Is technology for good anything more than a marketing strategy?

Technology shapes everything. From how you work and connect to how you make decisions. But is humanity using it to solve the right problems? And when millions of people rely on boring, repetitive jobs to survive, what happens when AI takes them away?

On Victory in Europe Day, Khang Nguyen-Trieu joins Mark and Jeremy to Think on Paper about what ethical technology actually looks like in the real world. With decades of experience building large-scale systems, he brings grounded strategies for setting boundaries, listening to people, and turning complexity into advantage.

If tech is meant to serve people, why does it so often forget they're there?

Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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Join a community of disruptors and curious minds: ⁠www.thinkingonpaper.xyz⁠

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Technology for Good

(02:01) The Impact of Technology on Society

(04:07) Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword

(05:35) AI and Human Relationships

(09:57) Shifting the Focus: Profit vs. Purpose

(12:10) Rethinking Technology's Role

(16:22) The Need for Ethical Considerations

(20:52) Cultural Perspectives on Society and Individualism

(22:45) Empathy in Technology and Human Interaction

(24:45) The Role of Technology in Hospitality

(28:38) Balancing Automation and Human Connection

(34:16) Philosophical Reflections on Humanity and Wisdom   

A podcast for people who refuse to let algorithms, headlines, or influencers do their thinking for them.

What happens when technology moves faster than meaning? When AI writes code, raises your kids, and reshapes your job, but no one asks what it’s doing to your values?

Thinking on Paper is a podcast for people who want to think clearly about the future. Created by curious minds, strategists, and builders, this show explores the deep structures behind AI, blockchain, quantum computing, digital ethics, and platform power.

It is not a hype machine. It is not a founder showcase. And it is definitely not a TED Talk.

Each episode starts with a central question. Can machines be conscious? Is quantum computing a revolution or just an expensive metaphor? What happens when design prioritizes engagement over agency?

We talk to technologists, ethicists, designers, researchers, and people who are trying to build or resist the future. Not to promote. To pressure test.

• Artificial intelligence and consciousness

• Quantum computing and human complexity

• Surveillance, digital identity, and data ownership

• The design of platforms, products, and values

• How children and families are shaped by emerging technology

• What progress actually looks like, and who gets to define it

This trailer is the starting point. Subscribe to build your own framework for what comes next.

Think slower. Question harder. Use your mind like it matters.

Learn more: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz
#AIpodcast #technologyandethics #futureoftechnology

Topics we cover:

Shopify. Duolingo. Box. Meta: Don’t give it to a human until you’ve asked the machine.

This isn’t disruption. This is displacement. And if you’re not ready, you’re next.

Ajay Malik helped run Google’s data centers. Now he’s building AI agents that kill the corporate time-suck at its source. Emails? Scanned. Contracts? Summarized. Cameras? Watching. Support tickets? Prioritized before you’ve had your coffee.

Forget the whitepapers. This is what it looks like when someone actually builds the machine that replaces middle management.

The question isn’t should your company use AI.
It’s how many people will you need once it does.

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Links

Studio X: https://www.studiox-ai.com/

Ajay Insta: https://www.instagram.com/ajay.malik.official/

Thinking On Paper: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

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Timestamps

(00:00) Disruptors and curious minds

(00:45) Introduction to AI and Its Impact

(03:47) Ajay Malik's Journey with AI

(06:59) Core Capabilities of AI

(09:58) AI as a Partner in Decision Making

(14:20) Trusting AI in Business

(15:32) Practical Applications of AI in Business

(18:47) The Role of AI in Enhancing Productivity

(21:49) Creative Potential and AI Hallucinations

(24:35) Engaging with AI for Business Growth

(29:27) The Emotional Aspect of AI Communication

(30:06) Studio X: No Code AI Solutions

(31:49) Connecting Knowledge for AI Utilization

(34:48) Integrating AI into Daily Workflows

(36:05) Managing AI Agents Like Interns

(40:09) The Responsibility of AI Management

(43:17) AI Applications in Business Operations

(45:37) Navigating IT Concerns with AI Implementation

(48:56) Maximizing Impact with AI Tools

(51:39) Knowledge Transfer and Employee Concerns

(54:49) Preparing Future Generations for AI 

In Chapter 6 of Irreducible, by Federico Faggin, Mark and Jeremy get into what makes living cells tick and why machines will never be conscious.What is “live information” and how does it blend matter, energy, and data into life? How can machines be alive if they don't know, if they can't know what it's like to be aware? How can AI be conscious when it can't feel? Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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Join the book club: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Irreducible

(02:54) Exploring the Nature of Life

(05:54) Biology Vs Information

(09:04) Consciousness and Free Will

(12:10) The Hard Problem of Consciousness

(15:12) The Future of AI and Consciousness

(18:03) Science Fiction and Human Experience

(20:52) Differences Between Cells and Computers

(27:01) Conclusion and Reflections on Consciousness

On the 26th september, 1983, in the midst of the Cold War, the world was saved from nuclear disaster because of a human.

An Ai wouldn't have seen the patterns and World War 3 would have been triggered. We're reading chapters 4 and 5 of Irreducible. And he lays out the groundwork for a new theory of consciousness.

He proposes it's fundamental to the universe. And the repercussions of that are monumental.

Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to the Battle for Attention

(01:01) The Cold War and Stanislav Petrov's Decision

(03:40) The Nature of Information

(16:40) Consciousness vs. Machines

(24:12) Coding DNA and Human Intuition

(26:51) Curiosity and Creativity: The Human Experience

(32:26) Live Information: Energy, Matter, and Consciousness

(34:40) The Nature of Meaning and Consciousness

(38:02) Quantum Computing and Its Mysteries

(44:47) Consciousness and Free Will: A Philosophical Inquiry

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Watch Chapter 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeqTB-q-W10&t=42sWatch Chapter 3 & 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0EynDKlcnE&t=79s&ab_channel=ThinkingOnPaper

Space-based solar power is the focus of this episode with Sanjay Vijendran, former European Space Agency lead on space-based solar power and founder of Space Energy Insights.

We explore whether solar farms in orbit could collect sunlight above the clouds and beam clean energy back to Earth.

The conversation explains why space-based solar power is being reconsidered now, from climate change and energy poverty to reusable rockets, falling launch costs, in-space manufacturing and lunar resources.

You'll learn about wireless power transmission, radio frequency versus laser power beaming, safety, public perception, regulation, and the challenge of turning a 50-year-old idea into a serious clean-energy technology.

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Thinking on Paper is a technology podcast about AI, Space, quantum computing, science, and the systems shaping the future. 

🏠 Buy us a beer on Substack

🎧 Take us with you on Spotify

🎧 Remember Steve Jobs on APPLE

📺 Get the clips and outtakes on Instagram

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Chapters

(00:00) Space Based Solar Intro

(01:03) What Is Space-Based Solar Power

(02:41) Energy Poverty

(05:03) The Viability of Space-Based Solar Power

(07:23) Wireless Power Transmission

(10:14) Technical Challenges of Scaling Up

(12:03) Cost Considerations and Economic Viability

(14:27) Future of Manufacturing in Space

(17:15) Hot Takes and Personal Insights

(19:55) Economics of Space-Based Solar Power

(29:21) Understanding Energy Sources

(31:22) Private Companies in Space-Based Solar Power

(33:19) RF vs. Lasers

(35:47) Safety Mechanisms in Space-Based Power Systems

(41:06) Collaboration vs. Competition

(42:37) Political and Cultural Barriers

(46:44) Investing in Space-Based Solar Power   

Jihao Sun, co-founder of Flock.io, joins Mark and Jeremy to Think on Paper about decentralized AI. LLMs that trains locally, protect privacy, and reward users. They get into data ownership, blockchain-based training, and whether federated learning can really compete with centralized giants.

If your data is building the next generation of AI, who’s it building it for? And why aren’t you in control?

Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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CHAPTERS

(00:08) Introduction to Decentralized AI

(01:33) The Importance of Decentralization in AI

(04:40) Accessibility and Cost of AI Technology

(07:53) Understanding Federated Learning

(11:38) Challenges of Centralized AI Systems

(14:30) Exploring Federated Learning in Banking

(17:10) Blockchain's Role in Decentralized AI

(20:45) Democratizing AI Development with Flock

(26:49) Real-World Use Cases of Flock

(32:56) The Evolution of Parenting and Technology

(35:28) Decentralization vs Centralization in AI

(36:31) Future of Decentralized AI Models

(37:29) Understanding AI Hallucinations

(41:23) The Role of Synthetic Data

(44:59) Getting Involved with Decentralized AI

(45:53) Staying Out of Your Own Way

(47:03) Final Thoughts on Decentralization and AI

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Learn more:www.flock.io

www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

We're reading Chapter 3 of Irreducible by Federico Faggin, and he argues that consciousness is rooted in the quantum nature of life, something potentially inaccessible to classical, deterministic machines. If that's true, AI consciousness is impossible.

Faggin contrasts the symbolic processing of computers with the dynamic, self-organizing behavior of living systems. He suggests that real understanding isn’t just non-algorithmic, it may be inseparable from the quantum coherence found in biological life.

Are we mistaking simulation for sentience?

Please enjoy the show. And share with a conscious friend.

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Timestamps

(00:00) Consciousness and Meditation

(05:00) The Nature of Machines

(09:56)Computers vs. Humans

(15:50) Quantum Consciousness and Its Implications

(20:49) The Evolution of Humanity vs. Machines

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Learn more: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

When Hollywood passed on RZR, David Bianchi chose to build the series independently.

He used NFTs to finance production, retained creative control, and incorporated AI tools such as Midjourney into the development process. The result was an Emmy-nominated science-fiction series created outside the traditional studio system.

In this episode, Bianchi explains how Hollywood uses AI, where those tools are genuinely useful, and what independent creators can gain by controlling their funding, production and intellectual property.

We discuss:

• How NFTs helped fund RZR without surrendering ownership

• How Bianchi used AI tools during production and what they saved

• What final cut means for an independent creator

• The practical limits and advantages of Web3 financing

• Why creative ownership matters as studios and platforms adopt AI

This is a conversation about AI in Hollywood, independent production and the economics of creative control. It examines what becomes possible when filmmakers use new technology without relying on the traditional studio model.

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Timestamps

(00:00) Beyond Hollywood Gates: Funding Film with Web3

(05:28) TikTok to Emmy: Finding New Talent in the Digital Age

(11:07) Own the Story: How NFTs are Changing Fan Engagement (22:42) AI vs. Artist? Democratizing Creativity on Screen

(31:26) Dystopian Visions, Real Tech: Learning from Sci-Fi (37:53) Finding Calm in Chaos: Bianchi's Creative Process

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Learn more: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

Is quantum based panpsychism a valid explanation of our experience? Is the universe made of conscious units know as seities? Does the universe want to know itself? Federico Faggin thinks so.

It's a book club, captain, but not as we know it. Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

• Why classical physics broke under its own weight

• What quantum mechanics tells us about the nature of reality

• Why observation, not code, might be the missing piece

• What separates comprehension from computation

• And why AGI might be chasing the wrong target

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Timestamps

(00:00) Exploring Consciousness and Reality

(02:14) Federico's Background

(03:15) The Evolution of Scientific Thought

(05:59) The Nature of Quantum Reality

(08:01) Understanding Axioms and Mathematics

(10:41) The Interconnectedness of Existence

(12:20) The Role of Measurement in Reality

(17:44) The Nature of Particles and Consciousness

(21:01 Non-Locality and Quantum Entanglement

(24:39 Consciousness: The Knowing-Existing Loop

(28:46) Machines vs. Conscious Beings

(32:46) The Intersection of Consciousness and Reality

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Learn more and join the book club: ⁠www.thinkingonpaper.xyz⁠

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Catch up on the next episodes of the Irreducible Book Club on YouTube: https://youtu.be/A0Ok3ObtwSk?si=n_pSgA_JIOS-BRKG