Humans in the Loop

Henry Shukman is a Zen Master, a meditation teacher, and co-founder of The Way meditation app.As AI poses some hard questions about what it means to be human, I thought Henry might help make some sense of things.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Zen: A Personal Journey

03:52 The Need for Spirituality: A Personal Crisis

10:07 Living Zen in the Modern World

13:36 Navigating Modern Existence: Technology and Spirituality

18:38 The Motivations Behind Meditation

23:15 Technology's Role in Meditation: The Way App

32:06 Ambition and Spirituality: Finding Balance

39:47 AI and the Nature of Consciousness

45:04 Optimism for the Future: Meditation's Impact

Links⁠

The Way App⁠ - https://www.thewayapp.com/

Get in touch

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/humansinthelooppod⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Website: ⁠https://www.theuncommonfounder.com

My guests today are artists, film makers, educators, technologists and founders of Fuser, a company building an AI workspace for creatives.

With so much noise around what AI should or shouldn’t be used for, and where human creativity starts and ends, I wanted to get Dalena and Hirad on to talk more about the creative process in this technological moment.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Fuser and Its Founders

03:40 The Vision Behind Fuser

06:12 Creative Applications of Fuser

08:35 The Role of AI in Creative Processes

11:24 Navigating the Challenges of AI in Art

13:29 The Future of Creativity with AI

15:48 Investor Relations and Company Integrity

19:00 The Evolving Landscape of Art and Technology

20:52 Conclusion and Future Aspirations

Links

Fuser

Brand video

Get in touch

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠⁠https://www.theuncommonfounder.com⁠

[email protected]⁠

Mike Masnick wrote the paper that helped inspire Bluesky and now he sits on the Bluesky board.A long-time advocate of decentralised tech, Mike's paper 'Protocols not platforms' outlined how a more open protocol-based system to social media would create a healthier social media ecosystem in which people were free to vote with their feet (or their mouse) and go elsewhere, without losing access to the community they'd built.In this wide ranging conversation, Mike and I discuss the future of social media, the internet's trajectory from an open to a closed ecosystem, whether decentralisation can be a winning strategy in a capitalist economy, and much more.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Mike Masnick and Tech Perspectives

05:53 The Evolution of TechDirt and Innovation

11:03 Understanding Free Speech in the Digital Age

15:53 Protocols vs. Platforms: A New Approach to Free Speech

20:50 The Shift from Protocol-Centric to Platform-Centric Internet

28:48 The Evolution of Patents and Competition

31:10 Understanding the Problems with Big Tech

32:23 Moving Towards Decentralization

33:23 The Role of Decentralized Protocols

35:11 Generative AI: Empowerment vs. Control

37:55 Building Personalized Tools for Empowerment

41:35 Decentralization in Social Media: Blue Sky Explained

49:12 The Future of Decentralized Systems

53:04 Mainstream Adoption of Decentralized Technologies

Links

Protocols not platforms

Bluesky

Get in touch

Instagram

⁠https://www.theuncommonfounder.com

[email protected]⁠

Alex Komoroske is one of the smartest voices out there talking about better forms of technology right now.

He spent a long chapter of his career at the likes of Google and Stripe and is now the Founder and CEO of Common Tools, working on enabling decentralised technology.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Alex Komoroske's Perspective on Tech

03:39 The Hacker Ethic and Disillusionment in Tech

06:31 The Slide into Cynicism: A Cultural Shift in Tech

09:12 Emergence and Coordination Complexity in Organizations

11:40 Slime Molds: A Metaphor for Organizational Dynamics

14:24 The Future of Incumbent Organizations

17:24 The Same Origin Policy and Its Consequences

20:06 Resonance vs. Hollowness in Technology

22:50 The Resonant Computing Manifesto

25:09 The Role of LLMs in Shaping the Future

32:07 Unlocking the Power of LLMs

35:40 The Role of Privacy in Resonant Computing

37:09 Organizational Structures for Resonance

42:24 The Importance of a Resonant Privacy Model

46:38 Emergence and Resonance in Technology

53:55 A Vision for the Future of Technology

Links:

Resonant computing manifesto

Alex’s website

Slime molds deck

Alex’s ‘bits and bobs’ document

The Same Origin Paradigm

Get in touch:

https://www.instagram.com/humansinthelooppod

[email protected]

https://www.theuncommonfounder.com

How to describe Kevin Kelly?

• Founder of Wired Magazine.
• Writer of industry defining essays like '1000 true fans' - https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/
• Co-chair of The Long Now Foundation encouraging people to think on civilisational timescales
• Passionate traveller and photographer whose travelled remote parts of Asia for the last 50 years - https://kevin2kelly.myshopify.com/products/colors-of-asia-a-visual-journey
• The subject of the brilliant term, coined by Brie Wolfson - Flounder Mode https://joincolossus.com/article/flounder-mode/
• And a dream podcast guest

Kevin is known for many things, not least his optimism, but Kevin's flavour of optimism is what we calls 'protopian not utopian' - an acknowledgement that new technology creates major new problems but that over time we find ways to solve them

Chapters

00:00 The Hollywood Approach to Career Paths

05:20 Pursuing Interesting Projects

07:46 Influence and Unique Contributions

10:38 Radical Optimism Explained

13:38 The Choice of Optimism

16:28 The Reality of Progress

19:05 Wrestling with Counter Narratives

21:54 Building Better Technology

28:18 Navigating Technology's Strengths and Weaknesses

30:54 The Ethics of Technology Creation

33:14 The Role of Corporations in Technology

36:04 The Necessity of Innovation in Addressing Problems

42:14 Long-Term Thinking and the Long Now Foundation

47:55 Envisioning a Desirable Future

53:11 Celebrating Cultural Heritage Through Photography

Get in touch

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansinthelooppod

Email: [email protected]

Personal website: https://www.theuncommonfounder.com

Ed has spent his career thinking systemically about the future and consulting with governments and corporations on topics as varied as the environment, politics, healthcare and education.

He's also the co-host of hit podcast 'Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts' alongside comedian Jon Richardson and fellow Futurenaut Mark Stevenson.

Given Ed's varied expertise I wasn't quite sure where this conversation would go, but I needn't have worried. What unfolded was a great chat about climate, politics, and the soft technologies of technology that we need to make better use of to solve our toughest problems.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ed's Work

04:22 The Role of a Futurist

07:17 Asking the Right Questions

10:23 The Politicization of Climate Change

13:12 The Transition to Renewable Energy

16:01 Motivations Behind Climate Action

18:57 The Economic Case for Renewables

22:01 The Challenge of Unburnable Carbon

25:17 Exploring Economic Models: Degrowth vs. Abundance

29:59 Grassroots Perspectives on Climate Action

34:43 Bystander Leadership: The Call for Courage

40:20 Finding Hope Amidst Challenges

46:41 Envisioning a Future of Bio-Regionalism

Benedikt Lehnert is former design leader at Microsoft and Chief Design Officer at SAP. He's had a seat at the top table in big tech and brings his own clear-eyed perspective based on that experience.I really enjoyed the conversation with Ben as we discussed the role of the designer in this current moment, the moral responsibilities of building business and technology, the hype cycles and weird incentives at play with the AI hyperscalers, and Ben's view that we should simply focus on adding more than we take.

Chapters

00:00 The Evolution of a Designer

05:38 Navigating the Startup Journey

10:03 Transforming Microsoft: A Design Perspective

14:45 The Role of Chief Design Officer at SAP

20:14 Shifting Focus: From Big Tech to Teaching and Ethics

30:07 The Human Condition in Technology

38:35 AI and Humanistic Considerations

43:17 Learning from Poets and Thinkers

58:37 A Hopeful Vision for the Future

Ben hosts the Poets and Thinkers podcast and you can find out more about him here: https://benediktlehnert.github.io/

Summary

In this conversation, I speak to Kate Armstrong, the Executive Director of InterSpecies Internet, about the latest advancements in how we communicate with animals through technology.

Kate emphasizes the importance of planetary kinship and the responsibility humans have as advanced toolmakers to create beneficial tools for other species.

The discussion also touches on real-world applications of interspecies communication, the complexities of wild animal communication, and the need for legal frameworks to protect animal rights. Throughout the conversation, Kate shares insights into the future of this field and the resources available for those interested in learning more.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Interspecies Internet

03:47 The Journey to Interspecies Communication

06:59 The Origin Story of Interspecies Internet

11:21 Understanding Interspecies Communication

14:19 The Importance of Interspecies Communication

17:17 Technological Applications in Interspecies Communication

19:52 Frontiers of Interspecies Communication

22:50 The Role of AI in Animal Communication

25:40 Exploring Communication Across Species

28:24 Anthropocentrism in Animal Communication

30:39 The Magic of Interspecies Communication

32:11 Domestic Animals as Communication Pioneers

36:18 Ethical Considerations in Animal Communication

38:45 Nature Rights and Legal Frameworks

44:53 The Future of Interspecies Communication

Resources:

https://www.interspecies.io/

TED talk

This episode features an OG in the world of internet security, the Godfather of Cybersecurity, Bruce Schneier.

Bruce describes himself as a public interest technologist, and has done many things under that banner - run companies, lectured at Harvard, testified before Congress, authored over a dozen books, and written a blog for over 20 years that has more than 250k regular readers - to name just a few.

Key topics:

- The need for better technical minds in policy making

- The implications of AI for democracy (not as bleak as you might expect - Bruce’s new book Rewiring Democracy goes deep on the emerging implications and he remains largely optimistic)

- Why the internet was not designed with security in mind

- Why prompt injection makes AI applications inherently insecure for high stakes tasks

- Threat modelling for personal security in an age of geopolitics

Chapters

00:00 What Bruce actually does

03:58 The Journey to Becoming a Public Interest Technologist

06:54 Understanding Cybersecurity and the Internet Today

09:36 Advice for Online Safety and Security

12:39 The Role of Governments in Data Privacy

15:41 Geopolitical Implications of Cybersecurity

18:35 Cyber-Physical Systems and Their Risks

21:49 The Impact of AI on Cybersecurity

24:27 Rewiring Democracy in the Age of Technology

30:08 The Evolving Landscape of Cybersecurity and AI

32:21 Understanding Prompt Injection Vulnerabilities

36:30 The Internet's Security Flaws and Historical Context

39:25 Capitalism's Role in Cybersecurity Failures

46:11 Skepticism Towards Web3 and Blockchain

48:37 Rewiring Democracy for the Information Age

55:27 Trust, Power, and the Future of AI in Governance

You can find Bruce at www.schneier.com

This episode features Sam Stephenson, co-founder of ⁠Granola⁠ - one of the standout UK success stories in AI product building.

Sam and I discussed his background as a designer, his journey to becoming a founder, the trajectory of the company so far, and shares his thoughts on designing for human agency and the future of work.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Granola and Its Purpose

02:33 Sam's Background and Design Journey

05:19 Influences from Communal Living

09:36 The Origin of Granola and Co-founder Dynamics

12:01 The Messy Process of Finding the Right Project

16:12 Simplicity in Product Design

19:11 Growth Trajectory and User Experience

21:45 Balancing Short-term and Long-term Goals

24:12 Navigating AI Development Challenges

26:50 Balancing Innovation and Practicality in AI

29:16 The Pressure of Rapid Growth in AI Startups

32:43 The Future of Work with AI Assistance

36:51 Reducing Coordination Complexity in Organizations

38:28 The Human Element in AI Interactions

41:01 Agency and Control in the Age of AI

43:31 Envisioning a High-Leverage Future with AI