What if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Possible is an award-winning, weekly podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and...
Devshi Mehrotra on AI, justice, and public defense
America’s criminal justice system relies on public defenders to represent anyone without access to a private attorney. But public defenders are chronically under-resourced and overburdened with caseloads. Can technology help lessen that load and, in effect, make the criminal justice system more just? This week’s guest, Devshi Mehrotra, says yes. Devshi is co-founder and CEO of JusticeText, a startup developing AI software to help lawyers search and review case material more efficiently and enhance police accountability. She joins Reid and Aria to talk about JusticeText’s offerings and opportunities, along with public-private partnerships and local governments’ evolving attitudes toward AI and innovation. Plus, a public defender shares her experience using JusticeText and Devshi demos the platform.
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
Topics:
3:10 - Hellos and intros
6:47 - What inspired the creation of JusticeText
10:38 - What America’s public defenders are up against
12:35 - How JusticeText can help
14:32 - On being a for-profit company
18:11 - Creating a new market
20:47 - JusticeText’s customer base
23:33 - Midroll
23:41 - A testimony from a public defender using the platform
24:40 - Requests for new features
25:58 - JusticeText demo
28:50 - How AI is supporting, not replacing, public defenders’ jobs
30:23 - The intersection of government and technology
32:53 - How local governments are thinking about AI
34:59 - Other technologies that could improve the justice system
37:28 - What entrepreneurial advice Devshi would give her younger self
38:43 - The future of JusticeText
40:42 - Rapid-fire questions
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49:11
Reid riffs on Bill Gates and promising technology developments
After last week’s wide-ranging discussion with Bill Gates, Aria asks Reid for his take on the work of this philanthropic luminary. Plus, Reid gives a three-part answer to the technology developments he thinks are going to have broad and beneficial applications across many fields.
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
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8:32
Feed Drop: Reid Hoffman: Entrepreneurship, AI, and the Battle for Democracy
In this episode of Remarkable People, join host Guy Kawasaki for an illuminating conversation with Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and partner at Greylock. Together, they explore entrepreneurship, politics, and artificial intelligence, offering unique insights into blitzscaling, the future of democracy, and how games shaped his strategic thinking. Hoffman shares candid views on Silicon Valley dynamics, the impact of extreme wealth, and his optimistic vision for AI's role in society. Discover how this tech pioneer navigates the intersection of technology, business, and civic responsibility.
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34:10
Feed Drop: Masters of Scale: President Bill Clinton in conversation with Reid Hoffman
Ahead of the U.S. presidential election, we’re bringing you a bonus episode from Reid's Masters of Scale podcast. A few weeks ago, Reid sat down with former President Bill Clinton at the Masters of Scale Summit to talk about the current state of American democracy, polarization, and what’s at stake in this election. Their full, unedited stage conversation is presented in this episode. To hear more conversations like these from Reid Hoffman, subscribe to Masters of Scale wherever you get your podcasts: https://mastersofscale.com/follow
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36:16
Bill Gates on possibility, AI, and humanity
How many lives will be saved with the help of AI over the next decade?
Reid and Aria sat down with Bill Gates to discuss his main areas of focus: climate change, energy, global health, and education—and how AI will help transform each of them. Taking a bird’s-eye view of society’s challenges, it’s easy to give in to pessimism. But as one of the most influential people in the world, Bill Gates has a unique perspective on how far humanity has come and what our potential—and timelines—for meaningful change really look like. He gets granular on everything from cows (5% of global emissions) to disease reduction and eradication (Guinea worm disease). At each turn, he has data at his fingertips to ground his beliefs. So, what current set of innovations is Bill most excited about? And what is realistically on the horizon for AI, climate change, energy, global health, and education?
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
Topics:
03:18 - Hellos and intros
03:24 - Projects Bill is most excited about
05:46 - Bill’s recent Netflix series
08:14 - Technology that will change what’s possible
10:41 - Solutions for malnutrition
12:09 - Cow-based solutions for climate change and nutrition
17:06 - What Bill is working toward for climate change
19:19 - Viable alternative energy sources
23:80 - What will make solar work?
26:47 - Nuclear fission and fusion
29:30 - How AI will help mitigate climate change
32:38 - What to focus on in global health
37:24 - AI and drug discovery
39:52 - What else will AI unlock in public health?
42:28 - Personalized medicine: is it worth it?
44:02 - Conditions on the ground in the poorest countries
47:29 - AI in education
51:24 - Khanmigo and early GPT-4
54:59 - Non-tech levers for change in education
56:34 - What would Bill ask someone from 2100?
58:25 - AI in 3-5 years, and what comes next for work
01:03:05 - Rapid-fire Questions
Select mentions:
The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Better_Angels_of_Our_Nature
What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xxhYr4gbQE
Bill Gates Visits First Avenue School: Commends Innovative Use of Technology
https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/schools/first-avenue-school/bill-gates-visits-first-avenue-school-commends-innovative-use-of-technology/
Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
What if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Possible is an award-winning, weekly podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger explore what’s possible with forward-thinking leaders, deep thinkers, and ambitious builders across many fields, such as technology, art, education and healthcare. These conversations center on the ways technology—and, in particular, AI—is shaping the future. In episodes, AI tools such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Inflection’s Pi are at work, offering informational asides, prompting guests, or demoing what they can do. Lastly, between guest episodes, Aria interviews her co-host Reid on his latest takes on what’s possible if we use technology—and our collective effort—effectively.