London Futurists

Pedro Domingos, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at the University of Washington and author of "The Master Algorithm," critiques the exaggerated views on AI's capabilities. He discusses his satirical novel '2040,' which humorously tackles big tech and American politics through an AI presidential candidate. The conversation delves into the complexities of portraying AI in storytelling, the ethical dilemmas of social media, and the intriguing yet contentious debate around machine consciousness.

Our guest in this episode is the journalist and author James Ball. James has worked for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, The Guardian, WikiLeaks, BuzzFeed, The New European, and The Washington Post, among other organisations. As special projects editor at The Guardian, James played a key role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the NSA leaks by Edward Snowden.Books that James has written include “Post-Truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World”, “Bluffocracy”, which makes the claim that Britain is run by bluffers, “The System: Who Owns the Internet, and How It Owns Us”, and, most recently, “The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated the World”.That all adds up to enough content to fill at least four of our episodes, but we mainly focus on the ideas in the last of these books, about digital pandemics.Selected follow-ups:James Ball (personal website)The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated the World - book by James BallGuardian and Washington Post win Pulitzer prize for NSA revelationsMeme - as described by Richard DawkinsDreyfus affairBlood libelFuture Shock - book by Alvin and Heidi TofflerHow The Gulf Of Tonkin Incident Sparked The Vietnam WarWhy Narcissists Love Conspiracy TheoriesNigel Farage - UK politician WarGames - 1983 movieGish gallop - rhetorical techniqueDominic Cummings has admitted the Leave campaign won by lyingReality check: how do Farage’s claims on immigration, economy and crime hold up?Facts don’t change minds – and there’s data to prove itMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain DeclarationPromoguy Talk PillsAgency in Amsterdam dives into topics like Tech, AI, digital marketing, and more drama...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Real Talk About MarketingAn Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In this episode, we have not one guest but two – Brett King and Robert Tercek, the hosts of the Futurists Podcast.Brett King is originally from Australia, and is now based in Thailand. He is a renowned author, and the founder of a breakthrough digital bank. He consults extensively with clients in the financial services industry.Robert Tercek, based in the United States, is an expert in digital media with a successful career in broadcasting and innovation which includes serving as a creative director at MTV and a senior vice president at Sony Pictures. He now consults to CEOs about digital transformation.David and Calum had the pleasure of joining them on their podcast recently, where the conversation delved into the likely future impacts of artificial intelligence and other technologies, and also included politics.This return conversation covers a wide range of themes, including the dangers of Q-day, the prospects for technological unemployment, the future of media, different approaches to industrial strategy, a plea to "bring on the machines", and the importance of "thinking more athletically about the future".Selected follow-ups:The FuturistsBrett KingRobert TercekEpisode of The Futurists featuring David and CalumNeptune's Brood - Wikipedia article on the novel by Charles StrossJobs lost, jobs gained: What the future of work will mean for jobs, skills, and wages - McKinsey Global InstituteWirecutter - New York Times product review siteCould AI create a one-person unicorn? Sam Altman thinks so - FortuneThe book The Rise of TechnosocialismProfessor Richard PettyComparison of economic growth, Europe vs. USA - Centre for European ReformLinkedIn Promoguy Talk PillsAgency in Amsterdam dives into topics like Tech, AI, digital marketing, and more drama...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Real Talk About MarketingAn Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Our guest in this episode is Jordan Sparks, the founder and executive director of Oregon Brain Preservation (OBP), which is located at Salem, the capital city of Oregon. OBP offers the service of chemically preserving the brain in the hope of future restoration.Previously, Jordan was a dentist and a computer programmer, and he was successful enough in those fields to generate the capital required to start OBP.Brain preservation is a fascinating subject that we have covered in a number of recent episodes, in which we have interviewed Kenneth Hayworth, Max More, and Emil Kendziorra.Most people whose brains have been preserved for future restoration have undergone cryopreservation, which involves cooling the brain (and sometimes the whole body) down to a very low temperature and keeping it that way. OBP does offer that service occasionally, but its focus – which may be unique – is chemical fixation of the brain.Previous episodes on biostasis and brain preservation:The case for brain preservation, with Kenneth HayworthCryonics, cryocrastination, and the future: changing minds, with Max MoreStop cryocrastinating! with Emil KendziorraAdditional selected follow-ups:Oregon Brain PreservationThe costs of the services provided by Oregon Brain PreservationFocused Ultrasound: A Promising Tool for Cryonics - Tomorrow BioInvestigation of Electromagnetic Resonance Rewarming Enhanced by Magnetic Nanoparticles for Cryopreservation - LangmuirPre-epithelialized cryopreserved tracheal allograft for neo-trachea flap engineering - Frontiers in Bioengineering and BiotechnologyAldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation by Robert McIntyre and Gregory Fahy - CryobiologyOregon's Death with Dignity Act14-year-old girl who died of cancer wins right to be cryogenically frozen - The GuardianMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain DeclarationPromoguy Talk PillsAgency in Amsterdam dives into topics like Tech, AI, digital marketing, and more drama...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Real Talk About MarketingAn Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Our guest in this episode is Holly Joint, who was born and educated in the UK, but lives in Abu Dhabi in the UAE.Holly started her career with five years at the business consultancy Accenture, and then worked in telecomms and banking. The latter took her to the Gulf, where she then spent what must have been a fascinating year as programme director of Qatar’s winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Since then she has run a number of other start-ups and high-growth businesses in the Gulf.Holly is currently COO of Trivandi and also has a focus on helping women to have more power in a future dominated by technology.Calum met Holly at a conference in Dubai this year, where she quizzed him on-stage about machine consciousness.Selected follow-ups:Women for Tech UAETrivandi appoints Holly JointTrivandi - "Creating Events and Venues, Better"With a Few Bits of Data, Researchers Identify ‘Anonymous’ People - New York TimesThe Age of Surveillance Capitalism - Shoshana ZuboffRankings out of 142 cities - Smart City Observatory (Abu Dhabi ranked #10 in 2024)Women in Tech: Time to close the gender gap - A PwC research reportWhy are so many big tech whistleblowers women? - The ConversationFalcon - the Arabic language LLMCollapse of Silicon Valley Bank - WikipediaMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain DeclarationPromoguy Talk PillsAgency in Amsterdam dives into topics like Tech, AI, digital marketing, and more drama...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

How do we keep technology from slipping beyond our control? That’s the subtitle of the latest book by our guest in this episode, Wendell Wallach.Wendell is the Carnegie-Uehiro fellow at Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, where he co-directs the Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative. He is also Emeritus Chair of Technology and Ethics Studies at Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, a scholar with the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, a fellow at the Institute for Ethics & Emerging Technology, and a senior advisor to The Hastings Center.Earlier in his life, Wendell was founder and president of two computer consulting companies, Farpoint Solutions and Omnia Consulting Inc.Selected follow-ups:Wendell Wallach Personal WebsiteWendell Wallach - Carnegie Council for Ethics in International AffairsThe Artificial Intelligence & Equality InitiativeNobel Peace Prize Lecture by Christian Lous Lange (1921)Thomas Midgley Jr. - WikipediaMontreal Protocol - WikipediaRobot Dog Highlighted at China-Cambodia Joint Military Exercise (video)For Our Posterity - essay by Leopold AschenbrennerCampaign by Control/AI against deepfakesMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain DeclarationPromoguy Talk PillsAgency in Amsterdam dives into topics like Tech, AI, digital marketing, and more drama...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Real Talk About MarketingAn Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Former cancer researcher turned CEO, Emil Kendziorra, discusses advancements in medical biostasis and cryomedicine. Topics include cryopreservation, life insurance, biostasis methods, challenges in cryopreservation, and warming technology research. Special offer for listeners interested in becoming members of Tomorrow Bio.

This episode is a bit different from the usual, because we are interviewing Calum's boss. Calum says that mainly to tease him, because he thinks the word “boss” is a dirty word.His name is Daniel Hulme, and this is his second appearance on the podcast. He was one of our earliest guests, long ago, in episode 8. Back then, Daniel had just sold his AI consultancy, Satalia, to the advertising and media giant WPP. Today, he is Chief AI Officer at WPP, but he is joining us to talk about his new venture, Conscium - which describes itself as "the world's first applied AI consciousness research organisation".Conscium states that "our aim is to deepen our understanding of consciousness to pioneer efficient, intelligent, and safe AI that builds a better future for humanity".Also joining us is Ted Lappas, who is head of technology at Conscium, and he is also one of our illustrious former guests on the podcast.By way of full disclosure, Calum is CMO at Conscium, and David is on the Conscium advisory board.Selected follow-ups:ConsciumSataliaSix categories of application of AISix singularities - TEDx talk by Daniel HulmeProfessor Mark SolmsProfessor Karl FristonA recent paper on different theories of consciousness, by Patrick Butlin, Robert Long, et alProfessor Nicola ClaytonProfessor Jonathan BirchWPPThe Conscious AI meetupAI for organisations - Previous episode featuring Daniel HulmeHow to use GPT-4 yourself - Previous episode featuring Ted LappasMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain DeclarationPromoguy Talk PillsAgency in Amsterdam dives into topics like Tech, AI, digital marketing, and more drama...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Real Talk About MarketingAn Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Those who rush to leverage AI’s power without adequate preparation face difficult blowback, scandals, and could provoke harsh regulatory measures. However, those who have a balanced, informed view on the risks and benefits of AI, and who, with care and knowledge, avoid either complacent optimism or defeatist pessimism, can harness AI’s potential, and tap into an incredible variety of services of an ever-improving quality.These are some words from the introduction of the new book, “Taming the machine: ethically harness the power of AI”, whose author, Nell Watson, joins us in this episode.Nell’s many roles include: Chair of IEEE’s Transparency Experts Focus Group, Executive Consultant on philosophical matters for Apple, and President of the European Responsible Artificial Intelligence Office. She also leads several organizations such as EthicsNet.org, which aims to teach machines prosocial behaviours, and CulturalPeace.org, which crafts Geneva Conventions-style rules for cultural conflict.Selected follow-ups:Nell Watson's websiteTaming the Machine - book websiteBodiData (corporation)Post Office Horizon scandal: Why hundreds were wrongly prosecuted - BBC NewsDutch scandal serves as a warning for Europe over risks of using algorithms - PoliticoRobodebt: Illegal Australian welfare hunt drove people to despair - BBC NewsWhat is the infected blood scandal and will victims get compensation? - BBC NewsMIRI 2024 Mission and Strategy Update - from the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI)British engineering giant Arup revealed as $25 million deepfake scam victim - CNNZersetzung psychological warfare technique - WikipediaMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain DeclarationPromoguy Talk PillsAgency in Amsterdam dives into topics like Tech, AI, digital marketing, and more drama...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Real Talk About MarketingAn Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Katja Grace, researcher and blogger from AI Impacts, discusses the 2023 survey on AI progress showing a shorter time expected for human-level AI. They explore AGI vs superintelligence, job automation, GPT writing styles, and risks of advanced AI surpassing human intelligence and the need for caution in AI development.