Pioneers of AI Designing AI for people and the planet, with Aza Raskin
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Nov 5, 2025 
Aza Raskin, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and founder of the Earth Species Project, dives deep into the human-centered design of AI. He discusses the unintended consequences of his invention, the infinite scroll, and debates the ethical responsibilities of technologists. Raskin highlights the potential of AI to decode animal communication, revealing fascinating discoveries about animal behavior and culture. He advocates for a collective approach to guide AI development with safety and ethical considerations at its core.
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The Infinite Scroll Origin Story
- Aza Raskin invented infinite scroll in 2006 to reduce friction for users and improve browsing efficiency.
- He later realized it was co-opted by attention-driven markets and caused massive time loss and addiction.
Possible vs Probable In Tech
- Technologists often confuse what is possible with what is probable under market incentives.
- The probable outcomes, driven by incentives, can produce parasitic systems despite good intentions.
Red Team And Yellow Team Your Tech
- Do red-team and yellow-team your technology to find both malicious uses and harms from perverse incentives.
- Treat engineering like other professions with codes and responsibilities to match its societal power.
