Age of AI

Send us a textWith the Trump administration reversing previous US AI strategy with a focus on security and US-China competition, Chris sits down with Medlir and Caryn at the Global Governance Institute in Brussels to analyze the new administration's approaches to AI. Links:https://www.justsecurity.org/113944/what-comes-next-after-trumps-ai-deals-in-the-gulf/https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/679852/trump-ai-safety-institute-name-mission-change

Send us a textThis week, we're talking to Egor Olte Anu, CEO of Volt.ai, the company making waves for using artificial intelligence to detect and stop physical threats as they happen. From violent crimes to medical emergencies, Volt’s tech is being hailed as a game-changer for public safety. But as their systems get smarter, the questions get more urgent: What about privacy? How far is too far when it comes to surveillance in the name of safety? Tune in for a conversation on innovation, ethics, and safety.Links:https://www.volt.ai/abouthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/egoro/https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2025/01/10/safer-schools-tech-strategies-for-digital-and-physical-security/https://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/volt-ai-discusses-physical-security-data-privacy-and-future-of-companyhttps://wjla.com/news/local/attempted-assassination-trump-pennsylvania-rally-security-shooting-prevention-threats-ai-artificial-intelligence-technology-system-track-shooter-suspect-weapons-guns-school-detect-video-data-real-time-maryland

Send us a textMedlir sits down with Jesse Anglen, CEO and Founder of Rapid Innovation, a company that helps entrepreneurs build AI and blockchain-powered products. They discuss the transition into a digital workforce and how best to prepare for a post-work economy. Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseanglen/https://www.rapidinnovation.io/about-us 

Send us a textAdalberto Gonzalez, AI Strategic Advisor for Design Thinking Japan, joins Chris for a conversation on his pioneering work on GenAI for Accenture in North America.  We discuss his more recent work with Design Thinking Japan and his AI Signal’s comprehensive report that tells us where breakthroughs in AI will have the greatest impact. Plus, what worries him most and what excites him most about these developments.Links:AI Signals 2025 Report Design Thinking Japan, Brittany Arthur, CEO

Send us a textAs Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) moves closer to reality, the world faces a crucial question: Who—if anyone—should govern it? In this episode of Age of AI, host Medlir Mema sits down with governance expert Justin Bullock to explore the challenges of regulating AGI at a global scale. Could a Global AGI Agency provide the oversight we need, or is international cooperation on AI doomed to fail? From the risks of unchecked AGI development to the hurdles of enforcing global AI policy, this conversation unpacks the future of AI governance and the stakes for humanity.Links:https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/630b0421cd31598bbf8f31e7/67866b3ce4e06de6fadc3c45_2025-GGI-Bullock-Global-AGI-Agency.pdfhttps://www.globalgovernance.eu/ggi-education/aigghttps://www.lesswrong.com/posts/5hApNw5f7uG8RXxGS/the-open-agency-model 

Send us a textIn this episode of Age of AI, host Medlir Mema sits down with Caryn Lusinchi—AI auditor, policy advisor, and former AI leader at Meta and Google—to explore the tensions between innovation and regulation. Can international AI governance truly work, or are we heading toward fragmented, sovereign AI ecosystems? Join us as we discuss the EU AI Act, the Paris AI Action Summit, the rise of national AI programs, and the future of AI regulation in an era of accelerating change.Links:https://www.globalgovernance.eu/publications/ais-fast-forward-button-can-we-harness-innovation-without-sacrificing-safetyhttps://www.globalgovernance.eu/publications/the-eu-ai-act-two-steps-forward-one-step-backhttps://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/the-rising-tide-of-sovereign-ai 

Send us a textIn this episode, David Mas, Chief AI Officer at Make.org, and Medlir explore how AI can strengthen democratic participation and institutional transparency. They discuss the ambitious AI for Democracy Democratic Commons initiative, consider how AI can help counter the erosion of democratic legitimacy, and examine how democracies can respond to weaponization of AI by authoritarian regimes.Links:AI For Democracy Democratic CommonsAI & Democracy: Insights from Make.org’s Roundtable Discussion

Send us a textMedlir is joined by Dr. Nafiseh (Cati) Molaei, a Postdoctoral Scholar specializing in Biomedical Data Science at Northwestern University to discuss how AI is reshaping the medical landscape. From diagnosing complex diseases to personalizing treatment plans, AI is driving innovations that were once thought impossible.Links:https://datascience.uchicago.edu/events/nafiseh-cati-mollaei-uchicago-aiscience-schmidt-fellows-speaker-series/https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/epdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.01003https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03097-1 

Send us a textToday we dive into the evolving conversation on AI risk and governance. Our guests, Torben Swoboda and Risto Uuk, discuss the challenges of defining AI risk, the debate over acceptable thresholds, and common critiques of the existential risk perspective. We also examine the feasibility of global AI governance and historical parallels that may guide our path forward.Links:Examining Popular Arguments Against AI Existential Risk: A Philosophical AnalysisPause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter

Send us a textIn this episode Ritwik Gupta of the Berkeley AI Research Lab returns to talk with Chris about what DeepSeek really means for the AI Industry, Trump’s recent Stargate AI initiative, US-China AI competition, policy responses to DeepSeek, and where we should be looking for the next big disruptive event in the world of AI.Links:https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.14425https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-hawley-act-threatens-ai-innovation#DeepSeek #Stargate #Policy