health care, political campaigning, and criminal justice reform.Subscribe now! New episodes are coming soon. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy...2024-03-1004 min
Hybrid Minds: Unlocking the Power of AI + IQDecoding Our Coexistence Around AI with Raffi KrikorianOn this episode, host Vahe Andonians welcomes the brilliant Raffi Krikorian, CTO at Emerson Collective, to discuss the intricacies of control and responsibility we share with technology. Together, they unravel the threads of human influence over tech evolution, challenging the pervasive notion that we're at the mercy of these digital forces. The conversation navigates through the ethics of AI, the societal impact of tech centralization, and the pivotal role of open source in maintaining a rich tapestry of innovation. Vahe and Raffi scrutinize the ways companies leverage our psychology to hook us on their products, underlining the i...2024-02-1550 min
In AI We Trust?Raffi Krikorian (Emerson Collective): How to unleash AI “superpowers” for good?Join us for a thought-provoking episode as we delve into empowering society with AI “superpowers.” In this final episode of the year of In AI We Trust?, our guest, Raffi Krikorian, CTO of Emerson Collective, shares his insights into the broader landscape of AI using technology to amplify societal impact. Discover his vision on how AI will impact elections and democracy, his call for increased government and academic support for AI's success, how he advocates for widespread AI and tech education, redefines success metrics in AI, and more. Tune in to explore the transformative potential of AI when harnessed for...2023-12-2035 min
Technically OptimisticUnpacking Biden's AI plan
On Monday, October 30th, Biden signed a landmark executive order on artificial intelligence safety and security. It was timed strategically, released the same week as VP Harris gave a speech at a UK AI summit. And, in the absence of any Congressional action, Biden’s document represents the most comprehensive and official policy of the United States on AI at the moment.
So, what’s in the executive order? Host Raffi Krikorian speaks with journalist Courtney Rozen, who covers the White House and tech policy for Bloomberg, and Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a Brown University computer science professor who co-w...2023-11-0340 min
Technically OptimisticJustin Hendrix on AI policy and democracy
As AI rapidly advances, how do we balance speed and safety? Justin Hendrix is the CEO and Editor of Tech Policy Press, a nonprofit media and community venture covering the intersection of technology and democracy. Through his reporting and research, he’s got a lot to say about the global developments in AI regulation, including the AI Act in the EU, emerging efforts in the US, and the implications for the future of US-China relations.
On September 8th, Hendrix sat down with host Raffi Krikorian for a live Fellows Friday virtual event hosted by Emerson Collective. This ep...2023-09-2947 min
Technically OptimisticTimnit Gebru is asking different questions about AI
Timnit Gebru is a co-author of one of the most influential research papers on AI from this decade, which coined the term “stochastic parrots” to describe large language models. Following her very public departure from Google in 2020, Gebru founded the Distributed AI Research (DAIR) Institute, an organization that describes itself as doing independent, community-rooted work, free from the pervasive influence of Big Tech. She’s now DAIR’s executive director. And recently, she was selected as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI — like several other guests you hear from in season one of this show.
Gebru sat...2023-09-1542 min
Technically OptimisticKyunghyun Cho on language, culture, and AI
In episode 6 of our first season on AI, we heard from Kyunghyun Cho, a professor of computer science and data science at New York University, about how artificial intelligence research in academia so often resembles corporate product development.
But in his initial talk with host Raffi Krikorian, Kyunghyun had a lot of other interesting things to say — for instance, about how AI models affect marginalized languages, on whether generative AI could produce something of cultural significance, and about the connection between AI “hallucinations” and creativity.
Here's Kyunghyun’s blog post on AI and compression (which referenc...2023-09-0829 min
Technically OptimisticIan Bremmer's plan for global AI governance
Ian Bremmer is a political scientist, risk consultant, and the author of “The AI Power Paradox,” a new essay in the Sept./Oct. 2023 issue of Foreign Affairs, co-written along with Mustafa Suleyman (co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI). In this essay, Bremmer lays out a plan for AI governance that aims to take into account a fundamental shift in the nature of political power that he says has been brought about by AI. He imagines a framework where nation-states, tech companies, and proposed newly created technocratic agencies all would join forces to try and mitigate the risks posed by AI.2023-09-0127 min
Technically OptimisticKeolu Fox on the revolutionary power of Indigenous tech
In August of 2023, wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui ripped through the historic town of Lahaina. Hundreds lost their lives, and thousands of structures were destroyed. The devastation is still unfolding. But this event was a tragic reminder that, for native Hawaiians, destruction of this magnitude did not just arrive out of the blue. These fires had a confluence of causes — like climate change, overtourism, and colonial mismanagement — and there have been many warnings.
Dr. Keolu Fox is a native Hawaiian geneticist, assistant professor of anthropology at UC San Diego, and co-founder and co-director of the Indi...2023-08-2534 min
Technically OptimisticBishop Paul Tighe on AI and our humanity
Following our series on artificial intelligence, we are releasing a few bonus episodes. Hear extended interviews from voices we featured in the series, as well as new conversations with exciting guests you haven’t heard yet.
Up first: Bishop Paul Tighe is the Vatican’s Secretary for Culture and Education. His mandate is to engage with what humans are up to all over the world — and in this office he has developed an interest in AI. He talked with host Raffi Krikorian about why the Catholic Church has its eyes on Silicon Valley, the many ways that AI migh...2023-08-1831 min
Technically OptimisticAI and Accountability: Who is responsible for managing AI?
In the final episode of our limited series on AI, we look at the big issues of accountability and responsibility. How should we allocate the responsibilities for managing this technology? Who will decide when AIs are doing more harm than good? Will we be looking to private companies or depending on public servants? And what will be left for individual citizens to decide?
To help unlock solutions to the growing challenge of AI responsibility, host Raffi Krikorian speaks with Maria Ressa, Nobel Prize-winning journalist and co-founder of Rappler; scientist and inventor Rosalind Picard from MIT’s Media La...2023-08-041h 04
Technically OptimisticOn Strike! How will AI impact the economy, culture, and the future of creativity?
We often speak about the AI revolution as though it were something that might happen in the far future. But, what about today, when AI is modifying our culture, society, and the economy as we speak? In this episode, we consider how AI is currently creating massive shifts, and the potential benefits and challenges we face right now.
Is AI revitalizing the economy, or is it on track to displace countless workers? Will AI render filmmakers and writers obsolete, or are we at the beginning of a modern-day cultural renaissance? And is AI being used to help...2023-07-281h 01
Technically OptimisticEducation and AI: What does AI have to teach us?
Can we use AI as a tool that enriches learning, rather than replacing it? We're seeing AI rapidly revolutionize the classroom and it's poised to completely transform both education and learning itself. But, how can we also ensure that everyone has access to the basics of tech and AI literacy so that we can all, every one of us, reap the benefits of AI and understand its nuances?
In this episode, we explore the potential of AI to enrich learning, and discuss how we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from this technology with...2023-07-2156 min
Technically OptimisticRules of the Road - part 2: What might regulating AI look like?
The questions we face around who can govern AI are complex. If we want to reap the rewards of this technology, what – if any – regulatory solutions are needed to offer us the best outcomes? And who has the power to set these new rules in motion?
In Part 2 of this two-part episode of Technically Optimistic, we talk with the diverse thinkers who are proposing ways forward for AI governance and explore whether these solutions allow for innovative possibilities while also mitigating potential harm. What kinds of governance can we expect in the future, and how far from real...2023-07-1458 min
The Digiday PodcastEmerson Collective’s Raffi Krikorian explains why he’s technically optimistic about AI’s societal implicationsRaffi Krikorian would have a better than average read on the artificial intelligence landscape, including as it pertains to potential regulation.Not only is the Emerson Collective CTO also the CEO of conversational AI company SpeakEasy AI, but the former Twitter and Uber executive was also the former CTO of the Democratic National Committee. And even Krikorian is unsure whether the U.S. Congress will be able to institute any guardrails around the new technology.“We are still so far away from being able to understand the nuances. I think there’s only one person in t...2023-07-1145 min
Technically OptimisticRules of the Road - part 1: Who has the power to regulate AI?
Historically, Silicon Valley has managed to perform a delicate dance with regulation. However, the explosive growth of artificial intelligence has brought forth an urgent question: given what we know about privacy, social media, data security, and so much else, should we regulate this technology this time around?
In Part 1 of this two-part episode of Technically Optimistic, we delve into questions of power and what it would take to create guardrails for AI to ensure a prosperous and safe society. What is the balance of society, technology, and the law? What are the rules of the road, and...2023-07-0844 min
Technically OptimisticEpisode 2 coming FridayWe usually publish on Wednesdays, but Episode 2 is coming this Friday, July 7th. It’s all about the thorny issue of AI regulation: whether it’s needed, what the challenges are, and what obstacles there might be.
To learn more about Technically Optimistic and to read the transcript for this episode: emersoncollective.com/technically-optimistic-podcast
For more on Emerson Collective: emersoncollective.com
Learn more about our host, Raffi Krikorian: emersoncollective.com/persons/raffi-krikorian
Technically Optimistic is produced by Emerson Collective with music by Mattie Safer.
Email us with questions and feed...2023-07-0501 min
Technically OptimisticAI is at a crossroads. How did we get here?
The artificial intelligence landscape is filled with opportunity and risk. On the one hand, AI holds the promise of productivity, accessibility, and medical marvels. On the other, AI is feared as a threat to our social fabric. Depending on who you listen to, AI is either our path to a renaissance or the road to our ruin.
The outcome is in the balance, which is why in the first episode of Technically Optimistic, host Raffi Krikorian speaks with John Markoff, journalist and author, about the history of AI; Suresh Venkatasubramanian, coauthor of the White House’s Blueprint fo...2023-06-2844 min
Technically OptimisticCan AI be used for good?The rise of artificial intelligence, while exciting, raises some hard questions: How can AI be used for good? Will AI harm us? How should AI be regulated?In Technically Optimistic, a new podcast from Emerson Collective, our Chief Technology Officer, Raffi Krikorian, unpacks the potential promises and pitfalls of an AI-laden future.Raffi and his guests will explore how this transformational technology can be developed and deployed with society’s best interests at heart. Drawing from his extensive career in technology, which ranges from building self-driving cars at Uber to serving as head of platform at...2023-05-2303 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Josh Nesbit: Founding Member, Widespread CareRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Josh Nesbit (Founding Member, Widespread Care) about what it looks like to be mission driven in his work.2023-03-2829 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Jim O’Leary: VP of Engineering, SignalRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Jim O’Leary (VP of Engineering, Signal) about what it looks like to be mission driven in his work.2023-02-2825 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Sam Quigley: CEO, Kicho IncRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Sam Quigley (CEO, Kicho Inc) about what it looks like to be mission driven in his work.2023-02-1421 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Max Roser: Researcher at University of Oxford / Founder & Director of Our World In DataRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Max Roser (Researcher at University of Oxford / Founder & Director of Our World In Data) about what it looks like to be mission driven in his work.2023-01-3122 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Laura Edelson: Postdoctoral Researcher / Co-Founder, NYU / Cyber Security for Democracy ProjectRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Laura Edelson (Postdoctoral Researcher at NYU, and Co-Founder of Cyber Security for Democracy Project) about what it looks like to be mission driven in her work.2023-01-1028 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Fred Diego: Co-Founder & CTO, StreetwideRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Fred Diego (Co-Founder & CTO, Streetwide) about what it looks like to be mission driven in his work.2022-12-2026 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Adam Kircher: Co-Founder, SirumRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Adam Kircher (Co-Founder, Sirum) about what it looks like to be mission driven in his work.2022-12-0620 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Ariel Ekblaw: CEO, AureliaRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Ariel Ekblaw (CEO, Aurelia) about what it looks like to be mission driven in her work. 2022-11-2228 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastMission Driven - Nellwyn Thomas: CTO, Democratic National CommitteeRaffi Krikorian (CTO, Emerson Collective) talks with Nellwyn Thomas (CTO, Democratic National Committee) about what it looks like to be mission driven in her work.2022-11-0832 min
Geeks Who Lead PodcastRaffi Krikorian - Introducing Mission DrivenIn this very special episode, I get to introduce and interview Raffi Krikorian about his new podcast series - mission driven - that we’ll be hosting and distributing on a regular basis. From VP Engineering at Twitter and leading the self driving group at Uber to being the CTO of the Democratic National Committee and now the CTO at Emerson Collective, Raffi has had an impactful and varied career in tech. The one common thread in his career has been a passion for mission driven work - whether trying to change the way the worl...2022-11-0327 min
Haytoug TalksWhat is Your Favorite Armenian Song?We ask 5 Los Angeles based Armenian-American artists what their favorite Armenian song is.
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Tro Krikorian
Lara Sarkissian
Darone Sassounian
Krista Marina
Raffi Semerdjian2022-08-221h 32
The Next Stage podcast by Web SummitHow to defend democracy against cyber attacks | In conversation with Raffi KrikorianThis week we wrestle with the topic of cyber security. From Web Summit 2018, Meet the defender of the Democratic party in the cyber war against hackers, Raffi Krikorian as he and Sam Biddle of the intercept ask the question: “ How can we defend democracy against cyber attacks?” Be sure to learn more about #CollisionfromHome"The best technology conference on the planet".Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcas...2020-04-0120 min
SoonishHow to Fix Social MediaEarlier this year Soonish took on social media in an episode called A Future Without Facebook. In that show I explained my own decision to quit the troubled platform and talked with friends and colleagues about their own reasons for staying or going.
But the story of how these platforms are confounding earlier hopes for social media—and are instead blowing up our democracies—was never just about Facebook. In today’s special follow-up episode, I speak with national security expert Juliette Kayyem and former Twitter engineer Raffi Krikorian about the challenges spanning all of our social media...2019-07-2434 min
NZ Tech PodcastNZ Tech Podcast: Episode 57A special NZ Tech Podcast edition focussing on interviews carried out during Webstock 2012. Guests include Raffi Krikorian (Twitter), Scott Hanselman (Microsoft), Derek Handley (The Hyperfactory) along with Tim Fraser and Jeremy Geros (GoVocab).
Running time : 01:01:172012-02-201h 01