The Most Interesting Thing in A.I.

Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance, shares his journey in aerospace, revealing how his company is adapting to a competitive space landscape with autonomous and reusable rockets. He discusses the critical role of AI in optimizing flight paths and enhancing safety in crowded low-earth orbit. Joe Schurman from PwC dives into the potential of AI in the burgeoning space economy, emphasizing market opportunities and the importance of agentic AI for modernizing legacy systems. Together, they explore the future of human space exploration and the quest to communicate with extraterrestrial life.

Lee Cronin, Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow and founder of Chemify, discusses his groundbreaking work in digitizing chemistry. He explains how his team designs and 'prints' molecules to create new drugs and materials. Lee dives into assembly theory, addressing the origins of life through evolutionary processes and inorganic selection. He also explores the potential for AI to evolve autonomy, questioning if machines could ever be considered truly alive. Cronin’s insights bridge the gap between chemistry and the future of artificial intelligence.

What does it take to succeed in the disruptive world of AI? In this episode, Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson sits down with Matt Wood, PwC’s Global  and U.S. Commercial Technology and Innovation Officer, to trace his path from medical school and protein folding research to Amazon Web Services and now PwC. They discuss the transformative power of AI; why, when disruptive forces emerge, companies may be better off doubling down on their core identity rather than reinventing themselves; and how the organizations of the future may be reshaped by autonomous agents working alongside humans. (00:00) Introduction (02:16) Matt's path from medicine to machine learning (05:47) The Human Genome Project and the data explosion (09:28) The AI inflection point (11:41) Why AI’s biggest impact will be organizational, not technical (13:30) How companies navigate disruption without losing identity (19:18) The coming flattening of organizations (22:02) Managing teams of humans and agents (25:41) The most interesting way Matt has used AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Whoop, shares insights on how wearable health technology is revolutionizing athletic performance. He explores how AI enhances monitoring sleep, recovery, and overall health. Ahmed discusses future metrics for glucose and mood tracking, the balance between personalization and privacy, and how AI can provide conversational health coaching. He also reflects on the importance of health span versus performance and envisions a future where AI enables preventative healthcare, making traditional checkups obsolete.

In this engaging discussion, Ohad Elhelo, co-founder and CEO of AUI, delves into the realm of neuro-symbolic AI and its flagship model, Apollo 1. He highlights the hybrid architecture's promise to merge the fluency of generative AI with reliable symbolic reasoning. Ohad reveals insights on the limitations of current chatbots, explores how Apollo 1 tackles the hallucination issue, and discusses its applications in task-oriented dialogues, particularly in automotive sales. He envisions a future where Apollo 1 enhances various industries through robust AI capabilities.

A podcast series examining how AI is reshaping our world. Each episode features a conversation with a leading thinker who offers a fresh perspective on the far-reaching ethical, economic, and social implications of this technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Nicholas Thompson as he chats with Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired and a champion of tech optimism. They dive into the bright future AI could usher in for humanity, reflecting on its evolution alongside the internet. The discussion navigates the intertwining of ethics and AI, exploring how it can enhance relationships and emotional connections. The conversation also addresses the competitive AI landscape, the myths surrounding its capabilities, and the potential for AI to serve as a public utility in fostering creativity and collaboration.

In this engaging discussion, Diogo Rau, Executive Vice President at Eli Lilly, shares insights on how AI is revolutionizing drug discovery, making it quicker to find life-saving medications. Dan Priest, Chief AI Officer at PwC, explores the future of patient experiences through AI innovations. They delve into the benefits of personalized medicine, the adaptation of AI in healthcare, and the potential of collaborative AI to tackle global issues. Their foresight into the integration of advanced technologies promises an exciting transformation for the pharma industry.

AI is transforming the creative landscape, opening up possibilities for a new generation of artists. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with experimental musician and AI artist Holly Herndon about the intersection of human and machine creativity. Featured Guest: Holly Herndon, co-founder of Spawning Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nita Farahany, a distinguished professor of law and philosophy at Duke University and a leading voice in neuroethics, joins Nicholas Thompson to explore how AI is transforming human cognition. They discuss the ethical implications of brain-computer interfaces and the potential risks of cognitive offloading, raising concerns about our reliance on technology. Farahany advocates for new legal frameworks to protect mental privacy and cognitive liberty as technology evolves, challenging listeners to balance innovation with individual agency.