What would it look like to keep all living creatures in the loop on the development of new technology?
Reid sat down for a wide-ranging solo discussion with Jane Goodall on that very subject – and more. They talked about how to maintain hope and focus on local impact in today’s often chaotic world, how technology – and AI in particular – might be helpful for conservation, and Jane’s global youth program, Roots & Shoots. Plus, the Jane Goodall institute shared audio from a cutting edge acoustic array that helped them discover a brand new species in Gombe National Park in Tanzania! Jane reflected on her legacy and shared stories about bridging unlikely divides, defying the scientific community early in her career, young people opening their eyes to the natural world for the first time, and so much more.
Thank you to the incredible team at the Jane Goodall Institute and WildMon (L. Pintea, B. Wallauer, K. Harmon, M. Campos, Gabriel Leite, Tomaz Melo, Guilherme Melo, D. A. Collins, D. C. Mjungu) that, with funding from Google, utilized an acoustic array to discover brand new species in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, including Thomas’s Dwarf Galago (Galagoides thomasi).
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
Topics:
03:38 - Hellos and intros
03:45 - “Name that baby” game
05:34 - How Jane has used technology in her work
09:13 - Discovering a new species with an acoustic array
11:57 - How AI can help conservation
16:55 - AI as an animal translator
19:58 - Essential lesson for research
22:30 - Similarities between humans and chimpanzees
26:42 - Bridging divides between unlikely groups
30:32 - “We must either redefine man, redefine tool, or…”
32:20 - Government funding cut from Jane Goodall Institute
36:26 - Youth program Roots and Shoots
39:57 - How to maintain hope
42:53 - What we can learn from kids
44:33 - Global impact of the Roots and Shoots program
46:18 - Jane’s ideal AI tool
48:22 - Jane asks Reid: Can AI become sentient?
51:27 - AI’s impact on the brain
54:55 - Rapid-fire Questions
Select mentions:
APOPO’s “Amazing Rats” | How It Works
Regeneration by Paul Hawken
TACARE Program
Roots and Shoots
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. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
