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Technically Optimistic

Emerson Collective

Artificial Intelligence is at a crossroads. How did we get here? In Technically Optimistic we delve into the power and risks associated with AI and a world transformed by a technological revolution.

To better understand where we are and where we’re going, our host Raffi Krikorian speaks with experts at the forefront of this change — creatives, lawmakers, engineers, historians, journalists, and technologists. Over six episodes, listeners will gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the ethics, opportunities, and tradeoffs AI presents.

© Emerson Collective 2023

Artificial Intelligence is at a crossroads. How did we get here? In Technically Optimistic we delve into the power and risks associated with AI and a world transformed by a technological revolution.

To better understand where we are and where we’re going, our host Raffi Krikorian speaks with experts at the forefront of this change — creatives, lawmakers, engineers, historians, journalists, and technologists. Over six episodes, listeners will gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the ethics, opportunities, and tradeoffs AI presents.

© Emerson Collective 2023
9hr 47min
Thumbnail for "AI is at a crossroads. How did we get here?".
History, ethics, and social impact of AI
June 28, 202344min 39sec86.16 MB
Thumbnail for "Unpacking Biden's AI plan".
How should we understand the massive new executive order on AI safety?
November 3, 202340min 4sec78.47 MB
Thumbnail for "Justin Hendrix on AI policy and democracy".
The CEO of Tech Policy Press talks about covering global developments in AI regulation
September 29, 202347min 59sec95.03 MB
Thumbnail for "Timnit Gebru is asking different questions about AI".
The influential researcher talks about reclaiming the narrative from Big Tech
September 15, 202342min 8sec82.23 MB
Thumbnail for "Kyunghyun Cho on language, culture, and AI".
As newer and bigger AI language models are developed, new challenges emerge
September 8, 202329min 52sec58.59 MB
Thumbnail for "Ian Bremmer's plan for global AI governance".
The political scientist says governments and corporations need to join forces to take on AI
September 1, 202327min 31sec54.03 MB
Thumbnail for "Keolu Fox on the revolutionary power of Indigenous tech".
After the destructive wildfires on Maui, imagining tech that empowers native Hawaiians
August 25, 202334min 5sec66.57 MB
Thumbnail for "Bishop Paul Tighe on AI and our humanity".
A bonus conversation about technology and what makes us human
August 18, 202331min 6sec61.81 MB
Thumbnail for "AI and Accountability: Who is responsible for managing AI?".
What responsibilities will fall to each of us in an AI-enhanced future?
August 4, 20231hr 5min126.5 MB
Thumbnail for "On Strike! How will AI impact the economy, culture, and the future of creativity?".
What are the benefits and challenges of AI in the current moment?
July 28, 20231hr 2min120.08 MB
Thumbnail for "Education and AI: What does AI have to teach us?".
What does the future – and present – of AI education hold for us?
July 21, 202356min 48sec110.32 MB
Thumbnail for "Rules of the Road - part 2: What might regulating AI look like?".
Lawmakers, experts, and engineers on the prospects of regulating AI.
July 14, 202358min 29sec113.34 MB
Thumbnail for "Rules of the Road - part 1: Who has the power to regulate AI?".
Can government regulation act as guardrails for AI?
July 8, 202344min 17sec85.8 MB
Thumbnail for "Trailer: Can AI be used for good?".
How the transformational technology can be developed and deployed with society's best interests at its core.
May 22, 20233min 4sec5.98 MB

AI is at a crossroads. How did we get here?

Thumbnail for "AI is at a crossroads. How did we get here?".
June 28, 202344min 39sec

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 for an AI Bill of Rights and professor of computer science at Brown, about ethics; and Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic, about AI’s impact on society.

In this wide-ranging episode, Krikorian, Emerson Collective’s Chief Technology Officer, explores the nuances and subtleties of the technological revolution we’re living through—to ask probing questions about the changes underway and understand what may happen and why it matters.

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 feedback at technicallyoptimistic@emersoncollective.com.

Subscribe to Emerson Collective’s newsletter: emersoncollective.com

Thumbnail for "AI is at a crossroads. How did we get here?".
AI is at a crossroads. How did we get here?
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