AI is amazing… or terrifying, depending on who you ask. This is a technology that elicits strong, almost existential reactions. So, as a Memorial Day special, we're running an episode of Recode Media with Peter Kafka that digs into the giant ambitions and enormous concerns people have about the very same tech.First up: Joshua Browder (@jbrowder1), a Stanford computer science dropout who tried to get an AI lawyer into court.Then: Microsoft's CTO Kevin Scott (@kevin_scott) pitches a bright AI future. Plus: hype-deflator, cognitive scientist and author Gary Marcus (@GaryMarcus) believes in AI, but he thinks the giants of Silicon Valley are scaling flawed technology now—with potentially dangerous consequences. Subscribe for free to Recode Media to make sure you get the whole series: https://bit.ly/3IOpWuBPivot will return on Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when you don’t have the resources to fight for your rights? Whether it’s a major medical bill or a more minor parking ticket… even if you were in the right, is it easier to just… pay?Well, Joshua Browder's answer is Do Not Pay! He’s built a thriving company of the same name, that helps consumers “fight corporations, beat bureaucracy, and sue anyone at the press of a button.” Through the power of technology, DoNotPay has resolved over 2m cases successfully and in this interview we get to hear where Browder hopes to take the organization, including his first-hand account of his recent plan to bring the robot lawyer into the physical courtroom. Topics Covered:00:00 - Introduction01:51 - DoNotPay’s origin03:09 - Surprising laws05:49 - General counsel for consumers06:54 - The role of AI and technology09:26 - Ensuring quality counsel13:19 - Prioritizing features14:43 - Corporate pushback17:11 - Reshaping the legal system20:28 -  Entering the physical courtroom 24:50 - Cross border possibilities26:14 - Looping humans into modeling29:01 - Deflationary impacts30:05 - Recent pushback33:13 - Is AI already writing law?35:15 - Why is law so complex?37:54 - Entering the Supreme Court38:38 - Lawyer support39:47 - Looking forward43:07 - Building horizontal vs vertical45:28 - Does this law exist? Resources: DoNotPay: https://donotpay.com/Find Josh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jbrowder1 Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

In this episode, Nathan sits down with Joshua Browder of DoNotPay, the world’s first robot lawyer. They chat about the current state of AI use in law, what policymakers should consider in regulating AI, and the ethics of robo-lawyers for consumer use. We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.RECOMMENDED PODCAST:The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord.https://link.chtbl.com/hrhereticsTIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Episode Preview(03:22) Joshua Browder and the story of DoNotPay(04:50) The value incurred through an AI lawyer(07:17) What are the legal and financial injustices that motivates Joshua’s work?(12:46) How does the AI negotiate with a Comcast chat agent?(16:28) Consumer security(17:12) Sponsor: Omneky(21:08) The ethics of DoNotPay(22:27) Should AI need to disclose that it’s AI?(24:47) How much human intervention is necessary in AI tooling?(27:15) Where does the burden of proof lie for AI regulation and ethics?(31:47) Advice to policymakers(35:45) AI Liability(38:05) AI Arms Race(43:46) Productive bot interactions(45:00) AI-powered arbitration(49:28) How the consumer experience might change two years from now(51:45) AI Superapps(55:25) Moats in AI(57:11) How much money does DoNotPay save people today?(59:30) Consumer and enterprise timelines given AI(01:06:30) What will AI replace?(01:09:34) Impact of AI in different industries(01:11:10) The legal field’s view of AI(01:15:50) Deflationary factors in running DoNotPay(01:25:00) What are non-obvious ways to save money?(01:27:55) Joshua’s favorite AI tools(01:28:17) Would Joshua get a Neuralink implant?LINKS:https://donotpay.com/TWITTER:@jbrowder1 (Joshua)@DoNotPay (DoNotPay)@CogRev_Podcast@labenz (Nathan)@eriktorenberg (Erik)SPONSORS:Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of ALL eCommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries.From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/cognitiveThank you Omneky for sponsoring The Cognitive Revolution. Omneky is an omnichannel creative generation platform that lets you launch hundreds of thousands of ad iterations that actually work, customized across all platforms, with a click of a button. Omneky combines generative AI and real-time advertising data. Mention "Cog Rev" for 10% off.NEWSLETTER:More show notes and reading material released in our Substack: https://cognitiverevolution.substack.com

AI has captured the imagination of Silicon Valley seemingly overnight. And in all this excitement, it's hard to tell what's really going on. What is this technology, how does Silicon Valley plan to change our world with it, and what exactly has a bunch of smart people very worried?I'm doing a special series to figure that all out. Over the next three weeks, I'll talk to true AI believers and its sharpest detractors to get the real story about where this technology stands, and what it might mean for us. First up: I meet Joshua Browder (@jbrowder1), a Stanford computer science dropout who tried to get an AI lawyer into court.Then: Microsoft's CTO Kevin Scott (@kevin_scott) pitches me on a bright AI future. (5:10)Plus: I talk to hype-deflator, cognitive scientist and author Gary Marcus (@GaryMarcus). He believes in AI, but he thinks the giants of Silicon Valley are scaling flawed technology now—with potentially dangerous consequences. (25:30)Subscribe for free to Recode Media to make sure you get the whole series.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The podcast discusses Apple's antitrust case, Messenger's PIN request, assistive tech for disabilities, troubleshooting MacBook connectivity, and a senior NASA scientist explaining the Total Solar Eclipse in 2024.