Possible

Condoleezza Rice on the future of war and geopolitics

11.08.2023 - By Reid HoffmanPlay

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How will artificial intelligence reshape diplomacy and war? Renowned diplomat and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joins the show to explore that question. As director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a member of the board of directors of C3 AI, Dr. Rice is at the intersection of our geopolitical climate and the advancement of AI. Reid, Aria, and Dr. Rice explore the options for global collaboration in the AI space, how to legislate around AI to prioritize safety without squashing innovation, and the role AI might soon play in foreign affairs. The possibilities for AI in diplomacy are exciting. Where might it assist and amplify the work of officials and diplomats? Dr. Rice shares the story of a tense, private moment with a Russian diplomat that could make or break a war – and Inflection’s Pi chimes in for some context.

Read the transcript of this episode here.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast.   

Topics:

06:36 - Intros and background

09:20 - Lessons from global nuclear technology agreements 

13:54 - The role of the US government in AI

15:22 - Dr. Rice’s three guidelines for supporting innovation

18:53 - How should public/private partnerships work?

22:04 - AI in the military

28:43 - How to build global governance around AI

31:50 - AI in diplomacy

35:32 - Where diplomats make a difference

38:35 - China in the age of AI

40:29 - Innovations that would help the geopolitical landscape

43:04 - Rapidfire questions

The award-winning Possible podcast is back with a new season that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. 

This season, hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, are speaking with a new set of ambitious builders and deep thinkers about everything from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion. 

Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard, Sara Schleede, and Paloma Moreno Jimenez. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, Ben Relles, Eryn Witcher Tillman, and Little Monster Media Company.

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