Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith

Fei-Fei Li, a pioneering AI scientist and Stanford professor, dives into the essence of curiosity driving AI innovation. She shares insights from her memoir, emphasizing humanity’s role in AI development. The conversation highlights the transformative impact of her creation, ImageNet, on machine learning. Li advocates for government-funded research, focusing on exploration over profit to unlock profound discoveries. She underscores the importance of a supportive ecosystem for nurturing talent and innovation, blending personal anecdotes with her vision for a human-centered AI future.

You may not know Norma Kamali by name, but you certainly know the designer’s fashions – from the iconic Sleeping Bag Coat, to dresses worn by celebrities like Jessica Biel. 57 years into her career, she’s added AI to her design toolbox and has never been more excited about what’s coming out of her studio. In this episode, Norma makes the case for AI as a valuable tool to enhance creativity for artists of all types, and walks Brad through her process for crafting a great AI prompt.Click here for the episode transcript

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Maria Ressa, and her co-founders created Rappler to harness social media’s connecting power to bring journalists directly to audiences. But those same social networks were then used by others against her – as a weapon – to spread disinformation and to seek to silence her. Brad and Maria also discuss turning crisis to opportunities and how the golden rule she learned as a child influences her decisions today. Click here for the full transcript

In a dynamic conversation with Trevor Noah, Brad Smith, the Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, dives into the evolving realm of AI. He shares why he believes AI won't lead to humanity's downfall and emphasizes the importance of using technology responsibly. They tackle the dual nature of tech, discussing both its potential to enhance lives and the ethical concerns surrounding misinformation and cybersecurity. Brad also highlights how strategic investments in technology can help navigate global challenges while fostering trust and collaboration among nations.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, President of COP28 and CEO of ADNOC, dives into the synergy between AI and sustainable energy solutions. He discusses how AI can drive decarbonization efforts and enhance energy management, addressing the soaring demand for energy as data center power consumption is set to double by 2030. Sultan also highlights the pivotal commitments made during COP28 and the importance of inclusivity, sharing experiences with indigenous communities that shape global climate strategies.

Bayer CEO Bill Anderson shares insights on using AI to combat hunger, empowering smallholder farmers, accelerating agricultural breakthroughs, and promoting innovation within the company. The podcast explores the intersection of science, technology, and sustainability in addressing global food security issues.

Brad Smith explores how generative AI is creating a new economy akin to the impact of the printing press. He emphasizes the need for partnerships, infrastructure, and skills development for the AI economy. Microsoft's AI Access Principles promote innovation while ensuring access, fairness, and responsibility.

Yves Ubelmann is a technologist, artist, and architect who is on a mission to digitally preserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage. He is the founder and CEO of Iconem, a company that creates stunning 3D models of endangered sites and environments. In this episode, Brad and Yves take a boat trip through Venice, touring the subject of his most ambitious project: an AI-generated digital twin of one of the world’s most magnificent cities. Inspired by his grandfather’s work to restore war-damaged heritage sites in France, Yves shares how he is using AI to memorialize the world’s heritage in 3D and raising awareness of the effects of climate change on our planet.Click here for the full transcript

As the United States’ first Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, Nathaniel Fick is leading a tech-centered global diplomatic mission. Nate brings extraordinary depth to this important role in contemporary foreign policy – not as a career diplomat, but from a wide range of experiences: a Classics graduate from Dartmouth, a Marine leader in Afghanistan and Iraq, a venture capitalist, and a CEO for a cybersecurity firm.As we kick off 2024, we discuss his priorities for the year ahead, why he'd always choose his radio over his rifle, the parallels between philosophy and AI policy, and an inspiring call for each of us to find time for national service.Click here for the full transcript.

Ben Rhodes had a front-row seat to one of the great transformations of our time - how people consume and react to information on social media. From his post as Deputy National Security Advisor and speechwriter serving under Barack Obama, Ben watched, as this technology evolved from a democratizing force of the Arab Spring to a weapon used to spread disinformation and divide societies.In this episode, the bestselling author and podcaster discusses the transformative technology of today, Artificial Intelligence. He shares his perspective on how we can develop and deploy AI to serve society and help solve some of society’s biggest challenges while staying clear-eyed so that we can anticipate risk and navigate new challenges.  Click here for the episode transcript