There is an important conversation happening regarding the rapidly-changing world of artificial intelligence and how it will affect us.  Alec speaks with two leaders in the tech community that have worked on the systems integral to today’s A.I. revolution. Blake Lemoine is a computer scientist and former senior software engineer at Google. He was working on their Responsible A.I. team when he went public with his claim that the A.I. was sentient. Lemoine was subsequently fired and now champions accountability and transparency in the tech sector. Jay LeBoeuf is an executive, entrepreneur, and educator in the music and creative technology industries. He is the Head Of Business & Corporate Development at Descript, an audio and video editing platform that uses “voice cloning” technology. Alec speaks with LeBoeuf and Lemoine about the many applications of A.I., what dangers we need to be aware of and what is to come next in this transformative space. 

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Last week, we lost the great singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. In honor of his passing, Alec is sharing his 2016 conversation with the musician, one of his favorites in the history of the podcast: Over the course of a career that has lasted more than half a century, Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot achieved global stardom and exceptional influence. Bob Dylan’s a fan—he's said, “I can’t think of any [Lightfoot songs] I don’t like.” These songs—“Beautiful,” “Sundown,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” and many others—have been treasured by generations of popular musicians and listeners around the world. But Gordon Lightfoot was just one of many aspirants who moved to Toronto in the early 1960s to try their hand in the burgeoning folk music scene there. Lightfoot tells Alec about fitting a feeling to a melody, why he owes his first hit record to an exec's girlfriend, and how he wrote "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by pulling lines straight from the newspaper. 

You can listen to all of the music from this episode and other selections from Gordon Lightfoot in a curated playlist here.

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Forty years ago, “Vietnam: A Television History,” the 13-part documentary series examining the Vietnam War, premiered on PBS. It served as a searing look into the background, cost and toll taken on the principal figures involved in the war, both at home and abroad. Judith Vecchione served as one of the producers on the series and joined Alec to speak about what went into creating such a wide-ranging and deep investigation of the conflict. The Emmy- and Peabody-winning Vecchione has served as an executive producer with Boston-based PBS station WGBH for the past 23 years, working on many ground-breaking projects, including the Civil Rights series “Eyes on the Prize.” Vecchione shares with Alec the weight of responsibility she felt in bringing “Vietnam: A Television History” to the public, what inspires her dedication to the important stories she produces, and how she mentors the next generation of documentary filmmakers.

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An area near the entrance to Death Valley National Park has the capacity to produce enough energy to power the entire planet if covered in solar panels. Yet for Nye County, Nevada residents, the question of what must be sacrificed – including the environmental and economic future of the area – and by whom, looms large. Hillary Angelo is the author of the Harper’s Magazine article, “Boomtown,” which explores the complexity of the solar land rush in the West. Angelo is an urban and environmental sociologist and Associate Professor of Sociology at UC Santa Cruz. Dustin Mulvaney, who was featured in the article, is a solar expert and Professor at San José State University. Alec speaks with Angelo and Mulvaney about the objections of residents, what spaces might be used instead, and how to rethink the future of energy.

You can find the article, “Boomtown,” here:

https://harpers.org/archive/2023/01/boomtown-beatty-nevada-solar-farms-death-valley/

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Caroline Rhea is best-known as Aunt Hilda in the 90s sitcom, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” but the actor and comedian has been entertaining us in many forms for decades: hosting “The Biggest Loser” and “The Caroline Rhea Show,” performing in standup specials on Comedy Central and HBO, voicing Disney’s “Phineas and Ferb” and appearing as a panelist on game shows like “Hollywood Squares” and “Match Game” with Alec. Rhea speaks with Alec about getting back out on the road doing standup, why it was important to take time off from her career to raise her daughter, and why she’s most at home on stage. 

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On October 3, 2003, a horrified audience looked on as Roy Horn, one-half of the famous German magician duo Siegfried & Roy, was bit by a 400-pound white tiger named “Mantecore” and dragged offstage. After many years in residency at the Mirage Las Vegas and more than 30,000 performances over their career featuring exotic animals, one of the big cats finally turned on their handlers. Chris Jones and Michael Mooney are the authors of The Atlantic article “The Original Tiger Kings: The Improbable Rise and Savage Fall of Siegfried & Roy,” which deconstructs this moment and everything that led to it. Jones and Mooney are journalists that have collectively written for Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire and The Wall Street Journal Magazine. Chris Jones is also the author of the book The Eye Test: A Case for Human Creativity in the Age of Analytics, as well as serving as a writer and producer on Netflix’s Away. Michael Mooney is also the New York Times best-selling author of The Life and Legend of Chris Kyle: American Sniper, Navy SEAL. Together, they speak with Alec about the tragic event, the reporting behind the scenes and the lessons learned from the end of an era.

You can find the article at:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/11/siegfried-roy-fame-rise-and-fall/671528/

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This past year marked the 75th Anniversary of the Actors Studio, the nonprofit organization that has shared “truth in acting” with decades of film, television and theater professionals, including some of the biggest names in the business. This episode is the first in a series of conversations with some of those responsible for the studio’s success. Alec currently serves as Co-President of the Actors Studio and had the opportunity to speak with two leaders within the institution: Co-President Ellen Burstyn, who joined the studio in 1967, is known for her roles in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,”“The Exorcist,” and “Requiem for A Dream” – and also has the distinction of winning the “Triple Crown of Acting:” an Oscar, a Tony and two Emmy Awards. Alec then speaks with Co-Associate Artistic Director Estelle Parsons, who has been with the studio since 1962. Parsons earned an Academy Award for ”Bonnie and Clyde,” the second film she ever made, and has earned five Tony nominations and two Obies in her illustrious career. The two remarkable women share their stories of finding their way to the Actors Studio and the impact it had on their careers – and their craft. 

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From “The Godfather” to “Goodfellas” to “The Sopranos,” fictional portrayals of the mafia continue to enthrall the American public. On his podcast, “Our Thing,” Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, member of “La Cosa Nostra” and underboss of the Gambino crime family, tells the tales of the real thing. The man who once upheld “omertà,” or the code of silence, testified as a government witness against mob boss John Gotti in a 1992 plea deal. Prosecutors described him as “the most significant witness in the history of organized crime in the United States.” Since 2020, he has told stories of his time in “the life” over five seasons of the “Our Thing” podcast.  Alec also speaks with co-creator of the podcast, James Carroll, a director, producer, editor and cinematographer of film and television. He shares how the podcast came to be and what he’s learned working with the notorious mobster. 

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Daniel Weiss is President and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest museum in North America. An accomplished scholar and author who holds a PhD in art history and an MBA, Weiss was recruited to lead The Met in 2015 after serving as a college president, university dean, and professor of art history. He has steered the Museum through a series of historic challenges—including the covid crisis, a budget deficit and the removal of the controversial Sackler name from the building. Weiss is also the author of several books, ranging from art history to a soldier’s experience in the Vietnam War. Alec speaks with Daniel Weiss about navigating the Met through the pandemic, his role as a steward of priceless works of art, and his favorite museum to visit in the world. 

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Hatice Cengiz is a Turkish academic and researcher in Middle Eastern studies, and the fiancée of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In 2017, Khashoggi fled Saudi Arabia for the United States, where he wrote columns often critical of the Saudi government for The Washington Post. He was murdered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul by Saudi government officials in 2018. Four years later, Cengiz continues to fight for justice for her fiancée and hold accountable those who ordered and planned the killing. Alec speaks with Cengiz about how she and Jamal Khashoggi first met, the details of that tragic day, and the enduring legacy of her fiancée.

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