Building Tomorrow

It’s something of a cliche to note that higher education is in need of disruption. A decade ago, Massive Open Online Courses promised to make college more affordable and accessible, yet MOOC-based degree programs don’t carry the social signal that a traditional program does. We talk about a new startup called BitDegree that isn’t trying to compete with traditional higher education, instead promising a potentially free education for aspiring programmers by partnering with companies looking to hire new talent and willing to design courses that will produce the skillsets they are looking for in that talent.

But whatever needs disrupting in the classroom, everyone can agree that our student loan system is broken. Graduates enter the workforce with piles of non-dischargeable loan debt, locking them into career tracks, discouraging entrepreneurship, and undermining long term financial security for Millennials and Generation Z. We explore alternative funding models, including income share agreements like that at Purdue University.

What is a MOOC? Are online classes as effective as in-person classes? Do online classes serve as a viable alternative to the 4-year college track? Are there problems associated with online education? Is there a value to the non-educational experiences on college campuses? What is a human capital contract? Could online education allow students to avoid overwhelming loans in the future?

Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples, and Compromises American Education, written by Neal McCluskey

Public Schooling Battle Map, Cato Institute

Common Core Doesn’t Seem to Be Working; That May Be Just Fine, written by Neal McCluskey

The Case Against Education, Free Thoughts Podcast

The Education Apocalypse: How It Happened and How to Survive It, Free Thoughts Podcast

The State of State Education in America, Free Thoughts Podcast

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5G not only offers exponentially faster wireless downloads, but it is the key to unlocking a number of other emerging technologies like the internet of things, smart cities, and fleets of self-driving cars. Yet 5G is fantastically expensive and so has incentivized a controversial corporate merger between Sprint and T-Mobile in an attempt to keep pace with AT&T and Verizon.

This week, Paul is joined by tech policy expert Roslyn Layton as they discuss the implications of 5G, the Sprint / T-Mobile merger, and how we should understand property rights and spectrum auctions in an accelerating digital age. 

What is 5G and how is it different than what we currently have? Will machines use the 5G internet? How is 5G intelligent? Where will 5G go first? What do ‘robot bees’ have to do with 5G connection? Is 5G the 4th Industrial Revolution?

5G wireless: When it makes sense to regulate, written by Roslyn Layton

The future of 5G mobile data could hinge on a battle over utility pole fees, written by Brian Fung

FCC sides with telecom giants in vote to cap 5G fees, written by Harper Neidig

The Sad History of the FCC, Free Thoughts Podcast

Will EU Copyright Break the Internet?, Building Tomorrow Podcast

When Will We Get Fully Autonomous Cars?, Building Tomorrow Podcast

The Real Reason Facebook and Netflix Support Net Neutrality, written by Paul Matzko

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In a previous episode, we covered the transformation of China, which is adopting new tech like delivery drones and digital payment years in advance of the US. But being in the forefront of tech adoption has a darker side when it comes to modern surveillance techniques.

In this episode we parse what is hyperbole and what is reality when it comes to the Chinese surveillance state. That includes social credit systems which combine credit scores with social media behavior and personal payment history. Additionally, local governments are developing facial recognition software that can be used with the hundreds of millions of surveillance cameras littering the country to automatically identify wanted criminals or even to embarrass jaywalkers.

Finally, we discuss some of the groups being targeted for surveillance, including journalists and dissidents. But the worst excesses of the surveillance State have been focused on the Uighur people of western China, many of whom have been subjected to religious persecution or even rounded up and sent to concentration camps for re-education.

How much does the Chinese Government restrict the movement of their citizens? What is Sesame Credit? What is Alibaba? What facial recognition technology does China use? Do law-abiding people change their behavior in response to surveillance revelations?

Meng Hongwei’s Arrest Shows China Values Economic Progress over Human Rights, written by Jimmy Lewis

Google really is trying to build a censored Chinese search engine, its CEO confirms, written by Brian Fung

Inside China’s Dystopian Dreams: A.I., Shame and Lots of Cameras, written by Paul Mozur

Is China Beating the U.S. at Innovation, Building Tomorrow Podcast

China: The Annihilation of Human Rights, written by David Hart

When Will We Get Fully Autonomous Cars?, Building Tomorrow Podcast

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President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was giving a speech during a military parade when a drone exploded not far away. This marks the first recorded attempted- assassination of a head of state carried out via drone. The rapid development of drone technology can seem concerning to many individuals who are worried about security and privacy. Even though drones can present a danger to society or a violation of privacy, they can also serve as an instrumental tool to relieve those who are in need of humanitarian aid or disaster relief.

What is the significance of the Maduro drone, was it really an assassination attempt? Are our fears of killer drones misplaced? Has the U.S. Supreme Court addressed any cases about drone surveillance? Should we object surveillance technology that is just meant to catch violent criminals? How can drone technology make people’s lives better off? Do drones have life-saving capabilities? How is the FAA preventing American drone companies from innovating?

A Closer Look at the Drone Attack on Maduro in Venezuela, written by Christoph Koettl & Barbara Marcolini

Florida v. Riley

Slaughter Bots Video

Of Rockets & Robotics: Eyes in the Sky: Police Use of Drone Technology, Cato Institute Event

Of Rockets & Robotics: Commercial Drones: Challenges and Opportunities, Cato Institute Event

Is China Beating the U.S. at Innovation?, Building Tomorrow Podcast

In the Economy of the Future, You Won’t Own Your Kitchen, written by Pamela J. Hobart

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There is a built-in wariness in Silicon Valley when the subject of regulation comes up. It is never in a startup’s best interests to complain about the regulator that has the power to change the rules in ways that can substantially help or hurt the industry. At the same time, it pays to pay attention to the latest pronouncements out of Washington, DC or Sacramento.

This week, we discuss several companies that have had very different experiences with regulators, from flight-sharing platform Wingly’s success in Europe to self-driving car company Byton’s experience of a lighter regulatory touch in China versus the United States.

Is there a concern with driver view obstruction when there is a large screen on a driver’s dashboard? Are Byton cars designed for autonomous driving? Does a car have the ability to learn your tendencies and preferences? Should autonomous vehicle companies be working together to discover the best technology possible?

Byton Website

China’s Byton is sending its electric SUV prototypes to the U.S., written by Kristen Korosec

Byton’s Automotive Design is Driven by Autonomous Tech, written by Antuan Goodwin

Is China Beating the U.S. at Innovation, Building Tomorrow Episode

Will Artificial Intelligence Take Your Job?, Building Tomorrow Episode

In the Economy of the Future, You Won’t Own Your Kitchen, written by Pamela J. Hobart

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The distinction between hearing aids as a medical device and wireless earbuds as mass consumer product is vanishing. Starkey Hearing Technologies is bridging that divide with a new hearing aid that doubles as a fitness tracker, high quality headphones, and a language translator. That’s right: we’ve got Babble fish now!

Then, Paul talks with the founder of Pinpoint Pharma about their efforts to print prescription drugs for animals. Because of their precision equipment, they can make drug dosages more accurate than pharmacists can by hand, reducing the number of adverse side effects and doing so at a superior price point. What’s bizarre, though, is that the regulatory maze of health insurance means that this superior method will benefit pets before people.

Why are hearing aids avoided? Does hearing loss lead to cognitive decline? Can hearing aids have multiple functions? What are the latest medical devices and technologies hitting the market right now from start-ups? What can specialized pet medicine teach us about human medicine?

Livio AI Hearing Aid, Starkey Hearing Technologies

Pinpoint Pharma website

Purdue affiliated startup commercializes drug dosage printer to improve personalized medicine production, cut side effects, Purdue Research Foundation

Hedging Against Skynet, Building Tomorrow Episode

Health Care without Health Insurance, Building Tomorrow Episode

A Better Choice: Healthcare Solutions for America, Free Thoughts Episode

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The last wave of automation in the 1970s-80s was industrial as robots replaced manufacturing line workers. The economic dislocation fell hardest on those least able to afford it, blue collar workers without formal education and comparable alternate career paths.

But today, automation is coming for white collar workers as well. There are jobs, that despite requiring education and advanced training, involve what is essentially pattern recognition and processing speed, things that artificial intelligence can do more quickly and efficiently than human beings. Jobs in law, analytics, and finance are on the cusp of mass automation, leaving those newly entering those fields with massive student debt and limited job prospects.

Today we talk to two startups, one which is bringing that automation to law firms, the other which is trying to mitigate worker dislocation by helping students find alternative career paths requiring irreplaceable-by-AI social skills.

When was the first wave of automization? Is the automation apocalypse upon us? Can AI streamline the legal process, specifically in documentation review? How can AI compliment the legal process? What value do you want to get out of hiring a lawyer?

McCarthyFinch Website

6Figr Website

From Post-it Notes To Algorithms: How Automation Is Changing Legal Work, NPR

In the Economy of the Future, You Won’t Own Your Kitchen, written by Pamela Hobart

Does More Technology Create Unemployment?, written by A. D. Sharplin and R. H. Mabry

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WARNING: Listening to this episode may result in a future hyper-intelligent artificial intelligence deciding to kill you. Or so says a theory / logical exercise popular among artificial intelligence researchers called Roko’s Basilisk.

But if you are willing to assume that risk, listen to our show as we discuss the present and the future of artificial intelligence with special guest host Caleb Watney. AIs are right now being used for criminal justice reform, targeted genetic medicine, and other aspects of daily life, but researchers anticipate a point not that far in the future when artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence. That moment, sometimes referred to as the Singularity, promises both deep potential and potential peril.

What is Artificial Intelligence? What is “machine-learning”? How does pattern recognition help our everyday lives? How do you get an AI to be good at something that, by definition, we can’t train it on? Are there concerns we should have about the government utilizing Artificial Intelligence?

It’s time for our justice system to embrace artificial intelligence, written by Caleb Watney

A few misconceptions surrounding Roko’s basilisk, written by Rob Bensinger

To win the AI race, we need more humans, written by Caleb Watney

Smart Contracts Aren’t Trustless, Nor Should They Be, written by Kate Sills

The Brave New World of DNA Databases, Building Tomorrow Episode

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Augur represents a new type of prediction market. It’s decentralized nature allows users to stay anonymous, which may be troubling for law enforcement or other state agents if the bets placed are threatening in nature. Right now, it only has a small number of users, but it has the potential to gain traction.

In these prediction markets you have the ability to place a bet, using a type of cryptocurrency, on a future action such as; whether a Supreme Court nominee will be appointed by a certain date in time. However, Augur may also host betting schemes that may seem “unsavory” to some Americans, like predicting when someone could die, otherwise known as an assassination market.

What is Augur? What is a prediction market? What can you bet on? Is Augur regulated? Are people placing bets on if certain public figures would be assassinated? What kind of effects will technology like Augur have?

Meet The ‘Assassination Market’ Creator Who’s Crowdfunding Murder With Bitcoins, written by Andy Greenberg

Crypto-Convict Won’t Recant, written by Wired Staff

Gambling Can Save Science, written by Alex Tabarrok

Are We All ‘Harmless Torturers’ Now?, written by Paul Bloom and Matthew Jordan

What Influences Elections?, Free Thoughts Episode

How Egalitarianism Comes from Conflict (And Why It Matters), written by Pamela J. Hobart

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What if there was a way your family doctor could provide you with better care for less money and do it without using health insurance at all? Dr. Ryan Neuhofel joins us to discuss what direct primary care is and how it might benefit you.

Doctors offices spend an inordinate amount of time and expense filing paperwork with health insurance companies. By not taking health insurance, direct primary care physicians, like our guest Dr. Ryan Neuhofel, can simultaneously increase the amount of time patients get with their doctors, create price transparency for medical services, improve the work-life balance for physicians themselves, and save money doing it. It’s a radical idea when the conversation about fixing healthcare involves getting more people on health insurance and spending more money in so doing, but it could transform how 80% of Americans access healthcare for 80% of their lives.

What is direct primary care? Is it a more efficient way to deliver care? What is “telemedicine”? Has primary care become a gate-keeper rather than an actual provider? In the future, could we have a system that is like “uber for doctors”?

Direct Primary Care website

Dr. Ryan Neuhofel website

Wanna Unbreak Medicine? Dr. Ryan Neuhofel Shows Us How, Against Medical Advice Episode 025

Building an Alliance for the Future - Keynote: Dr. Ryan Neuhofel

Better Choice: Healthcare Solutions for America, Free Thoughts Episode

How to Fix Health Care, Free Thoughts Episode

Why Can’t You Email Your Doctor?, Free Thoughts Episode

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