Azeem Azhar's Exponential View

Michigan State University senior vice president Stephen Hsu, a theoretical physicist and the founder of Genomic Prediction, demonstrates how the machine learning revolution, combined with the dramatic fall in the cost of human genome sequencing, is driving a transformation in our relationship with our genes. Stephen and Azeem Azhar explore how the technology works, what predictions can and cannot yet be made (and why), and the ethical challenges created by this technology. In this podcast, Azeem and Stephen also discuss: FDA approval of the first genetic treatment for monogenic conditions and the work towards developing treatments for polygenic conditions like diabetes and cancer. How this technology might exacerbate existing social inequalities or create new ones; is it just an issue of access, or does it go further? Developing best practice protocols for governance and regulation of genomic technologies. Further reading: “FDA approves novel gene therapy to treat patients with a rare form of inherited vision loss” (Dec. 19, 2017) “Genomic Prediction of Complex Disease Risk” (Dec. 27, 2018) “How Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Services Led to the Capture of the Golden State Killer” (September 2018) Stephen Hsu @hsu_steve Azeem Azhar @azeem www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With healthcare under extreme commercial and political pressure, the doctor-patient relationship is at a low point — and risks further deterioration. But digital technologies promise to revolutionize the daily delivery of care. Renowned digital medicine pioneer Dr. Eric Topol and Azeem Azhar discuss what this could mean for medical professionals, patients, and national healthcare systems. In this podcast, Eric and Azeem also discuss: Issues of access: equality of access and coping with differential patient capability when participating in digital therapeutics. The impact of GDPR on the need for ‘explainable AI’ in medicine. Algorithmic surveillance and whether the traditional management culture of ‘patching’ bugs translates to digital therapeutics and pharmaceuticals. Data security and the possibility of a data ‘bill of rights’ for patients and consumers of medical tech. Further reading: “The Topol Review” (February 2019) “Mobile health devices diagnose hidden heart condition in at-risk populations” (July 10, 2018) “A call for deep-learning healthcare” in Nature Medicine Vol. 25 (Jan. 7, 2019) “NVIDIA, Scripps Research Translational Institute Partner on AI for Genomics, Digital Health Sensors” (Oct. 23, 2018) Dr. Eric Topol @EricTopol Azeem Azhar @azeem www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“We haven’t really understood the power of the state,” argues economist Mariana Mazzucato, warning that this has impacted the rising inequality in wealth creation and distribution. Mariana and Azeem Azhar discuss the role of government in innovation and business growth, risk-taking as the new mentality of bureaucracy, and how the benefits of entrepreneurial innovation have been misread. Above all, the case is made for a new theory of value in today’s economy. In this conversation, Mariana and Azeem also discuss: The role of the entrepreneurial state: moving away from the concept of the state as a facilitator and towards the state as an actor in the future of public-serving innovation. Why the GDP model is flawed — but why we should retain it as one of several economic indicators. Creeping privatization of the ‘data economy.’ Further Reading: “Yes, Government Creates Wealth” (September 2018) “Let’s make private data into a public good” (June 27, 2018) “Rethinking the Smart City” (January 2018) “The unlikely tech giant empowering citizens through data” (March 12, 2019) “Strategic design for public purpose” (March 8, 2019) Mariana Mazzucato @MazzucatoM Azeem Azhar @azeem www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our society has become increasingly reliant on data, but its value is not accessible to all. Of the 16 billion terabytes of data created globally in 2016, only 1% was analyzed. Among other discrepancies, the growing data monopolies concentrate power over certain technologies such as artificial intelligence precluding their positive impact on society. Trent McConaghy, AI researcher and the founder of the decentralized data exchange, Ocean Protocol, is aiming to solve this by enabling individuals and organizations to share, monetize, and access data. In this conversation, Trent and Azeem Azhar discuss: The real-world impact of deep learning and error reduction, and why we have not yet fully leveraged data’s learning potential. Early use cases of successful data exchange in mining and autonomous driving. Drawing distinctions between human rights and tradable property, should ownership of personal data be protected as a human right? Further Reading: “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Data” (2009) “The Web3 Data Economy Towards a Transparent, Permissionless Ecosystem to Spread the Benefits of AI” (Nov. 22, 2018) “Major Automakers, Startups, Technology Companies and Others Launch Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (MOBI)” (May 4, 2018) “Is It Your Data” (Jan. 22, 2019) “Should we treat data as labor? Let’s open up the discussion” (Feb. 21, 2018) “We need to own our data as a human right — and be compensated for it” (Jan. 21, 2019) “This AI Company Is The Future Of Gold Exploration” (February, 2019) Open Data Impact Map Trent McConaghy @trentmc0 Azeem Azhar @azeem www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Intelligence is central to everything humans do, and artificial intelligence should be no exception.” With these words, Joanna Bryson urges for stronger professional standards for software engineers and experts designing intelligent-like systems. Joanna is a tenured associate professor at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, where she founded the Bath Intelligence Systems group. She is one of the world’s leading AI researchers, uniting the perspectives of computer science, psychology, and biology in her work. In this podcast, Azeem Azhar and Joanna explore: The role of goals in conceptualizing and programming intelligence systems — and who sets these goals? The risks and inadequacies of anthropomorphizing AI. The critical importance of assuring ongoing human involvement in AI systems. The explainability of AI systems and litigation over the definition of ‘explanation’ in light of EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Further Reading: Group Agency: The Possibility, Design and Agency of Corporate Agents (April 7, 2011) UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Accountable, Responsible and Transparent AI (ART-AI) Joanna Bryson et al, “Semantics derived automatically from language corpora contain human-like biases” (April 14, 2017) Nick Bostrom, “Ethical Issues in Advanced Artificial Intelligence” Joanna Bryson, “No one should trust AI – AND – Presenting robots as people stops us thinking clearly about AI” (Dec. 23, 2018) Joanna Bryson @j2bryson Azeem Azhar @azeem www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the late 1800’s, three innovation platforms shaped the world as we know it today: the telephone, electricity, and the internal combustion engine. Today, five powerful innovation platforms are accelerating at the same time: DNA sequencing, robotics, energy storage, deep learning, and blockchain technology. Cathie Wood, CEO and CIO of ArkInvest, is leading the way in investing in disruptive technologies at a time when many investors are holding back due to uncertainty. Azeem Azhar and Cathie discuss the multi-trillion-dollar opportunity in exponentially-developing industries, the role of incumbents, and how investors can shift gears to find comfort in risk. Further Reading: Moore’s Law Isn’t Dead: It’s Wrong — Long Live Wright’s Law (Jan. 2, 2019) On the Road to Full Autonomy with Elon Musk (Feb. 19, 2019) 18 Exponential Changes We Can Expect in the Year Ahead (Dec. 31, 2017) Cathie Wood @CathieDWood Azeem Azhar @azeem www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Parag Khanna is a leading international relations expert and the author of The Future Is Asian: Commerce, Conflict and Culture in the 21st Century. Azeem Azhar and Parag discuss the law of technology diffusion, break common myths about Asia’s development, and question whether the future belongs to cities or nation-states. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish author and human rights activist. She has published 16 books, 10 of which are novels. The New York Review of Books called her latest novel, Three Daughters of Eve, a “marvelous lesson in multiculturalist angst, the clash between modernity and tradition, and the vicissitudes of personal struggle.” Elif and Azeem Azhar discuss the polarization of culture springing out of the foundations of the open internet, and the ways to tackle the pervasive issues in today’s digital technology sphere. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marietje Schaake is a Dutch politician and member of the European Parliament (MEP) from the Netherlands. The Wall Street Journal called her “Europe’s most wired politician,” and Politico named her the “ultimate digital MEP.” Marietje is a member of the Committee on International Trade and the vice chair of the Delegation for Relations with the U.S. She established a Digital Agenda intergroup, gathering members of the Parliament who are interested in addressing the future of digital technologies. Marietje and Azeem Azhar discuss the governance of cyberspace, the responsibility of technology companies, and the new era of geopolitical competition in cyberspace. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Emil Eifrem is the CEO and cofounder of Neo4j, the graph database platform powering some of the largest companies today. Emil is the creator of the property graph model, and he coined the term “graph database” to describe the technology that would change how we understand big data. Neo4j’s technology was used to reveal the rogue offshore financial relationships in the largest journalist leak ever, the Panama Papers. www.exponentialview.co Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.