The Brave Technologist

Steve Kinard, AI Innovation Association President, discusses Bitcoin mining's environmental impact, Texas's AI innovation leadership, and promoting open source collaboration in the tech sector. Topics include AI in energy, grid innovation, and advocating for decentralized financial services.

Pat Walshe, the Data Protection Officer at Brave with over 28 years in the field, dives deep into the intersection of AI, privacy, and human rights. He questions the authenticity of big tech’s privacy claims and evaluates the current regulatory landscape's effectiveness. With a focus on geolocation tracking and data minimization, Pat highlights how tech companies hold more power than legal frameworks. He also advocates for proactive measures in app development to protect user data. A compelling discussion on safeguarding rights in our digital age!

Greg Jizmagian, CoFounder and CTO at Exponential, discusses rebuilding trust in finance with blockchain. Topics include DeFi benefits and risks, asset diversification, smart contracts, transaction costs, and regulatory challenges. Exploring the future of finance through transparency and user autonomy.

Paul Barron, Founder of the Paul Barron Network, discusses the technology war ahead, AI's scalability, and its impact on blockchain. He explores Web3 growth through gaming and the challenges facing the U.S. dollar. Barron's background as a media mogul and his insights into sovereign finance and tech innovation provide a unique perspective on the future of technology.

Adam Zarazynski, CEO of Inca Digital, discusses using AI to monitor dark web activity, tracking terrorist financing and trends in tech-driven value transfer. He explores the intersection of social media and financial markets, highlighting challenges like the Silicon Valley Bank incident. Also, he shares insights on combining data sources for monitoring, privacy concerns in compliance, and balancing ethics with technology in tracking dark web activity.

Naomi Brockwell, Founder of NBTV Media, discusses the true cost of 'free tools' and the illusion of privacy vs data brokers' reality. Topics include reducing digital footprint, AI democratizing data field, choosing reputable VPNs, and mindset shift for data privacy. Guest is a tech journalist with a passion for empowering individuals in the digital age.

David Kanter from MLCommons talks about using MLPerf Benchmarks to measure AI speed and safety. He discusses building public confidence in AI, testing AI for harm, unique applications of AI, and making analog experiences more intelligent in the future.

Carissa Véliz, Associate Professor at the Institute for AI at the University of Oxford, discusses the erosion of privacy by tech giants, advocating for individual rights. She explores privacy in AI design, alternative data economies, and the role of analog experiences. The podcast delves into the intersection of technology and ethics, highlighting the importance of protecting privacy in the digital age.

Ryan Brown (Filterset Engineer at Brave) and Peter Snyder (Senior Privacy Researcher at Brave) discuss the latest advancements in ad-blocking technology, and how Brave's control over its browser stack plays a crucial role in maintaining a private yet fully operational Web experience. They also reflect on the resilience of the ad-blocking community, especially in response to the looming changes of Manifest V3, and its potential to reshape the extension landscape. Key Takeaways: How privacy tools have evolved over time as users have gotten more familiar with these tools, and more sophisticated in their usage. The arms race between Big Tech and ad blockers, and the community-driven ad filtering that powers many of today's best privacy tools. What the chromium Manifest V3 update is and how it will impact ad blocking. What distinguishes Brave's privacy features from other competing browsers, and how Brave's product principles influence product development. Guest Bios: Ryan Brown is a Filterset Engineer at Brave and a List Author Maintainer for the Easylist project and Webcompat Fixer. Peter Snyder is a Senior Privacy Researcher and Filterset Engineer at Brave Software, who received a PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago, focusing on Web privacy, security, and measurement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte

Josh Swihart, CEO at Electric Coin Co., discusses public perception of pseudonymity versus privacy, and how this impacts adoption of privacy preserving products. He also explores the increasing challenge of crypto wars—which impacts cryptographic and privacy rights worldwide—and why he believes encryption should be mandated for US citizens. Key Takeaways: Why physical cash should be treated/regulated differently than digital money Examples of regulation and policy overreach, and how this slows progress and innovation Why user experience and ease of use needs to catch up with protocol The importance of the Zcash and Brave initiative Guest Bio: Josh Swihart is CEO at Electric Coin Co. (ECC). Prior to ECC, he served as the SVP of Global Marketing for K2, leading global growth from start-up to acquisition by Francisco Partners. He began his career as a software engineer, and has served as a global practice principal for EMC, the CEO of Aspenware, and VP of software development for 3t Systems. Josh has received numerous global and national awards for leadership, marketing, and solution delivery. He's an advocate for underserved and/or exploited people all over the world, most actively with those living in the slums of Mumbai and Pune, India. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte