3 Takeaways™

AI is transforming society. We can still determine how. MIT dean and co-author with Henry Kissinger and Eric Schmidt of The Age of AI, discusses how and why we need to partner with this foundational technology. He also shares some surprising examples how AI is being integrated into the basic fabric of human activity.“It’s critical that we do not interact with AI as if it were human.”

Blackstone’s Byron Wien is known for his annual, and remarkably prescient, Ten Surprises. Here, he shares some fascinating 2023 predictions on U.S. presidential politics, interest rates, China, and a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. He also reveals some invaluable life lessons that have helped make him a huge success.Byron Wien is Vice Chairman of the Private Wealth Solutions Group at Blackstone.

Brain sensors embedded in watches. Earbuds that decode our brainwaves. Neurotechnology that reads our emotions and thoughts, and can be used to manipulate them. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s science fact. Don’t miss this chilling and cautionary talk with Duke professor Nita Farahany, author of The Battle for Your Brain.

We are biologically wired to need connection with others, but live in an age of serious and debilitating isolation. What are the ramifications of this to our health and happiness, and even to our longevity? Stanford’s Geoffrey Cohen brilliantly diagnoses the problem and offers stunningly simple solutions.

Are liberal democracies in long-term decline? Why is the U.S. so intensely polarized and how can it recover from it? What is the serious problem with identity politics? Internationally acclaimed political scientist and author, Stanford’s Frank Fukuyama, has valuable answers.

The one and only Alan S. Blinder, former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve and member of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors, shines a brilliant light on some of today’s hottest economic topics — including the politicization of economic policy, the criminality of cryptocurrency, the likelihood of a soft landing, the prospect of a national digital currency, and more.

There’s an epidemic of deception taking place, and while some lying has a valid function, it helps to know when you’re being deceived. Expert Pamela Meyer reveals why we lie, how to spot deception in work and life situations, and how she knew Bill Clinton’s claim that he “never had sex with that woman” was bs.

At a time when government-imposed racial and ethnic classifications are increasingly used to determine peoples’ rights, it’s important for them to make sense. According to law professor and author David Bernstein, they definitely do not. They’re absurd, have negative consequences, and are widely manipulated by “identity entrepreneurs.” 

Former CIA Director and General David Petraeus (Ret.) continues his brilliant, in-depth analysis of the Ukraine war, including whether or not Putin will use nuclear weapons and the risks of a wider war. Also hear his expert views on China, the battlefield of cyberspace, threats posed by Iran, N. Korea and Islamic terrorists, plus the stunning new importance of NATO. Don’t miss this remarkable talk with a remarkable man.

Former CIA Director and General David Petraeus (Ret.), one of the most brilliant military leaders of our generation, talks as only he can about the Ukraine war — how it will end, the likelihood of Putin going nuclear, the risk of a wider war, the weapons Ukraine needs to prevail, and more. Be sure to listen to Part 2 of this engrossing talk next week.