In this episode, Kevin speaks with with the influential tech thinker Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media and popularizer of terms such as open source and Web 2.0. O'Reilly, who co-leads the AI Disclosures Project at the Social Science Research Council, offers an insightful and historically-informed take on AI governance. Tim and Kevin first explore the evolution of AI, tracing its roots from early computing innovations like ENIAC to its current transformative role Tim notes the centralization of AI development, the critical role of data access, and the costs of creating advanced models. The conversation then delves into AI ethics and safety, covering issues like fairness, transparency, bias, and the need for robust regulatory frameworks. They also examine the potential for distributed AI systems, cooperative models, and industry-specific applications that leverage specialized datasets. Finally, Tim and Kevin highlight the opportunities and risks inherent in AI's rapid growth, urging collaboration, accountability, and innovative thinking to shape a sustainable and equitable future for the technology.

Tim O'Reilly is the founder, CEO, and Chairman of O'Reilly Media, which delivers online learning, publishes books, and runs conferences about cutting-edge technology, and has a history of convening conversations that reshape the computer industry. Tim is also a partner at early stage venture firm O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV), and on the boards of Code for America, PeerJ, Civis Analytics, and PopVox. He is the author of many technical books published by O'Reilly Media, and most recently WTF? What's the Future and Why It's Up to Us (Harper Business, 2017).

SSRC, AI Disclosures Project

Asimov's Addendum Substack

The First Step to Proper AI Regulation Is to Make Companies Fully Disclose the Risks