Bill Gates on possibility, AI, and humanity
Possible
Intro
This chapter examines how AI serves as a catalyst for innovation in fields like material science and biology. It discusses the potential of AI in addressing global challenges and promoting sustainability by reducing the cost of green products.
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
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.
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