We challenge the conventional definitions of technology. Is AI just a faster way to automate our existing ideas, or does it possess a distinct form of external intelligence? Kostas contrasts Western individualism with Eastern collective philosophy, exploring how different cultural frameworks dictate the purity of innovation.Former Harvard University professor and AI scholar who has spent a significant part of his life embedded in the changing landscape of Shanghai, China. Moving past standard technical jargon, this conversation dives deep into the profound boundaries between human agency, cultural paradigms, and design innovation.

three professors – Kostas (AI skeptic), Chris (human‑mind advocate), and Heijin (panpsychist) – go head‑to‑head on stage.

The story begins: a beloved lady we all knew, is dead. Or is she? Kostas swears he went to her funeral this morning, but Chris claims AI is alive and well – so the corpse must have been a deep fake.

Then things get weirder: Why did a dancing robot make us laugh? Does the robot have intention? Can it feel joy?

And even weirder: Did you buy your house – or did the house choose you? Heijin argues that objects (chairs, trees, even houses) have their own consciousness.

The conversation dives into panpsychism, intentionality, motion capture, fake news, and how children see AI as friends while adults see it as a tool. Who is closer to the truth?

What happens when a Harvard professor realizes that perfection is a trap? In this episode, his story takes a sharp turn when he tries to launch a startup in Cambridge. The idea was brilliant. The technology worked. Yet the city killed it. That failure — and the lawsuit that followed — became an unexpected gift.

From algorithmic poetry to civic rejection, from Harvard’s perfection to Shanghai’s beautiful mess — Listen now to hear:

• How a parking app got banned for being “unfair” to older citizens

• The Greek-Chinese philosophy of happiness through striving, not arriving

• Why leaving Harvard was the best decision he ever made

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What's the Harvard’s Best-Kept Secrets? Why Is “Too Good” is not goog?Former Harvard professor Kostas will take you on a journey to deconstruct the reality of America’s elite academic circles through a highly dramatic and reflective lens. From his childhood to his university years in Greece, from his early days in the U.S. grinding away at computer vision to becoming a pioneer in AI and aesthetic evaluation, all the way to his tenure as a Harvard professor… Harvard’s Two Best-Kept Secrets: Why Is “Being Too Good” Actually a Curse?Former Harvard professor Kostas will take you on a journey to deconstruct the reality of America’s elite academic circles through a highly dramatic and reflective lens. From his childhood to his university years in Greece, from his early days in the U.S. grinding away at computer vision to becoming a “guru” in pioneering AI and aesthetic evaluation, and finally to his tenure as a Harvard professor…