Business, Spoken
2,340 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★ - 16 ratingsGet in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.
Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
A Second AI Researcher Says She Was Fired by Google
March 02, 2021 06:10 - 6 minutesMargaret Mitchell was the co-leader of a group investigating ethics in AI, alongside Timnit Gebru, who said she was fired in December. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The AI Research Paper Was Real. The ‘Coauthor’ Wasn't
March 01, 2021 06:10 - 7 minutesAn MIT professor found his name on two papers with which he had no connection. A different paper listed a fictitious author by the name of "Bill Franks." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Covid Gums Up the Court System
February 26, 2021 06:10 - 9 minutesVideofeeds sometimes fail, defense attorneys can’t confer with clients, and witnesses have a hard time reviewing documents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A New Artificial Intelligence Makes Mistakes—on Purpose
February 25, 2021 06:11 - 7 minutesA chess program that learns from human error might be better at working with people or negotiating with them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Carjackings Are Up—and Gig Workers Are Getting Victimized
February 24, 2021 06:11 - 8 minutesDrivers, often unfamiliar with a neighborhood, leave cars running while dropping off food. Opportunistic thieves lie in wait. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Microsoft’s Big Win in Quantum Computing Was an ‘Error’ After All
February 23, 2021 06:11 - 11 minutesIn a 2018 paper, researchers said they found evidence of an elusive theorized particle. A closer look now suggests otherwise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aurora Partners With Toyota on Self-Driving Sienna Taxis
February 22, 2021 06:11 - 5 minutesThe autonomous vehicle startup purchased Uber’s struggling self-driving technology division in December. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Censorship Can Influence Artificial Intelligence
February 19, 2021 06:11 - 6 minutesA study finds that algorithms learn to associate words with other words. “Democracy” can equal “stability”—or “chaos.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Silicon Chip Shortage Is Causing Big Issues for Automakers
February 18, 2021 06:11 - 4 minutesCar companies have had to reduce output, pause production, and even idle shifts and entire factories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Digital Divide Is Giving American Churches Hell
February 17, 2021 06:11 - 11 minutesCovid-19 has upended churchgoing in the US. Like so much else with the pandemic, the impacts are not felt equally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Would You Trade a Bitcoin for a Tesla?
February 16, 2021 06:11 - 6 minutesThe maker of electric vehicles said it had invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and plans to accept the cryptocurrency as payment for its cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Finally, an Interesting Proposal for Section 230 Reform
February 15, 2021 06:11 - 9 minutesA new bill directly targets the most egregious excesses of online platform immunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI and the List of Dirty, Naughty, Obscene, and Otherwise Bad Words
February 12, 2021 06:11 - 8 minutesIt started as a way to restrict autocompletes on Shutterstock. Now it grooms search suggestions on Slack and influences Google's artificial intelligence research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lawmakers Take Aim at Insidious Digital ‘Dark Patterns’
February 11, 2021 06:11 - 6 minutesA new California law prohibits efforts to trick consumers into handing over data or money. A bill in Washington state copies the language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Biden Wants the Government to Run on EVs. It Won’t Be Easy
February 10, 2021 06:11 - 8 minutesThe president hopes electrifying the federal fleet will create jobs and encourage motorists to ditch gas-powered cars. But no automaker is ready yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Miami’s Mayor Woos Techies. What Does He Need to Succeed?
February 09, 2021 06:11 - 11 minutesIf anywhere could use innovation, it’s Miami—one of the country’s most unequal, environmentally vulnerable cities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why Instacart Is Laying Off Workers As Deliveries Soar
February 08, 2021 06:11 - 9 minutesBig grocery chains relied on app-based delivery companies at the start of the pandemic. Now grocers’ priorities have shifted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
New Algorithms Could Reduce Racial Disparities in Health Care
February 05, 2021 06:23 - 7 minutesMachine learning programs trained with patient reports, rather than doctors', find problems that doctors miss—especially in Black people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
These Doctors Are Using AI to Screen for Breast Cancer
February 04, 2021 06:11 - 6 minutesDuring the pandemic, thousands of women have skipped scans and check-ups. So physicians tapped an algorithm to predict those at the highest risk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This AI Could Go From ‘Art’ to Steering a Self-Driving Car
February 03, 2021 06:11 - 7 minutesDALL-E drew laughs for creating images of a daikon radish in a tutu. But it builds on an important advance in computer vision with serious applications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Facebook’s Oversight Board Has Spoken. But It Hasn’t Solved Much
February 02, 2021 06:11 - 7 minutesThe board’s first content moderation decisions show how impossible its task—and Facebook’s—really is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Janet Yellen Will Consider Limiting the Use of Cryptocurrency
February 01, 2021 06:11 - 4 minutesDuring her confirmation hearing, the Treasury nominee said that blockchain-based financial networks are “a particular concern.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Art and Science of Boarding an Airplane in a Pandemic
January 29, 2021 06:11 - 6 minutesResearchers and airlines that obsessed over efficiency have spent the past year worrying about safety too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The US Needs More Foreign Artificial Intelligence Know-How
January 28, 2021 06:11 - 8 minutesJason Furman, a top economic adviser to President Obama, says good ideas come from everywhere—but Trump has dissuaded tech workers from coming to the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI-Powered Text From This Program Could Fool the Government
January 27, 2021 06:11 - 7 minutesA Harvard medical student submitted auto-generated comments to Medicaid; volunteers couldn’t distinguish them from those penned by humans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
An Algorithm Is Helping a Community Detect Lead Pipes
January 26, 2021 06:11 - 10 minutesThe model had shown promise in Flint before officials rebelled. Now Toledo is using it, while incorporating more public input. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ongoing Collapse of the World's Aquifers
January 25, 2021 11:10 - 10 minutes - 14.6 MBWhen humans over-exploit underground water supplies, the ground collapses like a huge empty water bottles. It's called subsidence, and it could affect 1.6 billion people by 2040.
Job Screening Service Halts Facial Analysis of Applicants
January 22, 2021 06:11 - 7 minutesBut it’s still using intonation and behavior to assist with hiring decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Startup Will Nix Algorithms Built on Ill-Gotten Facial Data
January 21, 2021 06:11 - 6 minutesThe FTC applies a novel remedy, going a step further than simply deleting the source photos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
New York City Proposes Regulating Algorithms Used in Hiring
January 20, 2021 06:11 - 8 minutesA bill would require firms to disclose when they use software to assess candidates, and vendors would have to ensure that their tech doesn’t discriminate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google’s New Union Is Already Addressing Political Issues
January 19, 2021 06:11 - 8 minutesThe Alphabet Workers Union isn’t seeking better pay and benefits. It wants to influence the company’s policies on social and other issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Tweets That Got Trump Banned Were Far From His Worst
January 18, 2021 06:11 - 7 minutesIn the end, what took down @realdonaldtrump was not what he tweeted, but how it was interpreted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chatroulette Is On the Rise Again—With Help From AI
January 15, 2021 06:11 - 10 minutesThe hottest app of early 2010 faded quickly when it was flooded with unwanted nudity. Smarter content moderation is helping to revive it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Some UK Stores Are Using Facial Recognition to Track Shoppers
January 14, 2021 06:11 - 10 minutesBranches of the British grocer Southern Co-op are using surveillance technology to look for potential shoplifters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Year of Driving Less—but More Dangerously
January 13, 2021 06:11 - 7 minutesTotal traffic deaths fell during pandemic lockdowns. But fatalities per mile traveled rose, due to faster driving, fewer cops, and more drug use. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why Do Many Self-Driving Cars Look Like Toasters on Wheels?
January 12, 2021 06:11 - 7 minutesWithout any need for steering wheels or pedals, the cubes give passengers room to maneuver inside. The latest entrant, from Zoox, can hold 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Restaurants Retooled for Takeout—and Survival
January 11, 2021 06:11 - 11 minutesChefs tinkered with food chemistry, while dining apps reengineered logistics. Those changes will endure even after the pandemic is over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Airlines’ Pandemic-Driven Cargo Business Will Keep Flying
January 08, 2021 06:11 - 13 minutesAs Covid-19 shut down air travel, the industry quickly pivoted to hauling more stuff. It won’t be pivoting away anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Newest Weapon Against Covid-19: AI That Speed-Reads Faxes
January 07, 2021 06:11 - 9 minutesLocal health departments rely on the old-fangled tech to track cases. A hastily developed machine-learning program gives it an assist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Texas Accuses Google and Facebook of an Illegal Conspiracy
January 06, 2021 06:11 - 9 minutesA new antitrust case against Google alleges that the two companies made a deal to reduce competition in online advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The ‘Healthy Building’ Surge Will Outlast the Pandemic
January 05, 2021 06:11 - 10 minutesBecause of Covid-19, developers are realizing that incorporating health concerns in a building's design isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Future of Social Media Is All Talk
December 31, 2020 06:11 - 10 minutesFrom Clubhouse to Discord to Twitter, 2020 was all about giving people a voice online. Literally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Conferences After Covid Will Be Shorter—and Smarter
December 30, 2020 06:11 - 12 minutesIn-person gatherings will resume eventually, but innovations born during the pandemic will remain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mass Transit Is in Jeopardy—and So Are Cities
December 29, 2020 06:11 - 9 minutesSubways and buses are the lifeblood of dense cities like New York. If the system withers, the region becomes a less attractive place to live and work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Behind the Paper That Led to a Google Researcher's Firing
December 24, 2020 06:17 - 9 minutesTimnit Gebru was one of seven authors on a study that examined prior research on training artificial intelligence models to understand language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chuck Yeager’s 1947 Flight Inspired Our Supersonic Ambitions
December 23, 2020 06:11 - 8 minutesYeager was the prototype of the American hero, a decorated fighter pilot immortalized in Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff. He died Monday at age 97. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Guy Is Taking Viewers Along for His Driverless Rides
December 22, 2020 06:11 - 11 minutesJoel Johnson, who has taken more than 60 rides in Waymo's Arizona taxis, has posted over a dozen videos and says it's been "rock solid." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Uber Gives Up on the Self-Driving Dream
December 21, 2020 06:11 - 6 minutesThe ride-hail giant invested more than $1 billion in autonomous vehicles. Now, it's selling the unit to Aurora, which makes self-driving tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Prominent AI Ethics Researcher Says Google Fired Her
December 18, 2020 06:11 - 9 minutesTimnit Gebru is a leader among those examining the societal impacts of the technology. She had also criticized the company's diversity efforts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Do Diverse Corporate Boards Lead to a Fairer Workplace?
December 17, 2020 06:11 - 5 minutesNasdaq wants at least one woman and one underrepresented minority among directors at listed companies. The proposal goes further than most, but will it matter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices