Kara Swisher chats with Ted Sarandos about the absurd tech culture of the past, media disruption, and their personal journeys. They discuss issues like gender diversity in tech, responsible AI, and the influence of tech giants in the media industry.
Understanding tech disruption in media culture of 1990s/2000s
Importance of diversity for inclusive tech industry standards
Concerns about TikTok as addictive and surveilling app
Deep dives
TikTok's Concerns
The concerns about TikTok are not overblown and not understated but are appropriate. The app is considered addictive and a surveillance device with potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party, posing serious privacy and security risks.
Tech CEO Characteristics
Successful tech CEOs like Mark Cuban, Steve Case, Reed Hastings, and Mike Gallagher are admired for being clear, progressing as individuals, and engaging in smart debates.
Steve Jobs and Tech Addiction
Steve Jobs understood the addictive nature of technology and disliked the virality and advertising-centric business models adopted by social media platforms.
Gender Pay Gap in Tech
The gender pay gap in tech is evolving, shifting focus from pay disparities to encouraging diversity in the technology field, aiming for inclusion rather than just closing the pay gap.
Tech Industry Standards
Tech industry standards have long favored predominantly white men, lacking diversity in senior management and boards, perpetuating an environment of meritocracy versus true inclusive merit-based practices.
We continue Kara's tour of her memoir Burn Book: a Tech Love Story as she gets candid with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos about the nonsensical nature of 1990s/early 2000s tech culture, how technology disrupted media, where Kara's candor comes from and Ted's short-lived career as a journalist.
This interview was taped at Live Talks LA on March 4,2024.
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