Washington AI Network with Tammy Haddad

Tammy Haddad interviews Courtney O’Donnell, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Sean Patrick Maloney, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), for a deep dive into AI’s transformative impact from Paris. O’Donnell shares UNESCO’s initiatives in using AI to advance global education, protect cultural heritage, and preserve indigenous languages, emphasizing a human-centered approach. Maloney outlines the OECD’s pivotal role in fostering multilateral AI cooperation, promoting inclusivity, and embedding ethical principles into AI frameworks. They address critical topics, including AI’s energy demands, healthcare advancements like AI-powered tuberculosis diagnostics in India, and the urgency of global collaboration to ensure equitable access to AI’s benefits.

In this episode, André Loesekrug-Pietri, chairman of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative (JEDI), and General Jean-Paul Paloméros, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, join host Tammy Haddad to discuss AI’s transformative impact on science, deep tech, and Europe’s key role. Loesekrug-Pietri highlights JEDI’s upcoming AI Action Summit challenge on agricultural carbon storage, the need for sustainable AI innovation, and warns of the dangers of not engaging with China on AI. Paloméros shares his perspective on AI’s role in defense and addresses the current complex global challenges.

Anne Bouverot, France’s Special Envoy for AI, joins host Tammy Haddad to discuss the highly anticipated 2025 AI Action Summit, which aims to unite global leaders and innovators in shaping the future of AI. Recorded at STATION F in Paris, the conversation dives into pressing issues such as AI’s impact on climate change, its transformative effects on the workforce, and the need for inclusivity and equity in its development. Bouverot emphasizes the summit’s mission to balance AI’s risks and opportunities while fostering trust through scientific consensus.

Christopher Kirchhoff, co-author of “Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War,” and a founding figure of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), joins host Tammy Haddad to explore the military's race to integrate cutting-edge technology. From key breakthroughs in AI and autonomous systems to the hurdles of bureaucracy and global tech rivalry, Kirchhoff delivers an important history lesson on defense technology and an insider’s perspective on the dangers ahead. He discusses his work on AI safety, and offers analysis of Anthropic, OpenAI, and all the frontier labs.

Srikar Varadaraj, founder and CEO of Eternis, joins host Tammy Haddad to discuss the need to create trustworthy, secure, and authenticated digital identities as AI labs race towards AGI. Varadaraj, who previously co-founded Spectral for developing a fair credit-scoring mechanism, calls for a future where every human has a top-level AI agent to perform arbitrary tasks – all while protecting personal agency – so that humans own and control their identities.

Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and Simulation Technology at NVIDIA, joins Tammy Haddad to discuss NVIDIA’s role in advancing robot brains, the industry's race toward physical AI, competition in the AI robotics space, and his journey from creating computer graphics for Hollywood films to leading AI-driven robotics technology at NVIDIA.

David Marchick brings his experience in law, finance, and government to his role as dean of American University’s Kogod School of Business. In this episode, host Tammy Haddad interviews Marchick, on the role of AI and technology in business education. As higher education’s approach on AI evolves, Marchick highlights how Kogod is embedding AI instruction into every part of the school’s core curriculum to drive innovation and success in the classroom and beyond.

OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar has been waving the flag on the importance of federal research and development to drive American innovation. In this episode, host Tammy Haddad interviews Prabhakar on her background in technology and government, the White House’s focus on increasing R&D for AI and national security, and how she believes science and technology will continue driving U.S. competitiveness around the world.

Ted Leonsis, Revolution Growth partner, Zephyr AI investor, and Monumental Sports owner, and Grant Verstandig, co-founder and executive chairman of Zephyr AI and Red Cell Partners, join host Tammy Haddad to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming the patient-doctor relationship by leveraging AI to analyze data, identify patterns, improve decision-making, and enhance patient outcomes. Leonsis and Verstandig also highlight the importance of maintaining America’s global competitiveness by mitigating the China threat and addressing AI’s energy needs with nuclear power.

Hemant Taneja, CEO and Managing Director of General Catalyst and Teresa Carlson, Inaugural President of General Catalyst Institute (GCI), discuss the launch of GCI, and how they are shaping AI policy guidance around the world, as well as connecting their diverse portfolio to governments to promote global resilience.