The Feedback Loop by Singularity
121 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago - ★★★★ - 7 ratingsThe Feedback Loop Podcast, produced by the Singularity Group, delves into the ways in which technology is shaping humanity's consciousness, culture, and overall human experience. Each episode discusses the effects of our rapid progression towards the Singularity on these fundamental aspects of our being.
Learn more at su.org and join the +250K innovators, entrepreneurs, experts, and leaders come together to learn, connect, and change the world for the better.
Previously Singularity University, founded by Peter Diamandis & Ray Kurzweil
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Episodes
FBL115: Robert Sapolsky - A Determined Future, With No Free Will
October 16, 2023 17:20 - 57 minutes - 131 MBThis week our guest is Stanford neuroscientist, Robert Sapolsky. You may know Dr. Sapolsky from his incredible 25-part lecture series on Youtube, his triumphant book, Behave, or his guest appearances on the Joe Rogan and Huberman Lab podcasts. And if you know him from any of these things, you may also know that Sapolsky isn’t a big fan of free will. In fact, he wrote an entire book about it, Determined, which is set to release on Oct 20th. And it is this very book we will explore in this ep...
FBL114: David Marx - Status & Culture in the Digital Age
August 28, 2023 23:08 - 54 minutes - 126 MBThis week our guest is Tokyo-based writer, David Marx, who recently wrote Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change. In this episode, we explore the ideas at the heart of David’s book as they relate to the modern technological paradigm we find ourselves in. In other words, how has the digital world shaped our cultural behavior and how we compare ourselves with others. This leads to discussing topics around social media stat...
FBL113: Isabel Pedersen - The Adoption of Embodied Computing
August 21, 2023 18:41 - 46 minutes - 108 MBOur guest is professor and director of the Digital Life Institute at Ontario Tech University, Isabel Pedersen, who specializes in the study of wearables, embodied computing, and similar technologies. In this episode, we take a tour through what Isabel calls the continuum of embodiment, starting with the defining characteristics of the field, exploring its many manifestations and advancements over the decades, and even looking into the future when we may see applications such as brain comput...
FBL112: Chris Ryan - The Modern World vs Evolution
August 14, 2023 15:39 - 58 minutes - 133 MBThis week our guest is author and podcast, Chris Ryan, who is well known for exploring the evolution of human society and behavior through his books, Sex at Dawn and Civilized to Death. In this episode, we take a candid tour through the many misconceptions and misunderstandings of early hunter-gatherer lifestyles and how an alternative view could benefit us in modernity. This includes topics such as cooperation vs competition, resource control, capitalism, mental health issues, the current...
FBL111: Lauren Wagner - Digital Trust & Safety
August 07, 2023 17:44 - 42 minutes - 96.4 MBThis week our guest is investor and researcher, Lauren Wagner, who has extensive experience shaping the trust and safety protocols at some of the world’s most influential platforms and institutes. In this episode, we explore the lessons Lauren has learned from her time at Cornell, Oxford, Meta, and Google, and how that’s shaped her current approach to policy building. This takes us a tour of the impact of free speech, community building, social media’s impact on polarization, governmental ...
FBL110: Adam Waytz - Ethics & Minds in the Age of AI
July 31, 2023 17:41 - 54 minutes - 124 MBThis week our guest is psychologist and professor at Northwestern University, Adam Waytz, who specializes in the study of technology, ethics, and how people think about the minds of others. In this episode, we take a wide tour across many topics as we explore Adam’s different areas of interest and focus. This often centers around how our demonization of technology often blinds us to the real source of our societal struggles: the people using the technology. This leads to discussions around...
FBL109: Gabriella Rosen Kellerman: Tomorrowmind & the Future of Work
July 17, 2023 17:15 - 48 minutes - 112 MBThis week our guest is Harvard-train physician and Chief Innovation Officer at Betterup Labs, Gabriella Rosen Kellerman, who co-authored the recently released book Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection―Now and in an Uncertain Future. In this episode, we take a tour of the many behavioral traits and characteristics that are becoming increasingly necessary as the structures of our work lives change in response to technological innovation. Along the way, Ga...
FBL108: Tobias Rose-Stockwell - The Outrage Machine
July 10, 2023 17:36 - 59 minutes - 108 MBThis week our guest is writer and technology researcher, Tobias Rose-Stockwell, who has just published a brand new book: The Outrage Machine: How Tech Amplifies Discontent, Disrupts Democracy―And What We Can Do About It. In this episode, we explore Tobias’ book, which takes us on a journey through topics such as the power of virality for better or worse, algorithmic manipulation, the features of technology that lead to outrage, legislation, digital IDs, and the broader consequences for gov...
FBL107: Nicholas Kardaras - Navigating Digital Addiction
July 03, 2023 17:33 - 51 minutes - 94 MBThis week my guest is psychologist Nicholas Kardaras, a leading expert in the study of addiction, especially as it relates to digital technologies. In addition to running recovery centers in both Maui and Austin, he’s also the author of Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids and How to Break the Trance, as well as his recently published, Digital Madness: How Social Media is Driving Our Mental Health Crisis–and How to Restore Our Sanity. In this episode, we begin with a short...
FBL106: Adam Gazzaley - Digital Medicine for Distracted Minds
June 26, 2023 16:38 - 50 minutes - 116 MBThis week my guest is neuroscientist and entrepreneur, Adam Gazzaley, who co-authored the 2016 book The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, and whose company Akili Interactive has developed the world's first video game approved by the FDA for the medical treatment of ADHD. Adam and I start the conversation with a robust exploration of attention from a neuroscientific perspective, investigating the modern impacts of distraction and technological stimuli. From there, we delv...
FBL105: Gerd Leonhard - Empowering Humanity Towards a Good Future
June 19, 2023 17:57 - 52 minutes - 120 MBThis week our guest is futurist and speaker, Gerd Leonhard, who authored the 2016 book Technology vs Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine. In this episode, we explore the ideas Gerd puts forth in his book, with a heavy emphasis on how the humanities are a necessary part of what he calls a "Good Future.” This takes us on a tour of the failings of transhumanism, the need to update our regulatory systems, questions around our economic models, the impact of culture and storytelli...
FBL104- David Auerbach: Humanity is Shaped by Meganets We Don’t Control
June 12, 2023 17:55 - 49 minutes - 90.5 MBThis week our guest is author David Auerbach, who was a software engineer at Microsoft and Google during their rise to become the dominant companies they are today. In this episode, David and I discuss his latest publication, Meganets: How Digital Forces Beyond Our Control Commandeer Our Daily Lives and Inner Realities. David explains how, despite what many tend to think, the realm of digital technology we all occupy is beyond the control of any of us, even the major companies who are crea...
FBL103 - Edward A. Lee: How Humans and Machines Co-Evolve
June 05, 2023 18:00 - 53 minutes - 123 MBThis week our guest is distinguished professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, Edward A. Lee, who has written extensively about the relationship between humans and technology in books such as Plato and the Nerd and The Coevolution. In this episode, Edward lays out his argument against the status quo of "digital creationism," which states that humans are the gods shaping technology, and proposes an alternative narrative where humans and technology are symbioti...
FBL102: Nita Farahany – Thinking Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology
May 22, 2023 17:43 - 52 minutes - 120 MBThis week our guest is Nita Farahany, a Distinguished Professor at Duke University where she heads the Science, Law, and Policy Lab. The research she conducts in her lab specifically focuses on the implications of emerging neuroscience, genomics, and artificial intelligence; and, as a testament to her expertise, there is a long, long list of awards and influential positions she can lay claim to, including an appointment by Obama to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issu...
FBL101: Anne Scherer - How AI is Shaping You and Your Life
May 15, 2023 17:47 - 49 minutes - 113 MBThis week my guest Anne Scherer, a professor of marketing at the University of Zurich who specializes in the psychological and societal impacts that result from the increased automation and digitization of the consumer-company relationship. In this episode we focus on the details Anne covers in, You and AI, a book she co-authored with Cindry Candrian to bring an accessible understanding of the ways in which AI is shaping our lives. This takes on a tour of topics such as our symbiotic relati...
FBL100: Peter Diamandis - Unraveling the Future - AI, Biotech, Quantum and the Singularity
May 08, 2023 18:11 - 50 minutes - 116 MBTo celebrate our 100th episode, we welcome one of the co-founders of Singularity himself, Peter Diamandis. And although his educational background at MIT and Harvard Medical school is impressive enough, Peter has also built and invested in many successful companies and organizations dedicated to shaping a better world, including his famous X-Prize Foundation and of course the home of this podcast, Singularity. In this episode, Peter and I attempt to update the ideas around the singularity...
FBL99: Karl Friston - How Free Energy Shapes the Future of AI
May 01, 2023 18:00 - 35 minutes - 81.6 MBThis week my guest is professor of neuroscience at University College London, Karl Friston. Viewed by many as one of the world’s most influential neuroscientists, Friston rose to prominence when he pioneered one of the key techniques that allows neuroscientists to analyze brain activity. And as if that wasn’t enough, he has since developed the Free Energy Principle, which some see as monumental to the field as Darwin’s theory of evolution was for biology and genetics. It’s this work on the...
FBL98: Jean Twenge - How Generations Are Shaped By Technology
April 24, 2023 17:42 - 45 minutes - 105 MBThis week my guest is Jean Twenge, a renowned psychologist, professor, and author who has been one of the world’s leading researchers investigating generational differences and the impacts of technology. This includes her books The Narcissism Epidemic, Generation Me, and my personal favorite iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. In this episode we explore Jean’s wonderful collection of work t...
FBL97: Nessa Carey - Epigenetics & Gene Editing
April 17, 2023 17:46 - 53 minutes - 122 MBThis week our guest is British biologist, Nessa Carey, who has researched and written extensively about the latest trends in molecular biology and biotechnology for several decades now. This includes her 2011 book, the Epigenetics Revolution, and her more recent 2019 book, Hacking the Code of Life. In this episode, we lay some biological groundwork by first discussing the often misunderstood field of epigenetics, a process wherein our DNA changes how it's expressed throughout our lives. Fr...
FBL96: Mikes Berners-Lee - Understanding Climate Change
April 03, 2023 18:04 - 40 minutes - 75 MBThis week my guest is professor and fellow of the Institute for Social Futures at Lancaster University, Mike Berners-Lee. With a brother who is often referred to as the inventor of the internet, Mike Berners-Lee carries on his family’s legacy of scientific brilliance through the domain of climate change. Specifically, Mike is considered one of the leading experts studying carbon footprints, and has written extensively on the subject in books such as The Carbon Footprint of Everything and T...
FBL95: Sander van der Linden - Foolproof in the Age of Misinformation
March 24, 2023 17:19 - 31 minutes - 71.9 MBThis week my guest is Sander Van Der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge where he has also directed the Social Decision-Making Lab since 2016. In this episode we explore Sander’s latest publication, Foolproof, in which he details the many ways in which humans fall prey to misinformation and ways in which we can resist such persuasion. This primarily takes us on a tour of his work around “pre-bunking,” an experience that gives one an increased resistance to ...
FBL94: Max Borders - Decentralizing the Social Singularity
March 20, 2023 16:46 - 41 minutes - 76.2 MBThis week our guest is philosopher and author, Max Borders, who founded the non-profit Social Evolution in order to solve social problems through innovation, and who has also authored three books deeply exploring humanity’s movement to a society of decentralized governance. In this episode, we explore some of the finer details of decentralization, including how it manifests itself in the digital and physical worlds, how bad actors are kept in check in a society without a central authority, ...
FBL93: Angus Fletcher - Why Storytelling Will Prevent AI Dominance
March 06, 2023 17:41 - 56 minutes - 103 MBThis week our guest is Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University’s Project Narrative, Angus Fletcher, who pulls on his background of literature and neuroscience to understand how brains and machines process story and narrative. Angus has recently made some extremely bold claims, including putting forth a proof that “even a sentient, self-aware, and infinitely powerful computer could never innovate” because it can’t engage in narrative thought. In essence, computer AI cannot replic...
FBL92: Zak Stein - Transforming Education to Prevent Catastrophe
February 27, 2023 17:16 - 39 minutes - 72.9 MBThis week our guest is writer, educator, and futurist, Zak Stein, who is well known for co-founding the Consilience Project with Daniel Schmachtenberger, as well as his recent publication, Education in a Time Between Worlds: Essays on the Future of Schools, Technology, and Society. In this episode, Zak takes us on a well-articulated tour of the philosophical and sociocultural conditions that are causing us to fail at our central task of educating the next generation. Along the way we discus...
FBL91: Connor Leahy - The Existential Risk of AI Alignment
February 20, 2023 19:18 - 53 minutes - 98.3 MBThis week our guest is AI researcher and founder of Conjecture, Connor Leahy, who is dedicated to studying AI alignment. Alignment research focuses on gaining an increased understanding of how to build advanced AI systems that pursue the goals they were designed for instead of engaging in undesired behavior. Sometimes, this means just ensuring they share the values and ethics we have as humans so that our machines don’t cause serious harm to humanity. In this episode, Connor provides candid...
FBL90: Zoltan Istvan - The Current State of Transhumanism
February 13, 2023 20:00 - 55 minutes - 102 MBIn this episode we check back in with one-time presidential candidate and author of The Transhumanist Wager, Zoltan Istvan, to see how his views have changed since we last talked. This included exploring his changing views in ethics thanks to his study at Oxford, the incredible changes that chatGPT appears to be bringing to society, the disappointments of the longevity movement, and especially concerns around AGI retribution and the “useless” class of humans who will have very few skills tha...
FBL89: Elizabeth Renieris - How Data Distracts Us From Human Rights
February 06, 2023 19:12 - 45 minutes - 82.6 MBThis week’s guest is lawyer, author, and Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, Elizabeth M. Renieris. In this episode, we explore Elizabeth's brand new book, Beyond Data: Reclaiming Human Rights at the Dawn of the Metaverse. This takes us on a tour through the ways in which our obsession with data has failed and distracted us, how we need to return to the pillars of basic human rights law that are already well established if we are to regulate tec...
FBL88: Justin Hendrix - Democracy in the Digital Age
January 30, 2023 19:34 - 49 minutes - 90.1 MBThis week our guest is research scientist and adjunct professor, Justin Hendrix, who is the CEO and editor of Tech Policy Press (https://techpolicy.press/), a non-profit media community dedicated to exploring the intersection of technology and democracy. In this episode, Justin and I enjoy a wide tour through a variety of topics, including political polarization, social media as a public square, social media as a public utility, the economic possibilities including Universal Basic Income, a...
FBL87: Rosalind Picard - Engineering Emotion & AI
January 23, 2023 18:31 - 43 minutes - 80 MBThis week I’m honored to be joined by MIT Professor, Rosalind Picard, who not only founded the field of affective computing, but is easily considered one of the most impactful inventors alive. In this episode, we explore affective computing and its many impacts on society. This takes on a tour through concepts as wide-ranging as manipulating emotions, treating health challenges, surveillance, social robots, and more. You can follow Rosalind at twitter.com/rosalindpicard, or check out one o...
FBL86: Christopher Nguyen - Knowledge-First AI, GPT3, and More
January 16, 2023 19:07 - 51 minutes - 94.6 MBThis week my guest is entrepreneur and technologist, Christopher Nguyen, who–in addition to starting his own companies–has spent four decades working at some of the world’s biggest tech giants. In this episode we explore many facets of AI, including Christopher’s ideas around knowledge-first AI, bad training data for AI, issues with the black box, GPT3, deepfakes, and much more. Follow Christopher and his AI work with Aitomatic at twitter.com/pentagoniac ** Learn more about Singularity: ...
FBL85: Sandra Matz - Lessons From a Computational Social Scientist
January 09, 2023 19:15 - 52 minutes - 96.3 MBThis week my guest is computation social scientist and professor at Columbia University, Sandra Matz, who recently published her book, The Psychology of Technology: Social Science Research in the Age of Big Data. In this episode, we explore many different ways in which technology and psychology are influencing one another in the modern era. This includes but isn’t limited to the influence of big data on psychological research, the battle between exploitation and exploration as fundamental d...
FBL84: David Rose - Using Augmented Reality to Gain Supersight
December 19, 2022 18:41 - 49 minutes - 90.3 MBOur final guest of 2022 is entrepreneur, product innovator, and lecturer at MIT, David Rose. Pulling on an extensive background as VP at Warby Parker and as a long-time explorer of ambient technologies, David recently released his book Supersight: What Augmented Reality Means for Our Lives, Our Work, and the Way We Imagine the Future. Exploring this topic takes us on a tour of some of the incredible work currently taking place and the pragmatic impacts many industries will soon experience, ...
FBL83: Danielle Citron - Fighting for Data Privacy and Protection
December 12, 2022 19:08 - 55 minutes - 101 MBThis week our guest is Distinguished Professor in Law at the University of Virginia, Danielle Citron, who recently released her book The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age. Danielle’s book, as well as this episode, explores the darker side of technology as it relates to the data of our intimate lives. This includes sensitive and challenging topics such as revenge porn and online abuse. We additionally explore the broader topics of online privacy, in...
FBL82: Orly Lobel - The Equality Machine & Techno-optimism
December 05, 2022 18:49 - 52 minutes - 95.8 MBThis week our guest is law professor, author, and distinguished speaker, Orly Lobel, who recently published her latest of three books, The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future. In this episode we explore the thread that weaves through Orly’s work, which often emphasizes the way economic markets, technology, and the human condition interact. Specifically, we take a deep dive into the limitations and future of intellectual property and monopoli...
FBL81: Rama Chellappa - Can We Trust AI?
November 28, 2022 19:00 - 47 minutes - 87 MBThis week my guest is Rama Chellappa, a pioneering AI researcher and distinguished professor at John Hopkins University who recently published his book, Can We Trust AI? In this episode we try to tackle the question posed by Rama’s book from many angles, exploring topics such as the transparency of AI in regards to the black box issue, the accountability issues for when programmers create algorithms that end lives, the reliability of self-driving cars to navigate an ever-changing environmen...
FBL80: David Wood - Principles of the Singularity
November 21, 2022 17:41 - 57 minutes - 105 MBThis week our guest is David Wood, a long-time futurist and renowned transhumanist thinker. David has authored 10 books on the subject of our technological future, including his recently published book Singularity Principles: Anticipating and Managing Cataclysmically Disruptive Technologies. In addition to exploring some of the principles and ideas from David’s latest publication, this episode takes a wide but succinct tour of the singularity. This includes (but is certainly not limited to)...
FBL79: Gloria Mark - Understanding Attention in the Digital Age
November 14, 2022 18:41 - 58 minutes - 107 MBThis week our guest is Dr. Gloria Mark, who is Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. In addition to having a PhD in psychology and acting as a visiting senior researcher at Microsoft since 2012, Gloria has recently authored the book Attention Span, which will release on January 10th, 2023. In this conversation, we explore many different facets of attention, including but certainly not limited to how our attention span is decreasing, how technology is...
FBL78: James Bridle - Using Nature to Rethink Artificial Intelligence
November 07, 2022 19:29 - 1 hour - 111 MBThis week our guest is writer, artist and technologist, James Bridle. Famous for trapping a self-driving car with salt in the mountains of Greece, his artworks have been commissioned by numerous galleries and institutions and have been exhibited worldwide. His writing on literature, culture and networks has appeared in magazines and newspapers including Wired, the Atlantic, the New Statesman, the Guardian, and the Financial Times. He is the author of 'New Dark Age' (2018) and his recently pu...
FBL77: Brett Johnson - America’s Most Wanted Cybercriminal
October 31, 2022 18:34 - 52 minutes - 95.6 MBThis week our guest is Brett Johnson, who was listed on America’s Most Wanted list in 2006 for cyber-crime and who the secret service once declared as the “original internet godfather.” Since serving his jail sentence and leaving behind his criminal past, Brett has become a leading consultant on tech security, now helping people learn how to protect themselves against the type of person he once was. In this discussion, we explore a wide variety of topics, including social engineering, deceit...
FBL76: David Carroll - Cambridge Analytica & Data Privacy
October 24, 2022 18:14 - 55 minutes - 102 MBThis week our guest is David Carroll, a professor of media design at the New School in New York City who gained worldwide renown when he decided to engage in a legal battle with the Cambridge Analytica. For those who may not know, Cambridge Analytica was involved in a massive data scandal using Facebook data to manipulate voters into voting for Donald Trump and Brexit. In this conversation, we explore David’s battle against Cambridge Analytica from start to finish, attempting to go beyond th...
FBL75: Peter Ward - The Failures and Opportunities of Immortality
October 17, 2022 18:00 - 52 minutes - 96.7 MBThis week our guest is business and technology reporter, Peter Ward. Earlier this year, Peter released his book The Price of Immortality: The Race to Live Forever, where he investigates the many movements and organizations that are seeking to extend human life, from the Church of Perpetual Life in Florida, to some of the biggest tech giants in Silicon Valley. In this episode, we explore Peter’s findings, which takes us on a tour from cryonics to mind uploading, from supplements to gene edi...
FBL74: Azeem Azhar: How Exponential Technologies are Transforming Society
October 10, 2022 17:56 - 49 minutes - 90.4 MBThis week our guest is author and podcaster, Azeem Azhar, who has a robust background as an investor, founder, and regulator in the tech space, including several years working with the World Economic Forum on the Global Future Council on Digital Economy and Society. Azeem spends much of his time these days creating content for ExponentialView.co, where he provides weekly assessments of the dynamics at play in humanity’s exponential transformation. The key ideas he’s uncovered on this journ...
FBL73: Michael Shermer - Exploring Skepticism, Freespeech, and Conspiracies
October 03, 2022 18:27 - 51 minutes - 94.4 MBThis week our guest is Michael Shermer, who founded Skeptic Magazine and is the executive director of the Skeptic’s Society. Michael’s written many books over the years, including Heavens on Earth, which explores technologists efforts towards immortality; Giving the Devil His Due, which is a collection of essays on scientific humanism; and later this month he’ll be publishing Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational. Given Michael’s wide array of interest, we take a wide tour of ...
FBL72: Steven Parton - A Short Message From the Host
September 19, 2022 17:23 - 2 minutes - 3.98 MBHi everyone, Just wanted to make a quick episode to let you know we're taking a short break for these next few weeks, but we'll be back with a steady stream of more episodes on October 2nd. I also wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of those who take time to listen every week. With your support we've been able to consistently rank as one of the most listened to tech podcasts in the world, attracting a remarkable lineup of guests who I've felt truly honored to talk to and whose ...
FBL71: Kevin Roose - Futureproof in the Age of Automation
September 12, 2022 18:04 - 37 minutes - 69.4 MBThis week our guest is Kevin Roose, a tech columnist for The New York Times and author of several books including his latest Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation. In this episode, Kevin and I discuss how the world’s tendency towards automation is leading to the end of many professions as well as a world of individuals whose behavior is shaped by algorithms. We explore how humans have promoted technology from an assistant that helps us meet our goals into now being a boss...
FBL70: Mark Mills - The Digital Cloud & the Convergence of the Roaring 2020s
September 05, 2022 17:23 - 1 hour - 124 MBThis week our guest is Mark Mills, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who recently authored The Cloud Revolution: How the Convergence of New Technologies Will Unleash the Next Economic Boom and A Roaring 2020s. In this episode, Mark and I discuss how the latest advancements in materials, machines, and information are unlocking a profound new paradigm represented by the cloud, the impact of which Mark argues has been severely underestimated. As part of this conversation, we also expl...
FBL69: David Weinberger - Using Technology To Thrive in Chaos
August 29, 2022 16:18 - 55 minutes - 76 MBThis week our guest is author and technologist, David Weinberger, who has spent years lecturing at Harvard as well as acting as a fellow and senior researcher at the renowned Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. And just prior to covid, David released his latest book, Everyday Chaos: Technology, Complexity, and How We’re Thriving in a New World of Possibility. In this episode, David and I explore some of the key ideas he focused on in Everyday Chaos. This includes looking at the way...
FBL68: Nir Eyal - Avoid Distraction & Control Your Attention
August 22, 2022 18:16 - 56 minutes - 77.3 MBThis week our guest is lecturer, investor, and author, Nir Eyal, whose previous two books include Hooked: How To Build Habit Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Nir has a lot of experience teaching and discussing these subjects, so we were able to explore many different aspects of attention in a very short time. This include the triggers that drive us to get hooked to products, the morality of “hooking” people’s attention, the distinction...
FBL67: Jacob Ward - How AI Shapes Our Choices & Bad Habits
August 15, 2022 18:38 - 54 minutes - 75.4 MBThis week our guest is NBC technology correspondent, Jacob Ward, who recently released his book, The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back. In this episode we focus broadly on the ways in which technology and AI are learning from the worst instincts of human beings, and then using those bad behaviors to shape our future choices. As a result, Jacob suggests this creates feedback loops of increasingly limited and increasingly short-sighted behavior. Th...
FBL66 - Rob Reich: The Failures of Big Tech & How to Fix It
August 08, 2022 19:40 - 1 hour - 83 MBThis week our guest is Rob Reich, a professor of political science at Stanford University and co-author of the recently published book System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot. In this episode, we focus heavily on how the tech industry’s obsession with efficiency and optimization has often meant sacrificing our values and even democracy itself. This includes conversations about data privacy, the tension between recklessly fast innovation and mindful but slow progress, c...