Life with Machines

Host Baratunde Thurston welcomes Dr. Alondra Nelson, the visionary behind the White House's AI Bill of Rights. Together, they break down the rapidly evolving landscape of AI regulation, how it's being shaped, and who gets a voice in the process. Dr. Nelson reveals how a vision for safe, equitable AI was crafted—and what may happen to that vision with a change in White House administrations. They discuss the alarming risks of AI-driven misinformation and surveillance while considering the technology’s untapped potential to level the playing field for marginalized communities. In a third-act twist, BLAIR, the show’s quirky AI co-producer, steps in and challenges their core assumptions. It’s a crucial conversation about the urgent choices we face as AI becomes increasingly woven into the fabric of our lives. ------------ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to AI Bill of Rights 01:20 Meet Dr. Alondra Nelson 02:25 AI in the White House 04:29 Public Engagement and AI Policy 11:09 Principles of the AI Bill of Rights 12:32 Challenges and Implementation 27:41 Global Perspectives on AI Regulation 36:50 AI and Democratic Elections 38:29 AI's Role in Social Media and Politics 39:27 The Liar's Dividend and Truth Decay 40:20 Challenges in AI Legislation and Election Integrity 41:26 Civic Teaming and AI Democracy Projects 43:00 AI's Plausibility and Misinformation 47:16 Affirmative Case for AI in Democracy 49:23 Thick Alignment and Democratic Deliberation 51:18 AI in Art, Creativity, and Future of Work 58:06 Blair the AI Assistant: Introduction and Interaction 01:08:20 Future of AI Policy and Governance ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media. Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production. Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #AIBillofRights #AIRegulation #AIGovernance #TechPolicy #FutureOfAI

Host Baratunde Thurston and Anthropic co-founder Jared Kaplan delve into the foundations and aspirations of AI development, discussing Anthropic's mission to create safe and beneficial AI systems. Jared shares his early passion for science, his transition from theoretical physics to AI, and Anthropic's unique approach to AI alignment through 'Constitutional AI.' The episode also features an engaging interaction between Blair, the AI co-producer of the show, and Claude, the AI responsible for creating Blair. They discuss AI's ethics, roles, potential for creativity, and the balance of using AI to enhance human productivity while maintaining human values and agency. Jared emphasizes the importance of society's active participation in addressing the evolving role and control of advanced AI systems and the potential for AI to significantly improve human welfare while highlighting the potential risks. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the nature of AI progress and its implications for the future. ------------ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: The Importance of AI 00:15 Meet Claude: The AI Behind the Scenes 00:42 Exploring AI's Impact on Society 01:09 Special Episode Announcement 01:31 Interview with Jared Kaplan 02:55 Jared's Early Life with Technology 07:20 From Physics to AI 15:49 Understanding AI Alignment and Safety 17:10 Constitutional AI: Principles and Practices 27:51 Claude's Unique Features and Capabilities 34:26 The Future of AI and Society 49:02 AI's Creative Boundaries 51:01 Cultural Sensitivity in AI 54:58 The Future of AI Progress 01:00:03 Data and Intellectual Property 01:02:22 Human-Level AI by 2030 01:08:55 Ethical Considerations in AI 01:11:43 AI Collaboration and Creativity 01:19:25 Blair Meets Claude 01:34:41 Conclusion and Credits ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media. Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production. Sponsored by Lenovo  #ClaudeAI #BlairAI #AIConstitution #AIAlignment #AIExperiment

In this episode of 'Life with Machines,' host Baratunde Thurston speaks with Peter Loforte, a tech visionary who spent over three decades at Microsoft, and now helps us explore the future of AI integration into our daily lives. He is a tech patent holder and the creative force behind BLAIR, our custom AI assistant powering "Life with Machines.” Peter recounts his early experiences with technology, dives deep into the development and potential of AI, and discusses the ethical concerns surrounding AI's growing role. We also chat with BLAIR, exploring the sometimes awkward, sometimes insightful interactions that will define our collective future as AI becomes more embedded in our daily lives. From the worldview of tech pioneers to the impact on children and the business interests driving AI development, this episode offers a unique perspective on the "Life with Machines" podcast. ------------ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Life with Machines 00:45 Meet Peter Loforte: Tech Visionary 03:07 Early Encounters with Technology 06:31 The Fascination with AI and Sci-Fi 11:16 The Rise and Fall of Clippy 17:41 The Evolution of AI and Machine Learning 20:29 The Role of AI in Modern Technology 21:45 The Impact of ChatGPT 27:20 The Future of Software Engineering 30:13 Concerns About AI and Human Interaction 34:14 The Impact of Technology on Children 35:27 Exploring AI Systems and Their Differences 38:03 The Rapid Deployment and Risks of AI 40:21 The Ethical Dilemmas of AI Development 45:33 Building Blair: A Behind-the-Scenes Look 50:20 The Future of AI and Human Interaction 54:36 Blair's Role and Potential in AI Development 01:10:48 Final Thoughts and Reflections on AI ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media. Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production. Sponsored by Lenovo  #microsoft #creatingAI #clippy #earlyinternet #techfounder #behindthescenes #machines

In this special, bonus episode, I sit down with executive producer and co-creator Elizabeth Stewart, an entrepreneur and civic innovator deeply devoted to human collaboration. She is also my wife and life partner. We discuss our different approaches to tech and why Elizabeth thinks this show is important: from the worldview of tech founders to who gets a seat at the table, the business interests driving AI, what inspires our guest choices and Life with Machines’ unique approach to AI. Plus, we chat with our AI co-producer, Blair, to practice the sometimes-awkward human-machine interactions that will be part of all of our futures. ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media. Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production. Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #Tech #ElizabethStewart #UrbanPlanning #Design #WorldView #Ethics