

SHIFT
Jennifer Strong
Hosted by Jennifer Strong, SHIFT is a weekly podcast taking a closer look at the far-reaching impact of automation on our daily lives.From policy to process, we seek to understand how lives are changing alongside rapid breakthroughs in frontier technologies and artificial intelligence. Join us as we navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by this reshaped reality.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 8, 2025 • 18min
Commercializing Our Space Age Future
A live conversation about the state of the space industry with serial space entrepreneur Kam Ghaffarian, a co-founder of Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, Quantum Space, and more, from the mainstage at Collision Conference in Toronto, Canada.This episode first published on June 26th, 2024. We meet: Dr. Kamal "Kam" GhaffarianCredits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.

Jan 1, 2025 • 21min
Journey to Quantum Advantage
We’re taking a break for the holidays but given the recent quantum news with the unveiling of Google’s Willow, we think it’s a great time to revisit a chat I had with the man who founded and leads Google’s Quantum AI Lab. We’re back with a new episode next week. Until then, Happy New Year, and thanks for listening!We Meet: Google Quantum AI Lab Founder Hartmut Neven Credits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco. This episode was recorded in Vancouver, Canada at the 2024 TED Conference.

Dec 25, 2024 • 24min
CLICK HERE: The guy who took down North Korea’s Internet
When North Korea hacked Alejandro Caceres, he expected the U.S. government to rush to his defense. When they just shrugged, he took matters into his own hands. This week we bring you an episode of the CLICK HERE podcast from Recorded Future News and PRX.Credits:CLICK HERE is hosted by Dina Temple-Raston and this episode was produced by Sean Powers, Cat Schuknecht and Jade Abdul-Malik, edited by Lu Olkowski and fact checked by Darren Ankrom. It contains original music by Ben Levingston, with some other music from Blue Dot Sessions. The staff writer is Lucas Riley, and the illustrator is Megan Goff. Martin Peralta is the sound designer and engineer. CLICK HERE is a production of Recorded Future News and PRX.SHIFT is produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It’s mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.

Dec 18, 2024 • 18min
Has AI Broken the Media?
Zach Seward, the Editorial Director of AI initiatives at The New York Times, and Matthew Garrahan, Head of Digital at the Financial Times, dive deep into AI's impact on journalism. They explore how AI can enhance reporting while emphasizing the necessity for human oversight. The duo discusses the careful balance of innovation and maintaining journalistic integrity, unpacking challenges like misinformation and ethical considerations. Transparency in AI practices is also highlighted as essential for preserving audience trust in this evolving media landscape.

Dec 11, 2024 • 11min
Automating Appeals
Appealing a decision by a health insurance provider not to cover a treatment can be a complicated and time consuming process. But what if it didn’t have to be? We meet a founder working to automate the appeals process. We meet:Fight Health Insurance Founder Holden KarauCredits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.

Dec 4, 2024 • 17min
Building Public AI
We take for granted access to certain services even when the commercial value and the societal value don’t align - like the ability to mail a letter anywhere in the US. In the latest installment of our oral history project, we explore how things like this might work in the age of AI.We meet:Mozilla Technical Lead for AI Governance Nik MardaCredits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.

Nov 27, 2024 • 19min
Geography is Everything
From deciding where to build a new business, airport or fire station, to understanding the potential impact of decisions regarding conservation or governance, people make billions of maps everyday using GIS. We explore the history and evolution of this tech with one of its pioneers, in the latest installment of our oral history project.We Meet:Esri Founder & President Jack DangermondCredits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.

Nov 20, 2024 • 27min
(AI)nvesting
AI startups dominate the funding landscape, from mega deals like xAI, to more modest investments. But how do venture capitalists see this market evolving? This episode was taped before a live audience at Web Summit 2024.We meet:Khosla Ventures Partner Kanu GulatiMangusta Capital Co-Founder & Managing Partner Kevin JiangFaber Ventures Partner Carlos Silva Clone Founder and CEO Clement Benoit Credits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.

Nov 13, 2024 • 31min
Digital Citizens or Digital Subjects?
Frank McCourt is an American executive and philanthropist. He’s also the author of a new book about the internet, called “Our Biggest Fight: Reclaiming Liberty, Humanity, and Dignity in the Digital Age”. We talk to him about that fight before a live audience in New York City at a gathering held by the responsible technology non-profit, All Tech Is Human.We Meet:Frank H. McCourt, Jr., civic entrepreneur and executive chairman of McCourt Global, founder and executive chairman of Project LibertyCredits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.

Nov 6, 2024 • 18min
Architect of the EU AI Act Expresses Concerns
EU AI Act architect and lead author Gabriele Mazzini shares his experience drafting the law. He also talks about his concerns with implementation, and its potential impact on European competitiveness, and how that led him to quit his job, in the latest installment of our oral history project.This episode was recorded at TEDAI in Vienna.We Meet:MIT Media Lab Research Affiliate & MIT Connection Science Fellow Gabriele MazziniCredits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens, and it was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.